The Jefferson County Commissioners have agreed to accept a donation of a parcel of land in Montana City to be used as a future public park.
The parcel of land, known locally as “Rattlesnake Butte” is located between Hwy. 282 and Interstate 15, along Prickly Pear Creek and adjacent to the Stoneybrook subdivision. The land is currently owned by Pamela Bompart, who offered it to the county provided the land would be used as a public park with suitable access. In February, commissioners heard from several local Stoneybrook residents who expressed their concerns about an increase in traffic and litter with the new park. Ric Abraham and Doug Dodge both asked the commissioners not to rule out future development needs in the new park, such as a water storage tank for fire protection.
County Commissioners also evaluated the potential costs in acquiring the land, and expenses that might be needed for improvements such as parking areas and fencing. While many of those costs remain to be determined, the county knows it faces a $3,800 fee for a boundary survey, and about $3,200 in various title fees. Many of those fees the county will simply pay to itself. The land donation is valued at $1,375,000.
The land’s owner, Pamela Bompart, offered last November to donate the property to the county, with the stipulation that it must be open to all for recreation, preserving the de facto public space it has had for decades. The county would also be required to hold the land in perpetuity. For many years, locals have hiked and skied the modest summit, enjoying the panoramic views it offers of the surrounding hills. Bompart told The Monitor last November that most people use the property without asking, and she regularly gives permission to those who do ask.
“It’s kind of an icon in this part of the county,” Bompart said in November.
The county still has some issues and costs to evaluate, including developing a parking area at the north end of the property, adding any fencing that might be required, new signage, and developing a way to mow and control noxious weeds. There are no plans to add litter barrels at this time. “The county doesn’t have any trash trucks,” Commissioner Corey Kirsch stated at the February meeting. Making the parking area and hiking trails ADA Accessible is still being evaluated.