March 23, 2023 |
Photo – BLM map of possible bike park – Courtesy City of Rawlins
A mountain bike park could be coming to Rawlins. Many legal questions remain before it can be built, though.
The city’s recreation director, Jason Sehon, is in the early stages of planning a bicycle recreation area west of the city. During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Sehon asked for approval to continue working on the project. Sehon said the foothills of Rawlins Peak is a great place for bicycle riding. He described how he envisions the park.
Sehon said the concept for the bike park came from Parks Superintendent Tyrell Perry. They both met with a representative from the Bureau of Land Management to see what it would take to get the park built.
Sehon said the mountain bike park was discussed during several Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meetings. He said BLM’s Outdoor Recreation Planner Andrew Willams was enthusiastic about the idea and attended a March meeting to talk about the proposed plan.
Sehon said the bike park would be a great addition to the city. He said travelers on I-80 would be enticed off the highway to use the trail system. The rec director said the park could also be used for bicycle competitions.
Sehon said BLM would take the lead if the trail system came to fruition. He said the park is within the scope of BLM’s plan for additional recreation services in the city. The federal agency would handle the necessary diligence and regulations.
Sehon said the city would be expected to drum up public support for the project and seek out additional grant opportunities. Councilman Chris Weisenburg pointed out that part of the land in question is owned by the county. He asked city attorney Gwendolyn Wade about the legalities of the plan. Attorney Wade said a three-way agreement of some kind between the city, BLM, and Carbon County would be needed.
Mayor Terry Weickum asked attorney Wade if it was legal to spend city money to improve county property. Wade said she would need to look farther into the matter, but some sort of agreement would be necessary before anything could happen. She recommended Sehon have representatives from the county attend future Parks and Rec Committee meetings.
Attorney Wade said she thinks establishing a joint powers board to oversee the mountain bike park would be the best way to move forward. Mayor Weickum asked the council to make a motion to allow Sehon to continue working on the project. The council unanimously voted yes.
