1993 FORT MISSOULA PLAN
--A REVISION --AND UPD--ATE OF TilE 1973 FORT MISSOUL--A
GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT
Unedited Version Adopted
by
the
'MISSOULA CITY COUNCIL
For More Information about the Preparation of this Plan Document, Contact:
Missoula Office of Community Development
435 Ryman Missoula, Montana 59802 (406) 523-4657
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART 1: Planning area in historical perspective
A. Past ( up to 1973)
1. The distant past of the Fort Missoula area
2. 1973
B. Present (1993)
1. Current natural features and character of the
plan area, together with changes which have taken place since 1973
2.
Current man-made features and modifications,
together with changes which have taken place since 19733. Degree to which changes since 1973 have
followed and implemented the 1973 Plan
4. Current role of the Fort Missoula area
PART II: Planning context and background
A. Existing communitywide plans
1. Population and housing
2. Economy and commercial/industrial land use
3.
Environment
4.
Recreation, passive and active
5.
Community aesthetics, the historical6. Fort Missoula as a district park
7. Community services and facilities
8. Revision of the Fort Missoula plan
B. Current issues, concerns, opportunities
1. Growth of the community 2. The evolution of Fort Missoula
3.
OpportunitiesPage 4
Page 7
PART III: General goals
A. The character of this updating and revision of the Fort Missoula Plan (1973)
B. Distinctive character of the area
C. General goals
PART IV: Implementation
Specific means and methods for achieving the general goals
History Education
Ecology
Open space
Compatibility of uses, functions, and features Structures and infrastructure
Acquisition and preservation of land Accessibility for people with disabilities Coordinating mechanism for implementation
APPENDICES:
A. Fort Missoula Steering Committee B. Outline of Public Involvement Process
C. Record of Public Input (not attached;
available for review at the Office of Community Development).
D. Working Calendar of:
Target Dates, Tasks, Responsible Parties E. Relevance of Current Community Plans
{not attached; available for review at OCD) F. Sources
Page 32
Page 36
Page 47
SCENARIOS SUPPlEMENT (Note: This Supplement is not an official part of the
INTRODUCTION
Origins of This Plan
During 1972-1973, the Fort Missoula Steering Committee of Fort area landowners worked with one another, with the City-County Planning Board and staff, and with the Missoula
community to formulate a land use guide for the future of the Fort Missoula area. Now,
twenty years later, a similar kind of process has occurred. This time, the Fort Missoula
Steering Committee has consisted of citizen representatives of community groups, as well as
most of the Fort area landowners. This time, the Committee's focus has been on updating an existing plan, rather than creating a plan from scratch. But, as in the previous case, the planning effort has involved the Planning Board, the planning staff, and the larger community of citizens. And as was also true twenty years ago, Fort Missoula's
extraordinary value to Missoula City and County and western Montana has been a prime motivator of this collective effort to provide effective guidance about the directions and parameters for appropriate change at the Fort.
Additional motivators have prompted the updating of the 1973 Fort Missoula Plan at this particular time. An important one is the very real possibility for major land use changes to occur at the Fort, as the result of recent shifts in land ownership and landowner goals. Another motivator is a recognition that a substantial portion of the rich historical and natural resource base of the Fort is seriously threatened by a lack of coordinated attention and adequate funding.
Plan Update Process
The Fort Missoula Steering Committee was assembled in August 1993 (Please refer to Appendix A). Ten Steering Committee meetings were held during the fall of 1993. The Steering Committee sponsored two community meetings to inform and involve more citizens in the public planning process. The public involvement process associated with this planning process is outlined in Appendix B. Appendix C contains the full record of public input received during the preparation of this draft Plan document. This input was essential to the Steering Committee's understanding of current issues, concerns, and opportunities associated with the Fort area and the larger Missoula community; it has also been helpful in the
formulation and testing of the general goals being proposed in this Plan. Appendix C is not attached to this Plan document; it is, however, available for review at the Missoula Office of Community Development.
The bulk of the Steering Committee's work was accomplished at the Subcommittee level. Five work groups, made up of Steering Committee members and additional interested citizens, tackled a range of tasks: Public Involvement, Plan Write-Up, Scenarios, Historic District Overlay Zone Review, and Divot Development Proposal Review (These latter two
subcommittees focussed their efforts on reviewing two specific proposals and offering suggestions for brjnging the proposals more closely in line with the goals and direction of this Plan, as it evolved).
Through the steps outlined in Appendix D, the Steering Committee prepared and forwarded a draft 1993 Fort Missoula Plan onto the Missoula Consolidated Planning Board, Missoula City Council, Board of Missoula County Commissioners, and entire Missoula community, as a proposed amendment to the Missoula Urban Comprehensive Plan. This Plan document, in its draft form, is presented below. The document has been developed, and is now being reviewed, in accordance with the state statutory authority and requirements for community master planning (MCA 76-l-Part 6).
Map A depicts the Fort Missoula planning area considered in the 1993 plan update process. This is generally the same area that received attention in the 1973 Plan, although the 1993 effort has focussed upon the lands which lie south of South Avenue.
Presentation of The Plan
The Plan first offers a historical perspective on the Fort Missoula area, recalling the distant _past, describing the Fort in 1973, and then outlining present-day activities and conditions. The document then outlines the communitywide context in which this Plan update is offered, referencing existing adopted community plans and policies which relate to the Fort Missoula area. The Plan goes on to characterize the Fort area's distinctiveness -- why it warrants special planning attention. Then, the Plan outlines a set of general goals and specific means for accomplishing these goals. Implementation strategies are discussed, and pertinent
resources are appended.
A Scenarios Supplement can be found immediately following the Appendices. This section is not an official part of the Plan document, but it offers a set of scenarios illustrating a variety of ways that the Fort's future might be envisioned. The purpose of the scenarios is to help the Missoula community visualize and consider how different changes across the Fort landscape might -- or might not -- further the goals for the area, as stated in this Plan. The scenarios are not intended to represent specific development plans.
Nor
are they meant to exhaust the possible configurations of land uses. They do, instead, suggestpossibilities. Any such possibility must be considered in light of its particular context and timing, but with the general goals and specific means of this Plan given foremost attention.
-·
...,.,..
"
t)
1994 FORT MISSOULA
REVISED PLANNING AREA
!,I"IIIIIIIIIIIItJ
.
•.
•.
•.
• • • • • • • • ••
• • • • • • ••
•
• • ,iunnnntnur Denotes Planning AreaNOTE: Planning Area is larger
than the area covered by the
PART I
PLANNING AREA IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
A. Past (up to 1973):
1. The distant past of the Fort Missoula area
Prior to non-native settlement, the Salish, commonly called the Flathead by non-natives, used the area in which Fort Missoula is located. The bitterroot plant grew abundantly in the
Bitterroot and Missoula Valleys and served as an important source of food for them, as did
the buffalo they hunted cast of the mountains. Early in the 19th century, non-natives came to the region in noticeable numbers, including Lewis and Clark's expedition, English and
French fur traders and explorers, and missionaries. Permanent settlement by non-natives
began in the 1850's.
By 1871, settlement in the Missoula and the Bitterroot Valleys created pressure for more lands, and President Ulysses S. Grant ordered all Salish moved to the Jocko Valley. Many of the Salish refused to leave and argued the legality of the treaties involved. At the same time, settlers resented the intrusion of Nez Perce hunting parties on their lands. The widespread conflicts between Native Americans and non-natives in the West during the 1860's and 1870's fueled settlers' concerns about adequate protection; at the same time, Missoula was growing as a community, and its leaders realized the economic value of a military installation in the area. Their efforts were instrumental in securing a location of a fort near Missoula.
Two companies of infantrymen began construction in June of 1877. Like most forts built in the West after 1870, the new post was not fortified. Instead, it featured a design of exposed buildings, suited to a patrolling force as opposed to a defensive posture. Within a month troops were ordered into action against the Nez Perce, interrupting construction. The soldiers pursued the Nez Perce, who were trying to escape into Canada from Idaho, and participated in the August 9 battle at the Big Hole River. Then they returned to Missoula and continued construction on the fort, officially named Fort Missoula on November 8 of that year. Troops battled a small band of Nez Perce in the summer of 1878; that was the last significant action against local Native Americans. Of the buildings constructed during this period, only a carriage house, a stone powder magazine and a non-commissioned officers' quarters have survived. Many of the original structures were removed during reconstruction of the Fort after the turn of the century.
Little changed at Fort Missoula until May of 1888. In that year, several companies of the 25th Infantry were garrisoned at the Fort. The unit was one of four in the Army which consisted of Black soldiers and non-commissioned officers who served under white officers. Members of the unit spent several weeks policing the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota during the hostilities surrounding the Wounded Knee incident late in 1890.
In 1897 and 1898, the Fort was home to the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, established by the
Army to experiment with the bicycle as a means of military transportation. The Corps trained hard but was disbanded when its members were called for duty in the Spanish-American War. The Army never adopted the bicycle as an official means of travel.
In 1898, the Army ordered the Fort abandoned. Title to some of the land was questionable, and the Fort was serving no clear purpose. Local businesspeople moved quickly to clear the title and hold off abandonment. Largely through the work of U. S. Senator Joseph Dixon, a
Missoula citizen, Congress in 1904 appropriated funds to reconstruct Fort Missoula, in spite of the fact that the installation still had no clear military purpose. Many of the buildings
constructed from 1906 to 1912 were designed in Mission-style architecture. Eighteen
buildings from this reconstruction period remain.
Despite the new construction, the Army abandoned the Fort shortly before World War I. During the war, the University used some of the buildings for a training school. In 1918, Congress passed a bill permitting the sale or lease of portions of Fort Missoula.
A small garrison of soldiers was placed there in 1921. In 1933, Fort Missoula became headquarters for the Rocky Mountain Civilian Conservation Corps, encompassing Corps units in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Yellowstone and Glacier Parks. The CCC was a national program to provide training and work for young men during the economic depression of the
1930s. Several buildings were constructed and others improved during this period. The CCC program ended in 1941.
In that year, Fort Missoula began to serve yet another role. By order of the President, Axis ships began to be seized in U. S. harbors and crews arrested. Crew members were sent to locations like the Fort, which provided adequate housing facilities in isolated settings. Between 1941 and 1944, about 1200 Italian civilians were interned at the Fort under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Italians nicknamed the installation Bella Vista: beautiful view.
Eleven days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, another group of detainees began arriving at Fort Missoula, The Issei were men of Japanese birth living in the United States, many of them professionals or businessmen. The government arrested them to forestall any action against the country from within. Securing measures became tighter and officials addressed charges of mistreatment of the Issei. Some of the detainees were deported but none were prosecuted.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service's camp at Fort Missoula was the largest that agency operated in the United States, although the War Relocation Authority established larger camps for detention of the Nisei, Japanese-Americans who were citizens by birth or naturalization. The last of those interned there left in 1944 and the barracks which had been built for them were removed within a short time. The foundations and depression remain, a reminder of a painful reality of war. After World War II, the Army resumed its presence at
Fort Missoula and used the facility as a prison camp until 1947. Two concrete cell blocks and three other buildings from this period still exist at the Fort.
In 1948, the Army began disposal of Fort property through sale or lease, By the time the 1973 Fort Missoula plan was formulated, owners or lessees included the Bureau of Land Management, the City of Missoula, the County of Missoula, Missoula Community High School, Missoula Community Hospital, Montana National Guard, the Montana Department of National Resources, the State of Montana, the U. S. Army, the University of Montana, and A. W. Fetscher, a private owner. The Post Cemetery, which contains graves of war veterans, Black soldiers from the 25th Infantry Regiment, and Army wives and children, remained active.
Founded to protect and enrich a developing community, Fort Missoula swung between being virtually useless and vitally important. Ironically, its most dynamic periods-- as the Civilian Conservation Corps regional headquarters and the Immigration and Naturalization Service's camp-- related only peripherally to its original goals.
2, 1973
The 1970 Census reported 29,497 Missoula City residents, 58,263 Missoula County residents, and an Urban Area population of 50.669. In 1973, northern City limits were confined to Interstate 90 except for portions of Waterworks Hill and the lower end of the Rattlesnake Valley. Western City limits extended out to Reserve Street north of Mullan Road, then substantially shrank back in meandering fashion south of the Clark Fork River. Community Hospital and the Rural Fire Station along South Avenue west of Reserve Street constituted an "island" of City lands surrounded by County jurisdiction. Southern City limits were likewise irregular, taking in the Hillview Heights development south of 39th Street as another island. The development pattern of the Missoula Urban Area in 1973 was a notable contrast between urban/suburban neighborhoods and scattered-site rural development. Large parcels of land remained in agricultural use, although a few pockets of newer urban
development were evident (Ref. 1970 Census, City annexation records, Missoula County Population Analysis dated October 1983, and 1973 air photos).
At the time of the 1973 Fort Missoula Plan, dominant man-made features at the Fort included the Rural Fire Station, Fort Missoula campus, the Missoula Country Club, Community Hospital, a nursing home, the gravel mining and processing operation located east of McCauley Butte and the military cemetery. The Department of State Lands administrative offices and the State Nursery were located on Spurgin Road.
Most of the remainder of the Fort Missoula Plan Area was either vacant or in agricultural use. Those areas include what is now the Larchmont Golf Course, the University
Foundation landholdings north of the historic fort and south of South Avenue, and the 160 acres of County-owned land off Spurgin Road. In addition, the University-owned property
south of Fort Missoula Road and north of the Bitterroot River, the Army campus to the west, and the Missoula Country Club were in use. The University conducted research in the former military jails along Post Siding Road, utilized the former Quartermaster Stables for storage, and used the riparian areas for biological and ecological research. To the east of the hospital, commercially zoned ground had not yet been developed. The Army leased to the Forest Service, the National Guard, the Army Reserves and the Navy Reserves. The Bureau of Land Management was also expected to locate in the Fort area. The Western Montana Regional Community Mental Health Center owned land and five Fort buildings within the original Fort complex. The Fort Missoula Historical Museum was founded in 1973 (See Map Band Table I for summary information about Fort area ownership, 1973 and 1993). Throughout the 1970's, the Army continued to act as a landlord for various government agencies occupying structures at the Fort. There was very limited if any discussion of the Army vacating the Fort as an occupant and landlord. It was typical of military installations, that the Army owned and maintained the grounds, including all the infrastructure that
supported the developed areas of the Fort. This included sewer, water, electrical, phone, and road systems within the Fort campus. In 1973, a new raw sewage force main was designed and installed by the Army as a consequence of the failure of the sewage system to treat Fort-generated sewage properly. This force main carried sewage from the Fort to an existing city sewer main east in Reserve Street. While this force main was new, it utilized the existing dry-laid clay sewer lines from aU structures which at that time were
approximately 60 years old. The Army was also responsible for the electrical distribution and water systems, which were approximately 30 years old at that time, and included the water tower at the southeast comer of the property.
B. Present (1993)
1. Current natural features and character of the plan area, together with changes which have taken place since 1973
Land Forms
The Bitterroot River flows through the southern portion of the planning area. The dynamic action of the Bitterroot River, in geologic ages past, has been responsible for the dominant land forms in the planning area. McCauley Butte which rises approximately 320 feet above the surrounding area was once part of the Blue Mountain land form. The Bitterroot River, in carving its channel, isolated McCauley Butte from the surrounding mountains to the west. The Bitterroot River and the Clark Fork River, in the more recent Pleistocene period,
deposited the broad alluvial terrace which forms the Missoula valley floor. Most recently, in the sense of geologic time, the Bitterroot River has created and occupies the current
floodplain and riparian areas. Little change has occurred to the physical form of the natural
features. The only exceptions are the removal of gravel from the alluvial terrace and removal of rock from the south face of McCauley Butte as part of the ongoing gravel processing operation west of Fort Missoula (Ref. Roadside Geology of Montana, by David Alt and Donald Hyndman, 1986).
Native Plants
The planning area was once dominated by native plant species. The Bitterroot River floodplain was dominated by Cottonwood and Ponderosa Pine with Red Osier Dogwood in the understory. The broad a11uvia1 terrace was dominated by Bluebunch Wheatgrass and Idaho Fescue. The slopes of McCauley Butte were covered with Bluebunch Wheatgrass and Sandberg's Bluegrass.
Native species are still present in the planning area. The cottonwood, pines and dogwood thrive in the floodplain areas. However, Spotted Knapweed and Leafy Spurge are displacing the native grasses in the floodplain areas. Knapweed dominates the terrace formations and is invading the slopes of McCauley Butte (Ref. Report to Missoula: $16,000 Pilot Project on Parks/Open Space/Resource Planning and Management, City of Missoula, July, 1993).
Wildlife
Three wildlife habitat categories appear in the planning area. The Urban Habitat is all the area outside of the floodplain and off the slopes of McCauley Butte. The River/Floodplain Habitat is all the area in the floodplain of the Bitterroot River. The Upland/Grass Habitat lies southwest of the Bitterroot River and along the slopes of McCauley Butte. Within the urban habitat non-native species such as English sparrow, starling, rock dove (pigeon), Eastern fox squirrel and goldfish (in Larchmont's ponds) thrive. The River/Floodplain Habitat is home to a diverse population of native birds, mammals and fish. Included are osprey and bald eagles, white-tailed deer, mink, and beaver, cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. The upland/grass habitat attracts numerous birds including meadowlark, homed lark, and northern harrier. Mammals occupying this area would include red fox, weasel,
Colombian ground squirrel and meadow vole (Ref. Report to Missoula: $16,000 Pilot Project).
2. Current man-made features and modifications, together with changes which have taken place since 1973
The riparian zone along Fort Missoula as it fronts the Bitterroot River has remained relatively unchanged in the twenty years since 1973; that is, no formal development has occurred, nor have adjoining property owners actively used the area. Some of the
agricultural activity south of South Avenue has ceased. The areas formerly owned by the
University, now owned by the University of Montana Foundation, have received little care. The County-owned Larchmont Golf Course has been developed on a triangular piece of previously designated "land reserve" bordered by Reserve Street, Post Siding Road, and Fort Missoula Road.
The Bureau of Land Management built administrative offices. The National Guard built a facility on Reserve Street and expanded their facilities west of Fort Missoula. The Historical Museum has developed the former Quartermaster's Warehouse as a museum. The Museum has preserved several existing structures, acquired artifacts, installed displays regarding forestry and the lumber industry, and imported several historic structures. The Museum has made modest progress in developing a historic park on 32 acres of Fort land deeded
originally to the City and subsequently acquired by the County. The facilities associated with Community Hospital have expanded significantly including physicians' offices and a
rehabilitation center. In addition, three housing projects have been built along South
Avenue, between Community Hospital and Reserve Street: an apartment complex, retirement housing, and assisted living.
Missoula County leases much of its land off Spurgin Road for recreational purposes to specific users, including American Legion baseball, Little League baseball, and an equestrian club. Such use somewhat fulfills the 1976 County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan's designation of this area as a community recreation area. At the same time, the lease
commitments preclude the land from being used as an opportunity through barter, trade, or sale, for the acquisition of riparian lands along the Fort, as suggested in the 1973 Fort Plan. Additional land use changes including the research activities conducted by the University on its properties have ceased. Some of the structures now owned by the University Foundation are not used at all; the others simply serve a storage function. The Fort Missoula active recreation park has expanded with an increased number of baseball, soccer, and rugby fields, batting cages, horseshoe pits, and tennis courts. Map C illustrates current ownership in the Fort Missoula area. Map D illustrates current City limits; it also outlines the boundaries of the Urban Service Area, as presented in the Missoula Urban Comprehensive Plan.
The last 35 years have seen no significant improvement or investment in Fort infrastructure.
Table I
MATRIX OF FORT AREA LANDOWNERS, 1973 AND 1993
Owner
Acres-
1973 USAGE 1973 NEEDS & PI AN S '...
1993Bureau of
s
Maintenance Administrative complex, Has not respondedLand Mgmt. Facility if possible, on South
Avenue.
s
NoneUndetennined.
County of 28 Historical Restoration of NCO No capital facilities
Missoula Structures remain, quarters; historic planning or funding or
unused. complex and museum. fire protection; museum
wants to move to old hospital How to buffer Fort from Adjacent properties/uses. 2 Rural Fire Station Undetermined
Built Fire Station
160 At South and Undetennined
Reserve, unused, Built Larchmont golf
no buildings. Course
160 On Spurgin Road, Undetennined Partially developed park
some Agriculture, small park, no buildings.
(if awarded by Active Sports fields, (no
GSA) 17 None Combine with the 51 buildings).
acres, if awarded, for
51 None recreational facilities,
with 110 buildings.
Community 40 Hospital and Medical complex with Needs to acquire Hospital secondary facility. Doctors' offices. additional land to
expand medical campus. Missoula 20 Surround old Vo-Ag Expansion Series Needs to retain pan of County High cemetary, some of buildings for career- land immediately south School agriculture. oriented high school, of Big Sky, would trade
may need more acreage. remainder for foundation
40 Vo-Ag building, Intensive expansion on land west adjacent to
agricultural present acreage. Yo-Tech Campus.
80 Vo~ Tech Center
Montana
17
Vehicle Amwry Construction. Has not responded.National maintenance
Guard facility, several
wooden structures.
Montana State 200 Tree Nursery, Expanded experimental Has not responded.
Dept of experimentation and maintenance
Natural site, maintenance facilities.
Resources buildings and
offices.
State of 6 Mental Health Indefinite Wishes to consolidate all
Montana Clinic and services to a downtown
employee facility, divest itself of
apartments. old Fort hospitaL
United States
32
Federal Agency Maintenance facility and Plans to "Excess" part of Anny offices and Army parking area for 150-200 Fort, including oldReserve. cars. buildings and river front
at southwest comer. University of
54
South of River, Continued research Wishes to sell itsMontana field properties at the fort for
experimentation. scholarships.
82
Expansion of ResearchZoological facilities. Go to housing
buildings, storage developer.
42 and study plots.
Continued usc, research River bed, and study.
120
research, and studyplots. Continued use, research
and study. A portion of this acreage
Research and goes to Lutheran Elderly
Study Plots. Housing Project.
A. W. 5 On South Avenue, Feasibility study. Developed a 3 st(lry
Fetscher, undeveloped. High density housing
private owner. project.
-- Prepared by Divot Development Company, 9/93
MAP B: 1973 Fort Missoula Land Ownership
spurgin roadI
' >late20:
montanar
I
.
'--,i,b
~~----'r!
--
-r
~-,-h-,-~--
_j
40 missoula county 160south avenue private
me h s
I
80 'L ___
.-.J
'\mchs gsa missoula '5j
community/""u
1
o~;
~.1.51
ha:tal '~-,
' 9>0 \ / nat'l / 1r--:----;--
17 ,;r-"
missoula~
n
ready mix m&>numbers indicate approximate acrOO!=)e
guard I
j
c•ty - '.. ,..,...,...~ /i
county17 . "' '\jblm ' 160 • m1ssoula 1 5
c='-.__,k-.:2::.::8
I
u s army J Uo! m-
--1.___
32J
82 '~~-.)---~
____ ---
,)\~,;of
roontano
'"'
\ 6 '--Excerpted from 1973 Fort Missoula Guidelines for Development (p. II)
(l_ I (/)
a:
w
z
5:
0n
0) 0)u
' '
:;;>--~:\_________
_j-,.
'
/---·---·----~---16
Q) ~"
.c "0"
> !!! a."'
'0
"'
~"'
"0 a.:.::
"'
~"
c:;:
0"
.c ~ ~ 0 ~"'
0 E "0 .!!1 a. a."
"'
0 c: a."
0 ~ (!):;
(!):::
1-Cl w a: ()0
0u
(]_,-<
?;
0
!'--; !'--;z
r:Ll
~
r:Ll
$c---1
v.,
(]_,"'
V' (]_,•
"'
•
"!$
;:::!
en
16a
?J"""'"e
'\'l.\ei":;\cC'3-LEGEND
•
City LimitsUrban Service Area Planning Area
~~
6
3. Degree to which changes since 1973 have followed/implemented the 1973
Plan.
This profile of how the Fort Missoula area has evolved since 1973 prompts the question: To what degree has the 1973 Plan been followed over the years? Consideration of the extent to which the Plan has actually been implemented produces a mixed assessment. Changes which have occurred in close keeping with the 1973 Plan include the following:
o Administrative actions.
a. Creation of the Missoula County Park Board.
b. Listing of Fort Missoula on the National Register of Historic Districts. c. Retention of Maclay Flats as open space.
d. Zoning of public lands in accordance with the Missoula Comprehensive Plan (P-1,
P·II).
e. An archaeological study of the Fort area was conducted in 1989. o Facility development.
a. Establishment of the Historic Park/Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. b. Development of the Fort Missoula sports complex.
c. Development of the County's Spurgin Road ballfield and equestrian park. d. Expansion of medical-related activities near the hospital.
e. Installation of joint sewer system.
f. Closure of the main (but haz.ardous) entrance at South A venue and Reserve Street, with a replacement entry provided at Reserve and Dearborn.
g. Construction of Big Sky High School along South A venue.
h. Development of Larchmont golf course (although the 1973 Plan recommended Maclay Flats for such a recreational facility)
[Readers, please note: Photo(s) of new development to be inserted here.]
o Program development.
a. Development of educational programs associated with the Fort's history. b. Usage of recreational fields and historic park by local students.
Conversely, many of the suggestions contained in the 1973 Fort Missoula Plan have not been carried out. Most of what has not happened falls into the category of administrative action. Noteworthy examples include:
a. An ongoing Fort Missoula Coordinating Council was never established.
b. Both the status of Fort Missoula as public land, and the notion of treating Fort Missoula " ... as an entity, usable in multiple ways for public service ... " (p. 23), have been allowed to erode through the actions of individual landowners.
c. Adequate joint funding commitments for Fort maintenance and road improvements have not been made.
d. Exploring the possibility of a joint City-County Park Board has not progressed. e. Riparian lands along the Bitterroot River have not been secured as public open space, through land trade, public acquisition, or conservation easements; clear provisions for public access have not been made.
f. The concept of a main-entry information center has not progressed.
g. Maintenance and restoration of the natural environment associated with Sleven's Island have not occurred.
h. A system of green belts, buffers, appropriate landscaping, and trails throughout the Fort area has not been designed or developed.
I. McCauley Butte and adjacent areas have not been secured as open space.
j. The water system has not been connected to the municipal system.
k. Traffic circulation issues have not been adequately managed.
l. A connection between the Fort Missoula area and the Maclay Flats/Blue Mountain Recreation Area has not been developed.
m. In the case of existing and newly developed facilities (e.g., parking), joint usage amongst landowners has not been promoted.
n. The Bureau of Land Management located along in the interior of the Fort, rather than along South Avenue; and, golf course development occurred at the Larchmont location, rather than at Maclay Flats as proposed.
It is clear that the Missoula community has, since 1973, acted deliberately to secure some of the Fort lands and buildings to provide both historic park and active recreational facilities to the public. It is also clear that the City and County governments have used their local zoning authority to help ensure that most of the lands at the Fort would continue to be used for public purposes. But what was so strongly promoted in the 1973 Plan, with respect to the area as a whole, has not happened, namely: to put into place the administrative policy and structure, the intergovernmental cooperation, and the action program needed to realize the Fort's full potential to excel " ... as a recreation area, an historical landmark, a nature education area and an administrative-public service center" (p. 22). Perhaps the question before Missoulians in 1993, as we look at present-day Fort Missoula along side of our 1973 Plan for the area, is: Do we still hold the 1973 Plan's expressed vision for the Fort? If so, are we prepared to re-commit ourselves to putting together the effort, cooperation, and funds which would be required to more fully realize such a vision?
4. Current place/role of the Fort Missoula area.
This discussion addresses Fort Missoula's place in the natural, socio-economic, and cultural environment of the Missoula Valley. As the earlier description of the Fort's present character and land uses reflects, this is a land where natural systems, buildings, and human activities uniquely coincide. Fort Missoula has, over the years, evolved to a point where it now accommodates an uncommon blend of rich history, traditional military base activity, unspoiled natural features, and a wide spectrum of community affairs. Throughout this evolution, the Fort area lands and buildings have been primarily dedicated to public uses and purposes. More specifically, the Fort area provides:
A Socio-Economic Resource
o One of two major regional medical service centers in the Missoula community. o A place of active and diverse recreation for thousands of sports-minded citizens. o A place of employment for hundreds of people.
o A center for military-related activities for state and federal governments.
o A nucleus of land-management public agencies of both state and federal govemments.
o A place of residence for military personnel, non-military apartment dwellers, and retirees who rely on the ready availability of medical services.
o A location for regional mental health care and administration. o A tourist attraction and conference center.
o A source of gravel.
A Cultural Resource
o An historic gem of local, regional, and national significance.
o A place where a variety of open spaces combine to offer "breathing room" and recreational opportunity to us locally, as well as to our visitors.
o A place of education.
o
A gathering place for community/regional festivals and events (e.g., Fourth-of-July
celebration, Annual Pow-Wow, Apple Festival, Blue Mountain Clinic Run, Iris Sale, golf tournaments, educational programs about history and health).
o A community park for unorganized recreational activities, both passive and active. o A neighborhood park.
o A place of burial and respect for deceased military personnel. A Natural Resource
o An environmental gem, distinguished by such natural and cultural landmarks as the Bitterroot River and McCauley Butte.
o A home to varied wildlife and plant life. o An area of interest to biologists.
o An area of surface waters and flood storage. o An area cultivated for agricultural purposes.
The Fort Missoula area serves the Missoula community and western Montana in many ways. How can we maintain and/or support these functions, perhaps consider expanding them or introducing new ones, yet retain the area's irreplaceable resource base?
PART II
PLANNING CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
A. Existing communitywide plans
The Fort Missoula area is only one part of the land area covered by several broad community plans. Although these plans do not address the Fort Missoula area in its distinctive character, their goals and policies are intended to relate to the area as part of some larger community (the urban area, or the county). Thus in formulating goals and means specific to the Fort Missoula area, it is important to keep the broad community goals in mind also and to see the area as one in which those goals may be furthered and, in some cases (say, water quality), should be furthered.
Attached as Appendix E is the list of the policies, goals, objectives, and proposals for action
relevant for the updating of the Fort Missoula Plan. They come from three sources: the Urban Comprehensive Plan in its 1975 form, the 1990 Comprehensive Plan Update, and the County Parks Recreation and Open Space Plan (1976). The following discussion draws directly from these three plans and, in summary form, identifies those elements which might be taken to relate specifically to the Fort Missoula area. The order of exposition has no suggestion of priority, but simply follows roughly the order of Chapters in the 1990 update of the Urban Comprehensive Plan.
1. Population and housing
Whatever development occurs in the area to provide for increased population should pay for its own way. In general the most obvious type of development that would serve increased population would be residential. In regard to housing and residential land use, the
community through its City and County adopted plans is committed to encourage a
residential land use pattern which embodies two principles: it provides a high quality living environment in a variety of residential settings; it does this in a way which preserves natural resources, minimizes local government service costs, and protects public health and safety. The intent is to assure all residents adequate shelter in such a living environment, and to do this through private and public policies which maximize opportunity and freedom of housing choice, which promote excellence of housing design, and accomplish all this with the limits of the need also to preserve natural ecological systems and to insure that housing ventures do not become an economic liability to the community.
2. Economy and commercial/industrjal land use
In the areas of business and commercial and industrial land uses, the community is committed to foster a healthy local economy functioning in harmony with quality of life goals, and to employ the land use process as an aid in fostering successful commercial and industrial development that is harmonious with other adopted community goals and quality of life concerns. Crucial is the affirming of two poles at once: healthy economy, and quality of
life. Certain urban design considerations are envisioned as making such achievement possible. Included are ideas of focusing commercial development in two or three major centers, yet locating some convenience retail facilities in close proximity to the
neighborhoods they serve. Included also are ideas of preserving Missoula's historical
heritage, in particular the older shopping district (downtown, for example), while developing other centers in a way that will minimize impact on the natural environment and enhance rather than degrade living areas. Industrial activities are to be situated so as not to interfere with commercial and residential uses, and are to be buffered to protect them from
encroaching non-industrial uses. One of the rare mentions of the Fort Missoula area specifica1ly occurs in connection with the possible siting of a research park: with adequate controls to protect the historic and other resources found in the area, it might provide a large enough site.
3. Environment
In the area of the environment, the community commitment is to a pursuit of urbanization in the urbanizing area which is governed by concerns to protect and enhance our natural
resources and to insure public health, safety and welfare. The concerns here are complex. They intend soil conservation practices and adaptation of development to soil suitability in all cases; they intend minimization of impact of development on water quality and air quality everywhere. They also intend the maintaining of wildlife as a viable presence in the urban area environment, and the maintaining and enhancing of desirable vegetation within that same area environment. They also intend the preserving of open space within and around the urban area, as a valuable element in quality of life. The notion of open space includes not only lands with valuable natural resources, such as ecologically important habitat types, but also lands with recreational value: developed parks for active recreation, other parks and areas for passive recreation. Especially important is the creation of an urban area open space system which includes dispersal of parklands to enable ready access to all and provision of connecting links between open spaces in different areas.
4. Recreation, passive and active
In the recreational area, the community is committed to providing a wide variety of indoor and outdoor recreation programs and facilities to all age and socioeconomic groups. Since 1975, Missoula County has periodically surveyed the population and identified the need for both types of recreational opportunity. Indoor facilities (e.g., swimming pool, track, basketball and handball courts, and ice-skating rink) need to be developed in existing community parks, such as Fort Missoula. Recreational opportunities should also include a system of recreational trails and bikeways, access to rivers, preservation of historically significant areas, and school-community cooperative arrangements. As suggested above, recreation is not limited to active organized recreation. It also involves the many other forms of recreational involvement with natural areas and simple open green spaces. The community is committed to furthering a county-wide open space system to which the urban area contributes very essential components. This system wi11 require the protection of rivers
and streams in their natural states, the restoration and preservation of natural areas including riparian zones and lakes, and the identification of recreational uses and values for natural resource lands that are compatible with environmental goals and other land uses. Natural areas should be protected to provide for nature study, biological research, and wildlife sanctuaries. Parklands and open space required to satisfy future needs should be acquired and/or reserved as soon as possible so that escalating land values that could prevent future acquisitions will be avoided.
5. Community aesthetics, the historical
In the area of community aesthetics, the commitment is to preserve and enhance the beauty of both the natural and the built environments in the Missoula urban area. This means preserving and providing appropriate access to areas of scenic open space value and to natural areas and green spaces of various sorts within and around Missoula. It also means encouraging interesting and innovative design of structures and creating attractive develop-ment patterns overall, where new developdevelop-ment is concerned, and preserving and adaptively re-using historic structures, protecting critical resources such as historic sites, and identifying for preservation those areas that are of historic and archaeological significance. Fort
Missoula's designation as an historic district is mentioned in the discussion of the historic in the 1990 update of the Comprehensive Plan.
6. Fort Missoula as a district park
The Fort Missoula area is frequently mentioned with regard to recreation planning for the Missoula urban area because of the broad range of land types to be found in the area. The number one priority for fulfilling recreational needs in Missoula County is the creation of a river park system. Highest priority should be placed on protecting the rivers in general --and the Fort Missoula riparian zone in particular -- from undesirable development, --and to perpetuate the appropriate public use and access to these areas. The design, acquisition, development, and management of recreation programs and facilities should be based on identified needs and emphases should be placed on what have been identified as major gaps in the recreation system, including a district park. As explicitly outlined in the 1976 County Parks Plan, Fort Missoula offers the best opportunity in Missoula for creating a district park to serve the whole urban area. "A district park should provide intensive developments for day use within a natural environment. It should be within a 15-minute drive of most
residents of an urban center of 50,000 or more people" (p. 22). The vision of such a park integrates components of different types: historic, educational, riparian and riverine, visual resource and open space, trail, as well as developed recreational activity playground. Such a district park would be "probably the most important part" of the County's river park system.
It would also integrate into itself, or under its management, the bottomlands south of the river, visual resources like McCauley Butte, and areas such as Maclay Flats. As of 1993, there are no district parks in Missoula County.
7. Community services and facilities
One final area of community goal-setting which is relevant to the Fort Missoula area is that of community services and facilities. Here the commitment is to encourage and support new land development within or immediately adjacent to areas where public services are currently available. The range of services involved includes sewer and water, transportation and public safety, as well as education and recreation. The focus here is on safety, efficiency, convenience, health, coordinated planning and execution of projects, and the wide
distribution of a variety of services and a fair distribution of the costs of providing them. What seems desired is the provision services and infrastructure which are adequate for, and adapted to, the superstructure of community life which is sketched out in the other goals.
8. Revision of the Fort Missoula plan
In the discussion of the preservation of historic structures and sites, the mention of Fort Missoula's designation as an historic district is followed by mention of the prospective sale of lands owned by the University of Montana Foundation. A proposal for action recommending revising and updating the Fort Missoula Area Plan to accommodate a broader range of uses, is given its meaning in this context by the preceding discussion: with the possibility of sale of those lands has come "discussion of the possibility of accommodating a wide range of uses, from offices such as the Bureau of Land Management building to research facilities. The June 1973 Guidelines for development should be reviewed and revised following more discussion of the issue."
B. Current issues, concerns, opportunities
1. Growth of the Community
The past twenty years have seen sizeable expansion of Missoula's population. The
"urbanized area" has spread westward across the valley. The Fort is no longer an island of public land some distance from the edge of town. The land between has been largely filled in with suburban and commercial development.
As the following table reflects, fluctuating cycles of rapid population growth characterize Missoula County's development history in recent decades.
Decade 1950-1960 1960-1970 1970-1980 1980-1990
Population Change Numerical Change Rate of Change
35,493-44,663 44,663-58,263 58,263-76,016 76,016-78,687 9,170 13,600 17,753 2,671
25
25.8% 30.5% 30.5% 3.5%Between 1990 and 1992, Missoula County's population is estimated to have grown to 82,000. This implies a rate of growth which would result in a population of 93,000-100,000 in the year 2000, an increase from 1990 to 2000 of 18-27%.
This population information confirms that Missoula is currently experiencing another period of growth. This growth has raised four major issues related to land use and quality of life in general, and the Fort Missoula area as a part of the larger community.
a. Pollution of the aquifer.
Much of Missoula old and new is not part of the community sewer system. Most of these areas rely on individual septic tanks and drainfields, a technology that depends upon the capacity of the ground to absorb waste. Whereas in 1973 Missoula relied heavily on Rattlesnake Creek for its water supply, today Missoula pumps its water from the aquifer beneath the valley. Water pollution from continued and expanded use of drain fields is a very real threat. Missoula City and County have recently established a Water Quality
Management District to address this threat directly. b. Air quality.
As in 1973, air quality remains a serious issue for the Missoula Valley. Stricter regulations have been put into place for wood-burning and industrial pollution. While vehicle emissions technology has also been improved, the sheer amount of vehicle traffic has dramatically increased. Recent Health Department data indicate that the Missoula Valley averages in excess of one million miles of vehicle traffic per day in the winter. The community's heavy reliance upon motorized transportation, including unnecessary trips and increasing commuter travel, poses a continuing threat to air quality. Missoula City and County have recently received a major commitment of federal funds to help address the issue. In addition, both governments have worked cooperatively with the University of Montana, U.S. Forest
Service, and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to formulate an areawide non-motorized transportation plan and trails development program.
c. Affordable housing.
While in 1973 the majority of Missoula households were able to own their own homes, today affordable housing whether for rent or ownership has become scarce. Vacancy rates for both owner-occupied and rental units have been at or below 1% for several years, pushing the cost of housing up. There has been an influx of capital in Missoula's housing market due to households moving here from other areas of the country, bringing the proceeds of previously owned modest homes that sell for $200,000+ in places like San Francisco. As a result, the average costs of available units for rental or ownership opportunity are now well above the affordable rate for the average household income of renters and homebuyers respectively. The Missoula City-County Housing Task Force has been actively working to identify the scope of this housing problem and identify a wide range of potential solutions.
d. Open space protection and recreational needs.
Providing adequate open space and recreational opportunity are essential to the design of a liveable community. With the spread of the urban area, open space can no longer be taken for granted. Development has leap-frogged into rural areas miles from town. It has crept up the hillsides to the south of town, and up the canyons to the east, north, and west.
Waterworks Hill may soon have its first housing development visible from the valley floor. While river corridors are a priority for reclamation and protection, other aspects of open space such as neighborhood-level undeveloped lots are being targeted for housing infill. Availability and affordability of the large land areas needed to support community ballfields and other park and recreation facilities are diminishing. The newly prepared Non-motorized Transportation Plan addresses a part of this overall issue. In addition, both the City and County have recently initiated resource protection programs; the County Park Board has initiated an inventory of County parklands; and, the City has begun to develop an urban areawide open space plan.
2. The Evolution of Fort Missoula
Changes at Fort Missoula have generated both concerns and opportunities which merit attention as we look ahead to, and plan for, the future of this special place. Outlined below are two key issues currently facing Fort area landowners in particular, but also the larger Missoula community.
a. Physical Deterioration
Fort Missoula's infrastructure system (streets, sewer, water, power, phone and gas) serves the U.S. Army, Forest Service, National Guard, Missoula County and other users central to the Fort. The infrastructure system ranges from 50 to 80 years in age. Since the end of World War II, the only significant investment in upgrading or maintenance has been the connection to the City of Missoula sanitary sewer system. The majority of the basic systems have far exceeded their useful design life and are now in deteriorated condition and in need
of major reconstruction. Many of the systems do not meet code, current design standards and/or service requirements. For years, maintenance has been provided only as a system or component fails. No comprehensive preventative or upgrade maintenance program has existed for years. Considerable infrastructure replacement is required. (Review of Fort plans and documents along with an interview of Jack Babon, U.S. Army Facilities Manager).
A Fort Missoula infrastructure analysis was recently performed by a local engineering firm on behalf of a private sector client. This analysis identified the system conditions outlined below.
Sewer
The existing sewers are 6"-8" vitrified day pipe. One section of service line has been video taped and found to be root bound. The mains are expected to have the same problem. The existing manholes are brick, and concrete. The lift station and force main to the City which was built in 1973 is sound.
Water
There are two wells in the water tower area. They are approximately 90 feet deep,
producing about 150 gpm each. This is insufficient capacity for fire flows. The tower was builtin 1910.
The mains are 4", 6" and 8" steel mains. This system does not allow for fire flow volumes to be moved through the system and the storage and wells are grossly deficient to provide for a 2000 gallon per minute industrial fire.
It is not economically feasible to construct a satellite water system with its own high capacity wells and large storage volumes to serve the Fort.
Streets
The street system is in poor condition and does not meet current standards. Electrical Service
There have been no improvements since the 1940's. The system is a 3 wire 2400 volt Delta Y overhead system built in the 1930's and not compatible with the Montana Power Company system. It is currently converted through a series of transformers. The system does not comply with either the National Electric Code or the Normal Military Code. Building 24 and one-half of building 150 are fed directly from Montana Power Company but are deficient in capacity. There are PCB's in two existing transformers. The existing electrical system has serious deficiencies and should be replaced.
Gas Service
The age of the natural gas system is unknown. There is a separate line for the U.S. Forest Service at the Fort and the commercial gas is supplied by Montana Power Company.
The Army portion of the system should be replaced. Service to existing buildings should be upgraded, including metering.
Telephone Service
The current system is an Army system which is leased by U.S. West. There are problems with the phone system during severe weather. It provides for basic needs only and is inadequate for use with computers.
(Ref. "Report on Utilities and Street Upgrade, Fort Missoula" by WGM Group, Inc., November 1993)
Other Concerns
Except for some maintenance of structures along Officers Row (e.g., asbestos removal), the older Fort buildings have not received the ongoing maintenance and rehabilitation that they need. And, some of the lands themselves need specialized care. We do not know the degree to which some of the more environmentally sensitive lands (e.g., riverbank) require
restoration.
b.
Landowner Plans, Landowner ChangesIn 1973, the vast majority of the Fort area lands were publicly owned. In 1990, the University and Board of Regents determined that the lands were not useful for expressly educational puqxJses. The University of Montana turned over its holdings to the University of Montana Foundation, a private coqxJration charged with the resJXJnsibility of fund-raising for the University. The UM Foundation has since indicated and acted upon its intentions to sell off a good portion of these lands to raise money for student scholarships. The
Foundation has entered into a buy-sell agreement pertaining to its properties east of the original Fort campus. Negotiations arc in process for the sale of some additional University Foundation-owned lands located south of South Avenue, to the north and west of the original Fort campus (Again, see Table I and Maps Band C).
Meanwhile, the U.S. Army is actively attempting "excess" a good portion of its present holdings and relinquish its historical role as Fort custodian and landlord. Legislation is currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress to approve the Army's request.
Ownership of many of the Army buildings will change and possibly shift over into private hands (e.g., as proposed to Congress by the Northern Rockies Heritage Center).
Such public-to-private ownership shifts raise questions about the extent to which the Fort area will continue to fulfill its historical role as a public place, where activities have had an inherently public purpose. The ownership changes also raise concern about the extent to which new owners will assume a stewardship role in addressing the values and needs not only of their particular holdings, but of the Fort area as a whole.
An effort to coordinate the achievement of individual ownership goals is currently in process. Discussions involving all property owners at the Fort have focussed on the possibility of a set of land trades wherein the University Foundation, Missoula County High Schools,
Community Hospital, and Missoula County could meet their mutual needs. In principle this kind of proposal has been agreed to by all parties. Details and timing for any such land trades still need to be worked out. Consideration is being given to the following factors: (1) Community Hospital's interest in participating in a land trade proposal is to expand their medical service campus to the west; (2) Big Sky High School wishes to consolidate its properties with the vo-ag campus to the west while still retaining a small piece of property directly across the street on South Avenue; (3) As indicated above, the University Foundation wishes to convert its land assets into capital for investing in scholarship funds; (4) The
Historic Museum wishes to acquire the Mental Health Center property for its main facility and perhaps aggregate additional lands to form
a
buffer along the northerly border of the historic campus; (5) The Fort Missoula sports complex could increase in size, and therefore its capacity for active recreation would increase through the provision of additional playing fields; (6) As described above, the Army may soon relinquish a good share of its present holdings, including the original Officer's Row. Under any land trade proposal, those areas still occupied by the National Guard and the Army and Navy Reserves are expected to continue as they are, as they expect to remain active in the Fort area.3. Opportunities
These issues create a climate of uncertainty and some anxiety over the future of Fort
Missoula. Yet, these times also hold promise. The opportunities presented at Fort Missoula today are numerous. They include:
o Expansion of a thriving regional medical campus.
o Expansion of active recreational facilities and, in other ways, a fuller development of Fort Missoula as a District Park of regionwide significance.
o Potential for helping to address the community's needs for affordable and medically assisted housing.
o
A chanceto
begin implementing the Missoula Valley's newly prepared Non-Motorized Transportation Plan and to test the community's concept of an urban area open space system.o Conservation and restoration of the riparian area and biological laboratory associated with Stevens Island.
o Expansion of educational opportunities associated with the history, culture, ecology, and agricultural resources of the area.
o Possibility of creating a nucleus of museums with a regional historical and cultural focus.
o Increased likelihood of jointly funded and maintained infrastructure to support activities in the area.
o Potential for private development to enhance the local tax base.
o Establishment of a perpetual scholarship fund for University of Montana students.
o A chance to collectively re~assess the values we ascribe to Fort Missoula, and update our plans for and commitments to the area accordingly.
PART III GENERAL GOALS
A. The character of this updating and revising of the Fort Missoula Area Plan (1973)
Twenty years have passed since the original Fort Missoula Plan was written. At the time of the 1990 update of the Urban Comprehensive Plan, changes and signs of further change made it appropriate to talk of updating the Fort area plan. Recent developments which hold the potential for generating major land use changes at the Fort area have made an update imperative. They have also given the planning process a context of pressure and uncertainty.
A community area plan must be responsive to two things. One is the distinctive character and potential of the land in the planning area, the unique or distinguishing features which give its character to an area and define its unique contribution to the larger community. The other is that larger community itself and the good of the community whole. The effort which
has brought forth this update has sought to respond to both.
Parts I and II of this update have laid out the planning area in historical perspective, characterized it as it presently is in its natural features and man-made modifications, addressed the current role of the Fort Missoula area within those larger communities, and taken note of the changes that are occurring both in the larger context and within the Fort
Missoula area. They have also recalled the adopted communitywide plans whose goals and
policies relate to the area as a part of the urban area or the county, and taken note of current issues, concerns and opportunities relating to it in its own right and as part of a larger
community.
One final step needs to be taken before setting forth the goals which this plan establishes for the Fort area. That is to describe the distinctive character of that area: what makes it different and valuable in its own right, and what makes its contribution to the larger urban and county communities distinctive as well.
B. Distinctive character of the area
The original Fort Plan addressed what was then almost wholly public land, and encompassed an area which extended roughly from Spurgin Road to immediately south of the Bitterroot River, and from McCauley Butte to Reserve Street. In this revision, the lands north of South A venue which were included in the 1973 plan are envisioned as keeping the same status as that plan gave to them. That means, except for what has passed into private hands, those lands continue to be thought of as a land reserve, best dedicated until some higher and better use was found to public purposes of a recreational, agricultural, institutional, or educational nature. Some such reaffirmation is implicit in the 1990 update of the Urban Comprehensive
