Plans brewing for waterfront makeover
<p>George Isaacs and his canine companion, Brandon, gaze across the lake while seated next to Sacajawea Park's brand new blacktop trail. Plans are on the drawing board for the walkway through the park to extend under U.S. Highway 93 to Riverside Park.</p> <p> </p>
POLSON — The city council meeting held last Monday night provided a glimpse of what may await the future of Polson’s waterfront. At the gathering, the Polson Redevelopment Agency (PRA) discussed their proposal to outfit the city with a long-talked-about walkway extending under U.S. Highway 93 that would connect Riverside and Sacajawea Parks. In addition to linking the parks, the PRA committee also intends to give a makeover to the dilapidated west pier fishing dock at Salish Point.
According to an estimate generated by a city engineer, the price tag on the proposed development will be $641,000, though Avison is quick to assure the community that the project will not levy any additional cost on taxpayers. Instead, the funding for the proposal extends from a pool of money corresponding to the area’s tax increment financing (TIF) district.
Next Monday, Avison and other members of the PRA committee will go before the city commissioners to seek permission to continue with the planning process and to start attracting bids from prospective contractors. Avison notes that there is a sense of urgency, as the project is time sensitive.
“We’re trying to fast-track it because the pier has to be torn up during low water and completed during high water,” Avison explains. “The project itself has to be done during high water so the barges can do the driving.”
The clock is ticking, given the water-dependent window of opportunity, but Avison is not deterred.
“I’m an eternal optimist, but I’m hoping it can done by mid-July,” says Avison, ambitiously.
“The under-the-bridge portion, people have been talking about that for 20-25 years, and the city pier is just in desperate need of rehabilitation,” Avison said, hoping for the PRA’s vision to come to fruition.
With each meeting, the project appears to be gaining momentum, and hopefully soon the community will be able to reap the benefits of the PRA’s hard work.
“We’re looking forward to these two projects that will make life in Polson in the summer better,” said Avison.