HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 4171, Renaming the Burke Park Ridge Trail the Chris Boyd Memorial Trail
Commission Memorandum
REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Brit Fontenot, Assistant to the City Manager
Chris Kukulski, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 4171 renaming the Burke Park Ridge Trail the Chris Boyd
Memorial Trail
MEETING DATE: July 27, 2009
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Action Item
RECOMMENDATION: Approve Resolution No. 4171 renaming the Burke Park Ridge Trail
the Chris Boyd Memorial Trail
BACKGROUND:
Chris Boyd, outdoor enthusiast, preservationist, passionate trails advocate and founder of the
local non-profit conservation organization Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT), cherished the
view of the surrounding Gallatin Valley from the ridge trail in Burke Park. A strong proponent
of trails, Boyd was the catalyst for GVLT's trail network by raising funds, securing easements,
and helping to build more than fourteen miles of local trails.
Today, the ridge top trail, informally named for Boyd after his death in 1998, stands out as the
most popular stretch of trail and backbone of the “Main Street to the Mountains” trail system
Boyd championed and remains treasured wildland within the City. It is almost impossible to
visit Burke Park without seeing other people enjoying the paths and views.
The forty acre parcel along the west flank of highland ridge became a city park in 1993 after
several years of planning and negotiating. Many individuals and groups were involved as early
as 1990 in negotiations for this property. After the talks broke down, the City of Bozeman
brought the GVLT and Boyd into the negotiations. It was primarily due to the perseverance of
GVLT's founder and director Chris Boyd that the negotiations were successful in April, 1993.
Burke Park was dedicated as a Bozeman city park on August 8, 1993.
Numerous trails are created and improved primarily through the efforts of Boyd’s visionary
organization Gallatin Valley Land Trust and the dedication of the City’s Parks Department.
In 1998, benches, plaques and additional plantings were installed in his Boyd’s memory. This
summer, the City’s Parks Department has (1) improved and repaired the trail along the ridge; (2)
replaced all the wood and memorial plaques on the benches along the ridge trail, including those
dedicated to Boyd; and (3) replaced a totem at the Lindley Park Entrance to Burke Park.
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Upon passage of the attached resolution GVLT and the City Parks Department will (1) re-sign all
totems which currently identify the Chris Boyd Trail as the “Chris Boyd Memorial Trail”; (2)
include a memorial narrative of Boyd and his contribution to Bozeman on the existing kiosk at
the south end of the ridge trail; and (3) seek grant or other funding to design and install a
panorama plaque overlooking the western Gallatin Valley memorializing Boyd and identifying
the mountain ranges to the south and west of the Gallatin Valley.
FISCAL EFFECTS: In addition to standard annual maintenance of the Burk Park ridge
trail and associated installations, the City Parks Department will incur approximately $500.00 in
design and materials costs for upgrades associated with renaming the trail. Additionally, GVLT
has donated time and resources to this effort and has agreed to seek funding for the panorama
plaque at a future date.
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission.
Attachments: (1) Commission Resolution 4171
Report compiled on: July 21, 2009
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