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Home My WebLink About1996-06-07 Janet Robert Memo to Mayor & Council Re Off Road Bicycling Trail CONTINUE FROM PREUIOUS PAGE 001 • Enclosure 28 Memo To: Mayor and Cou ncil From: Janet Robert Date: 6/7/96 Re: Off road bicycling trail By the council meeting on Monday, June 10th, we should receive a consultant's proposal for designing and supervising the construction of an off road bicycle trail behind city hall. The two consultants have excellent credentials: Gary Sjoquist is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Coalition of Bicyclists, the President of the North Central Mountain Bike Association, and the Minnesota Representative to the International Mountain Biking Association. He has been a leader in the state in advocating the development and maintenance of trails. The other consultant, Bart Richardson, works for the DNR as their bike trail specialist. 1 talked Gary Sjoquist into making a proposal to design the trail because of his vast experience. Scott Richards, NAC, indicated his staff did not have this type of experience. This would be the first beginner trail designed from scratch in the area. Most trails just adopt existing hiking or skiing trails. What we are proposing is a 1/2 to 1 mile beginner trail through woods and grass areas for non- motorized vehicles. The trail would be on city property, which is not currently designated as a park, immediately behind city hall. This city lots is wooded where it abuts private property along Oldfield Avenue and 60th Street. The proposal would include a setback to respect the privacy of neighboring homes. Access would be from the gravel road behind city hall until such time as the city paves its trail from the Mall to Oakgreen Avenue. Teens could also access it from Oldfield Avenue by taking the existing trail. The advantage of hiring a consultant would be to insure that the trail design meets the highest standards for safety to the bicyclists and environment. It would be designed to avoid undue risks for the bicyclists as well as the trees, soil and wetlands. Having the designer supervise the on site work would provide us with the expertise in trail cutting that we lack. The actual labor in clearing the trails would be provided by two groups of kids: the Summer Stretch program (five area churches sponsor a youth program for junior high students to perform community service projects in the morning and fun events in the afternoon) and volunteers from Grafitti Teen Center and Community Work Service under the supervision of Youth Services Bureau's Tom Schweitz. Gary Sjoquist would make himself available to supervise the work probably on Thursday mornings from 9:15 - 12:15 a.m. starting June 20 until completion. • 06 11:11 AM FROM JANET ROBERT, ATTY, TO 612 595 9837 P02 • • Page 2, Off road bike trail • The purpose of this trail would be to provide a fun, safe activity for young teens that does not require organized adult supervision. Currently City ordinances prohibit bicycling in city parks except on designated trails. There are no trails in any of our city parks as of now. Kids have been riding off road in Valley View Park, but the trails are not much fun because they are either too steep or too rugged. I think the best contribution that the City can make in dealing with juvenile problems is to provide alternative recreational activities in our park system. This project is especially appealing to me because it will be built by the teens and because the teens can use the facility without paying fees or seeking organized adult supervision. As a side note, the City's pending grant application with the DNR for the paved trail will be considered more favorably with this component, although I do not think this should be a factor m our decision. 06 - 25 - 96 11:14 AM FROM JANET ROBERT, ATTY, TO 612 695 983 P01 FROM t EQGAN HN M9E r6C6 TO 612 4 39 0574 • o€,.c _ : 7Frr n 3sa 6/10/06 Janet Robert 01- 1 - -R(MD RIDER City Of Oak Park Heights 14188 N. 57th St. 80x 2007 Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 Dear Janet, � J C ) N( )R 11 1(1 Ni 1ZAI Thank you for sending the maps we requested. Untortunalof Y ,art y partner Mt.)I.IN iUN 111k1 CROUP Bart Richardson of the DNR is doing field work so we will bo unable to pro Off-Road ?elder provides design, duce a suitable map for tho proposed trail until next week. However. I would con swllacion, promotion. and like to take this opportunity to outline our proposal for the Mountain Bike Trail cation for bicycling and at Oak Park Heights so we can at least get llie process started. mountain biking in Minnesota We feel the proposed sight Is an ideal ono for the type of trait proposed. 6ar S2oquis Bart and 1 feel that a beginning mountain bike trail could easily bo construct- (6)2) 8S0• ?9 � P55 r f ed along these guidolines: 61 ?) l v,N (612) 454 -,906 fax 1. Keep the trail at least 30 Not from adjacent property lines. 2. Design the trail to be a ono-way loop that originates from the gravel road that run, behind tho maintenance building, 3. Design the trail to koop speeds down by using switchback corners that wind tirruuyh the wooded seCliOns where approp 4. Keep the trail at least 20 leot from wetland areas. 5. Mow a four-toot wide swath t0 Clear a 1WO•1ool wide, linear dirt trail that follows the highest points throughout the property. 6. Construct the trail so that potential erosion is minimal. It Is our understanding that actual trail cloaring could bo done by community service youths. We would ha happy to pruvido supervision for these trail clearing sessions provided they occur during the normal working day hours. We also understand that Oak Park Heights Maintenance Personnel could provide the mowing necessary to clear the trail route we slake out'. We would tils0 provide supervision for this task. Estimated Costs: 1. Mapping and survey work to produce a quarter -mile to halt•mlle trail 11 hours at $30 per n0'.;• $ 330 2. lrail construction supervision 18 hours at $20 per `nur $ 380 3. Mileage (40 miles x 6 a 240 x .27 per +r.'tc Totes $ 755 Estimated Timetable: 1. Mapping and survey work completed by June 201h, 1996 2. Trail mowing and clearing ASAP thereafter. pending community service work sci reduces. References: Gary Sjoqulst designed and cut the mountain bike trail at Terraco Oaks East Park in Surrlsville. Please contact Terry Schultz al 895.4505 for references. We still have some questions regarding tho location of tho paved trail and access points to the proposed moun- tain bike trail as well as the types of signage to be used. 111 contact you regarding this Information later in the weak. We look forward to the opportunity to work with Oak Park Heights to build this trail. 'nee •114, Aary ulst • If this Is not tho case. we would have to add the rental costs for mowing and clearing equipment Into the estimate. 06 - 25 - 96 11:14 AM FROM JANET ROBERT, ATTY, TO 612 595 9837 P02 FROM i EIZOCSN MN Ma6 RGOG • TO 8 61 ► 4 3 3 0674 • , . Ge* - SO S - tF t t 7759 P . 0- • C' Biographical information OFF RIDER Off -Road Rider is a company that provides design, consultation, promotion, and education for bicycling and mountain biking in • Minnesota. � r t Gary Sjoquist is the Executive Director of the Minnesota N( )I(11 1(t N 1 Coalition of Bicyclists, a statewide bicycle advocacy 501(c)(3) Ail( )l IN 1 SUN VW c .R0(11' non -profit organization. He is founder of the North Central Oft-IQoad Ielacr provides design, Mountain Bike Group, an organization dedicated to responsible co " Litt promo it/ 0 , amd • mountain biking. Gary publishes OFF-ROAD RIDER, a newspa- • o b r k I n 9 I n Minnesota M1, t " o tt. per that serves as a forum for mountain biking and and access Issues. Gary also teaches Mountain Biking Basics classes to Gard Sjoquist both youths and adults for Bloomington Parks and Recreation (612) 950 ?SSP m Department as well as Dakota County. Gary is also the (612) 454 -7906 fez Minnesota coordinator for the International Mountain Bicycling Association (iMBA), a national and international organization that provides resources and educational materials promoting responsible mountain bicycling and land use. Gary is also a member of the Minnesota State Bicycle Advisory Board. Bart Richardson is a Landscape Architect with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Bart is the DNR Supervisor for the Minnesota Valley Trail Protect and is also a member of the DNR's Mountain Bike Committee working to expand mountain biking opportunities in Minnesota State Parks and Forest Areas. The North Central Mountain Bike Group is a volunteer organization that provides trail construc- tion and trail maintenance to communities establishing new mountain bike trails North Central also helps secure funding for trail patrol programs and eignage needs.