Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Rec topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Missoula park board backs renaming Northside pedestrian bridge; city acquires "Eagles Landing" open space
Summary
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board forwarded a resolution to rename the Northside Pedestrian Bridge for Bob Oakes; staff also described acquiring 16.5 acres adjacent to the Kim Williams Natural Area (to be called Eagles Landing) after a donation covering 51% of the acquisition value, and the Parks and Rec vote on Eagles Landing was unanimous on Jan. 13.
Parks and Open Space staff presented two near-term items: a resolution supported by the park board to rename the Northside Pedestrian Bridge for Bob Oakes, a local volunteer who helped maintain the crossing, and an acquisition that expands the Kim Williams Natural Area.
Zach Covington said staff consulted with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Blackfeet Tribe about the proposed name "Eagles Landing" and reported no concerns. He described a 16.5-acre donation from Brian Tipp that covered 51% of the land acquisition value; the remaining cost was leveraged with open-space bond funds and the city recorded the acquisition in August 2025, Covington said.
Parks and Recreation voted unanimously on Jan. 13 to approve the Eagles Landing open-space acquisition and to move the naming forward. Jennifer Savage, a city council member who recalled crossing the bridge with young children, spoke in support of naming the bridge for Bob Oakes.
What's next: the park board resolution and naming process will move through the city's standard approvals; staff noted continued outreach with tribal partners on naming and stewardship.
Sources: remarks by Zach Covington and other park board commentary on Wake Up Missoula; references on air to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board's unanimous Jan. 13 vote.
