A community plan to build sustainable mountain bike and hiking trails in Cheasty Greenspace has barely cleared a key City Council committee vote, bringing it one step closer to winning the Neighborhood Matching Funds it needs to become reality, Publicola reports.
The full City Council is scheduled to vote on the NMF list Monday, though more hurdles for the bike park project are likely.
“I anticipate that there will be an amendment by next Monday about how people want to proceed,” said Councilmember Sally Bagshaw during the committee meeting. You can watch the meeting and listen to testimony on the project via Seattle Channel.
The list of NMF projects was approved with only Bagshaw’s vote. Councilmember Bruce Harrell, the only other councilmember there, abstained due to concerns about the Cheasty process.
“With Cheasty, I think we could have gone about it a little better,” Harrell said. “For me, this was less than a perfect process.”
Specifically, he said he wished more of the concerns were spelled out in a proviso, and that some of the ideas suggested for handling difficult decisions had been codified in the plan for the pilot project. For example, one idea was to create a community committee with people for and against the project to help guide project design decisions.
To recap, project proponents have been organizing and developing this plan for years. Following the example set by the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance in other parks around the region, the mountain bike trail will come with a commitment to activate volunteers to help restore the Cheasty Greenspace. The area has been overrun by invasive plants, and much of the space is not very accessible by neighbors.
Since there are so few forested parks in Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill, many neighbors see this as an opportunity to provide recreation opportunities for residents who can’t just drive out to a regional park like Duthie Hill or go for a day hike in the mountains. Project proponents envision the trails as a way to help the park, not hurt it.
But the core argument from opponents is that a mountain bike trail would be an “exclusive use” of the park. The group Save Cheasty Greenspace does not have an issue with restoration of park lands and building walking trails. They just don’t like the bike trails:
SAVE CHEASTY GREENSPACE supports responsible forest restoration, providing the entire community walking paths to access this designated beautiful natural open space for generations.
We oppose the installation of a mountain bike park and all forms of bike trails in Cheasty Greenspace.
We advocate for protection and expansion of quality habitat, trees, wildlife and healthy native plant communities in all of the Cheasty Greenspace forest, and all Seattle Greenspaces and natural areas for the benefit of all people.
While Evergreen has been able to demonstrate that mountain bike trails can be built sustainably, they can also be done poorly. Many opponents are clearly not convinced this trail will be built in a way that does not harm the greenspace even though that is a core piece of the Beacon Bike Park plan.
There are almost no examples of official mountain bike trails in urban forests (the I-5 Colonnade Park is in an urban area, but it is under an elevated freeway). In many ways, the Beacon Bike Park is in uncharted territory. Instead of bringing people to the trail, this project would bring the trail to the people. It would even have easy light rail access, and not many high capacity transit systems can say they have a mountain bike trail access.
We hope that the City Council does not crush the community energy the Beacon Bike Park folks have built and could continue building around this innovative idea. However, it could also be smart to make sure there will be community input on design details so people who fear environmental damage can be at the table as it is developed.
Because nobody wants to harm a rare urban forest in south Seattle. But if we can increase the recreation opportunities in the area without harming the natural space, Cheasty could be one more reason why Seattle is a great place to live.
Comments
12 responses to “Cheasty Greenspace mountain bike trail clears Council committee vote”
I am excited about this project. I love the idea of biking to work, taking the light rail to Beacon Hill for a mountain bike ride and then riding home. I use to go mountain biking after work weekly, braving the crazy traffic to get to the eastside and ride before it got dark. Now it is just so much effort to enjoy some singletrack. I still go but not as frequently. Having a smaller version of Duthie Hill in Seattle would be a dream come true particularly for urban families.
This is an awesome idea, kudos to Seattle and Evergreen in getting this to happen. A mini Duthie will be well received and help make the connection for kids in town to eventually hit the trails elsewhere in the county like Tiger, Duthie, Black Diamond, Preston, Tolt McDonald and others.
I used to to habitat restoration in that area. We organized a community event there because so few neighbors thought of it as a place they could enjoy, so they never really thought about taking care of it. Truly using this area as an amenity will inspire community members to take care of it–already there is so much energy I can really see it translating into making this green space a great amenity AND great habitat.
I’m so grateful to the neighbors who are giving their energy to making this bike park a reality. There are so many reasons it’s a great idea.
Are you deleting comments not in favor of the bike park?
No.
You cite the following: “There are almost no examples of official mountain bike trails in urban forests… In many ways, the Beacon Bike Park is in uncharted territory.” Uh no. You just need to look outside Seattle.
First, there are plenty of examples of mountain bike trails in urban parks and forests. From Highbridge, New York City to Southwest Way, Indianapolis to the 13 of them in the Twin Cities Metro, MN. (One, Theodore Wirth, is 3 miles from downtown.) These are not new things either. I’m most familiar with the Twin Cities trails and the granddaddy of them, Lebanon Hills, is coming up on its 15th anniversary. These trails have shown themselves to be sustainable, well loved (by riders and land managers alike) and are among the most popular parks and forests in the Cities.
So long as the City of Seattle specifies the trails meet IMBA Trail Solutions (2004) guidelines and requires a non-governmental club to oversee maintenance, there will be little chance of environmental damage. Some of the trails in the Twin Cities see 36,000 trail rides in the summer and about 10,000 trail rides during fat bike season (fat bike season starts when the snow can hold pack and ends when it can’t). They get pounded and yet are still in as good of shape (if not better) as they were when built.
Whether you are for or opposed to a urban mountain bike trail in Seattle, please know that it has been done in other cities and localities. Its been done well and can be a great asset to a community and to the forest. Don’t make your arguments for or against based on assumptions and guesses. The answers are out there if you are willing to look.
I am really in support of this project and I echo your hopes that the City Council won’t squash this enthusiasm!
Another great model for the Seattle’s Beacon Bike Park would be Spokane’s Beacon Hill/ Camp Sekani trails: http://www.evergreeneast.org/trails/campsekanibeaconhill/
Evergreen East has worked diligently with Spokane Parks and Rec, Avista and a number of private land owners to make this long unofficial trail system an official, recognized place to ride. It’s transit- accessible and just a couple of miles from downtown Spokane, and there are over 25 miles of trails for all different abilities.
I also think it’s a great idea to adopt IMBA’s trail guidelines for the Beacon Bike Park. Hopefully that will make the community design process move forward without getting caught up in too many technical debates about trail building practices and details.
I sincerely hope this trail happens. It would be a great memory for youth in the area, and lots of adults looking to get a quick ride in after work. Don’t underestimate the power of trails to cause people to train more and explore more than they would without one.
I meant amenity not memory. ; )
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