'Burdensome': Missoula Greenway project to cost local couple $9,000 – NBC Montana

MISSOULA, Mont. — Missoula residents Kathleen Kimble and Bill Fleischman have lived along Franklin Street for more than 30 years, but a city project set to cost them thousands is hurting their hopes of staying in their home long-term.

“Thirty one years, I mean, all I want to do is be able to die here, quite frankly,” Kimble said. “Both of us, yeah, we want to stay as long as we can.”

The couple lives along phase one of the Ivy/Franklin Greenway project.

The work area would span from the intersection of South Fourth Street West and Ivy Street to South Sixth Street West. The project continues on Franklin Street from Marshall Street to Woodford Street.

The Missoula City Council approved the planned greenway to go to bid last Monday. The project includes adding sidewalk and curbing, traffic calming circles and improvements for managing stormwater.

However, the improvements done in the right-of-way would come at a cost to 41 property owners, including Kimble and Fleischman.

The residents neighboring this project will cover 16% of the work costs, while the remaining 84% is covered by a gas tax and the city’s Road District, which some property owners pay into. The 84% in assistance from the city of Missoula will not apply for property owners who opt to have an outside contractor do the work.

The last letter Kimble and Flesischman received from the city dated Nov. 3 estimates their household will owe $9,000 of the nearly $39,000 total price tag for right-of-way improvements adjacent to their house.

“We looked at each other and said, ‘Well, that diminishes our ability to stay in our home by at least a year,’” Kimble said.

Residents used to pay even more. Before 2012, property owners covered 100% of the improvements in the right-of-way. Now, those in one- or two-family units like Kimble and Fleischman have their expenses capped at $9,000.

Even as the costs have lessened over the years, Fleischman and Kimble, who are already dealing with surging property taxes, are still paying thousands.

The couple says they survive on Social Security and savings.

We asked Missoula city engineer Kevin Slovarp why people are charged for work done in the right-of-way.

“Well, because we’ve had this type of a program, assessment type program, for years and years and years,” said Slovarp. “Ever since I’ve been around the city, and I’ve been here for 16-plus years, but well before (that), this has been our program.”

Slovarp added that this is not to say it needs to continue to be the city’s policy, but the program is what City Council has voted on in the past and found to be fair for adjacent property owners.

He went on to say, “I think folks also feel that the adjacent property owner gets a benefit from the improvements of boulevard and sidewalk, street trees and those kind of things, and it increases their property value.”

As for Fleischman, he said he’s not against sidewalks, but he doesn’t understand why the area around his house is being prioritized.

“I’m not going to quit. One thing I am is relentless,” he said.

The city’s financing options include paying for the work in full, taking out a loan for up to 20 years or deferring the payment until property ownership changes. The loan option would be added to a semiannual property tax bill.

Slovarp expects phase one of the Ivy/Franklin Greenway project to be awarded to a contractor next spring.