If you enjoy the great outdoors for exercise or recreation then you have probably spent time in one of Helena's city parks.  Helena manages some 56 park and recreational areas including over 1800 acres of natural undeveloped parkland on the city's west side.  The value of parks and recreation to both quality of life and to the economy of a community cannot be understated.  Empirical evidence from national studies over the past two decades show positive impacts of parks on communities represented by one) the pleasure, health and well-being of residents; two) the increased tax revenues to a city from development by or near a park; and three) increased home property values.  In other words, parks and recreational lands translate into both the desirability of the community as a great place to live, work and locate businesses to contributing to tax revenues to manage and maintain city infrastructure, provide police and fire protection and pay for the upkeep of public spaces.  And all that while increasing the value of the property itself. Mountain View Park, a 5.2 acre fully-developed park  gifted to the City of Helena in 2014 by developer Mark Runkle and his wife, Rebecca Ryland, is located in the heart of the residential neighborhoods currently under construction at Mountain View Meadows.  After studying the positive impact on parks to quality of life and the economic value to homeowners, Runkle and Ryland set a goal of building a park within 800' of every home.  Although future parks planned will be smaller and include fewer amenities than Mountain View Park -- which boasts tennis, basketball and volleyball courts along with a state-of-the art playground, a log shelter house, a dog park and over an acre of open play field -- having a place to sit and relax or exercise will provide special amenities for residents and increase property values for homeowners.  "It's a matter of believing in better," said Runkle.  "We believe that community development is better development. It drives our commitment to make Mountain View Meadows a great place to live, work and play."

Mark your calendars now to attend the 2^nd Annual Last Chance New Play Fest in Helena.  This grass-roots event April 15-24 celebrates the development of new works by Montana playwrights working to build another layer of arts and cultural activities available to the community.  Nine original works by seven different playwrights and performance groups will be presented during the "Fringe-style" event held in a warehouse space turned performance space at 802 Front Street. The diversity of works range from Colter's Hell, a comic drama where the animals of the Rocky Mountain wilderness confront legendary mountain man and fur trapper John Colter to the KIDS! Project featuring monologues performed by kids to interactive entertainment with the Improv Mining Company. Several works in the Fest are for adult audiences only and will be clearly indicated as such in the Fest Guide. The Last Chance New Play Fest is produced by ETC (Experimental Theatre Cooperative), the innovative arm of Arts for Kids, ETC, a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization. $20 Passes provide admission to any and all performances on any day or evening of the Fest.  $10 tickets are available at the door for admission to individual 2-hour performance blocks.  10:30 AM Saturday morning performances of the KIDS! Project are $5 per person.  Fest Passes and Fest Guides including descriptions and schedules for all plays and performances are available in advance at the Fire Tower Coffee House on Last Chance Gulch in downtown Helena. E-mail playsnow@heartlandplays.com to get a Fest Guide by email.  For additional information visit www.experimentaltheatrecoop.org or check out "Last Chance New Play Fest" on Facebook.

A 2014 article by Dean J. Uminski, CEcD, Principal, Crowe Howath, a public accounting and consulting firm with offices across the U.S, stressed that companies are increasingly looking beyond the numbers when assessing a community in which to relocate or expand their businesses.  Economic factors and local government incentives have always played an important role in influencing companies' site selection processes. But the most successful efforts - where a new corporate citizen becomes a valuable addition to a productive and welcoming community - are those in which both economic development and community development factors are balanced and integrated.

When companies seek out new communities in which to expand or relocate facilities, a range of both qualitative and quantitative factors are part of their site selection decision. Quantitative factors include the basics such as highway, rail, air, or port access; energy availability and costs; and the presence of an adequate and appropriately skilled workforce. These basics - the required elements for doing business - are often augmented by various state and local incentives such as tax credits and exemptions or favorable financing arrangements.

Qualitative factors, on the other hand, include such features as a low crime rate, good healthcare facilities, varied and affordable housing, and other quality-of-life considerations such as strong local schools and inviting recreational and cultural amenities. Such qualitative factors - by definition - are difficult to measure and quantify, but a 2013 study shows dramatic increases in importance.

Of the nine-quality-of-life factors on the annual survey given to executives instrumental in their companies' relocation or expansion decisions, all were cited as either "important" or "very important" by more than half of the respondents.  This was a dramatic increase, by as much as 10%, over the previous year.  Such an abrupt jump in the importance of almost all of the quality-of-life factors suggests that a growing number of companies are recognizing the powerful effects such qualitative issues can have on their employees - and ultimately on their companies' operational and financial success.

1.  On April 15^th we will email out ballots for the Single-Family Neighborhoods HOA officers and Supervisory Committee candidates.  If you have contacted the office that you don't have an email address and want information sent to you snail mail, we will get a ballot to you.  Otherwise, you may pick up a ballot at the office.  Ballots may be mailed to 431 S. Alice St. or dropped in a box at the office.  Only one ballot is permitted per homeowner parcel.  If mailing your ballot, place the ballot in a sealed,  unmarked envelope inside a separate envelope.  This separate envelope must include your address to be valid.  The unmarked envelope will be placed in the ballot box with other ballots.  To protect your privacy, your ballot will not be linked in any way to your address except to record that a ballot was received from your household.

 

2.  The recent wintery weather may slow down the real start of spring, but if things warm up and your grass starts growing, be sure and turn on your water.  Although there are several local companies that you can contact to assist with getting your UG system going in the spring, Pro-line Curbs installed many of the systems in Mountain View Meadows.  You can reach Proline at prolinecurbs@aol.com or by calling R.J. Gustafson at 406.439-2577.

 

3.  Just a reminder about dog doo: the simplest way to clean up after your dog is to carry a plastic grocery bag, put your hand inside, scoop the poop, then turn the bag inside out and toss it in the trash.  Your neighbors appreciate responsible care when walking your dogs. 

A choice of new homes to meet your lifestyle and budget are ready for move-in at Mountain View Meadows with more under construction.  Visit our Information & Sales Office at 431 S. Alice Street to tour our right-now homes, view plans to build and check out lot maps.  Have your own plan?  Give us a call at 406-449-0800 to arrange a meeting.  The availability of new homes and lots is subject to change so check back often. Below is a listing of some of the new homes ready for move-in or currently under construction.