City approves Bozeman Pond Park Expansion Master Plan
June 11, 2015 / Bozeman Daily Chronicle by Eric Dietrich
City commissioners are supporting a master plan for expanding the Bozeman Pond park but voted against allocating parks funding for building a paved road through the property.
Land off Fowler Avenue was purchased last year with Trails, Open Space and Parks bond money to add an additional 9 acres to the 16-acre Bozeman Pond park west of the Gallatin Valley Mall. The commission had previously allocated a bit more than $1 million of the $15 million TOP bond to the project, which is adjacent to land where the local nonprofit HAVEN plans to build a new shelter for domestic violence survivors.
The master plan, supported unanimously by the commission Monday night, outlines the long-term development of a 5-acre natural park on the south side of the expansion, paths, a restroom and a 3.5-acre dog park. The city’s construction costs for the facility are estimated at $354,000, and groups like Gallatin Valley Land Trust and Run Dog Run are slated to pay for elements like benches, fences and a playground through donations.