Olympia Bike Park Public Hearing: We Need You May 2nd!

PUBLIC HEARING ON OLYMPIA BIKE PARK:

Thursday, May 2nd - 6:30 PM - Olympia City Hall

As you may know, the City of Olympia is looking to fill the gap in urban off-road cycling opportunities in the South Sound area by creating a bike park in West Olympia's Kaiser Woods. This is an opportunity that cities throughout the Northwest have seized on as a means to provide a safe, fun, and close-in opportunity for riders of all ages to hone their skills.

The City has worked with FOCF and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance in developing conceptual plans for the park and its layout, and the City created an online survey to allow the biking community to weigh in on the types of trails and features it would like to see. Thank you to all who participated; from what we understand, the feedback has been significant and overwhelmingly positive. If you haven't weighed in yet, you have until May 6th to complete the survey.

As an additional route for public feedback, the City will be conducting a public hearing on the bike park proposal. We expect that a small, but vocal, group of folks will attend and strongly oppose a bike park in Kaiser Woods. We believe that this opposition is based on a sorely misplaced perception of who mountain bikers are and the impacts of passive recreational trails (like pervious singletrack, which has been repeatedly proven in studies to have little to no impact on the natural environment).

We need you to show up to this hearing and voice positive, constructive, and respectful support to the City's efforts. Kaiser Woods is the most suitable location for a bike park close to town. Both the terrain and the soils in Kaiser Woods are ideal, and the City will continue to fall behind increasing demand for these types of in-town biking opportunities if the plans for Kaiser Woods fall through. Kids are absolutely welcome and encouraged to attend and voice their support for this project. In fact, one of the primary purposes of the park will be to create a place for families and kids to work on skills progression and have a good time in the woods together.

The meeting is Thursday, May 2nd, at 6:30 PM at Olympia City Hall. I cannot stress the importance of this meeting enough. Please come out and help us make this incredible opportunity a reality!