Belgrade board adopts revised 2025 parks, trails and recreation master plan

The Belgrade Regional Parks, Trails and Recreation District board voted to adopt the revised 2025 Belgrade Regional Parks, Trails and Recreation District Master Plan at its meeting (date on the record: January 9, 2025). The decision followed a presentation by consultants from Cushing Terrell and brief public comment from a Gallatin County official.

The plan is the district's first comprehensive roadmap for parks, pathways and capital projects. Cushing Terrell said the document compiles public preferences, an inventory of park spaces and pathways, level-of-service analysis, a capital-project list and an administrative prioritization matrix to guide future decisions. Adoption authorizes staff and the board to move the plan forward into the district's capital-improvement planning process.

Consultant Art Bolito of Cushing Terrell reviewed the principal updates the board requested at the prior meeting: removal of a capital project suggesting integration of a new senior center into a potential aquatic and recreation facility and replacement of that proposal with a recommendation to collaborate on programming; expanded documentation and clearer definitions for the level-of-service analysis including revised facility and amenity definitions and an appendix inventory; a recommendation that the district consider formally adopting the Triangle Trails master plan for stronger regional connections; broader mapping and definitions of recreational pathways; and adjustments to the park-space inventory and acreage that reflect added mapped areas and refinements to field and court recommendations.

Jennifer Boyer of the Gallatin County Commission spoke during public comment and expressed support for the plan, saying Belgrade's guidance will help county review of development and coordinated pathway and road projects that aim to connect Belgrade with nearby jurisdictions.

Board discussion was brief and supportive. A board member moved to adopt the revised 2025 master plan; another member seconded. The board voice-voted in favor and the motion carried.

Adoption does not itself commit funds beyond the district’s existing budget; the board directed staff to use the document to develop a capital-improvement program (CIP) ranking process next month. Staff said they will convene a ranking committee to prioritize projects for the next budget year and asked for a board volunteer to serve on that committee.

What changed in the plan

- Senior center: consultants removed the earlier capital-project language that proposed integrating a new senior center into a future aquatic/recreation facility. The plan now recommends collaboration with the existing senior center on programming to avoid duplicating services.

- Level-of-service and inventory: definitions for facilities and amenities were added, methodology detail was expanded, dog-park definitions were refined, and a facility/amenity inventory was appended to clarify counts and locations.

- Triangle Trails: the plan now includes a description of the Triangle Trails master plan (previously adopted by the city and county) and recommends the district consider adoption or formal alignment; it asks the board to define its role in implementation.

- Pathways: the plan broadens recreational-pathway definitions beyond hiking trails, maps additional neighborhood and recreational connections, and adds a recommendation to study a more comprehensive trails master plan.

- Park space: inventory and acreage were updated to reflect added mapped areas; consultants recommended restriping some rectangular fields and basketball courts where appropriate.

Speakers and attributions in this article come from the meeting record: Art Bolito (Cushing Terrell, landscape architect/project lead), Charles Trau (Cushing Terrell, urban planner), Nicole Olmstead (Cushing Terrell, urban planner), Jennifer Boyer (Gallatin County Commission), Steve Klotz (district director), and the named board members who participated in roll call and voice vote.

Ending

With the motion carried, the district will move the adopted master plan into its CIP process; staff will present a proposed ranking committee and project-prioritization schedule at the next board meeting.