Carbondale closes sections of bike park after unauthorized trail building; staff plans professional assessment

Town parks staff told the Parks and Recreation Commission Jan. 14 that unsanctioned trail building occurred over recent weeks on the north-facing slope of the town bike park and that crews have installed fencing and paused public access while they assess damage and plan remediation.

Eric Brenlinger described finding multiple newly built, unsanctioned trails that were not engineered to industry standards and that posed erosion and safety concerns. "None of it approved. None of it, really legitimate...we shut them down. So we put up some fencing," he said. Staff said some of the new work extended onto adjacent private property and that a police response followed an incident flagged by landowners.

Staff said the town will bring in professional trail specialists to evaluate which features can be made safe and sustainable, whether sections should be reclaimed, and how to incorporate volunteers into repair work without creating liability or insurance issues. Brenlinger said one person who helped build some of the trails has offered to participate in reclamation work, while staff noted the possible need to trespass repeat offenders to stop ongoing creation of unsanctioned features.

What's next: Staff will return with Red Hill trail counter specifications and recommendations at the next meeting and will plan professional assessments and a volunteer-assisted remediation process where appropriate.

Provenance: Topic introduced Jan. 14 (topic start SEG 2690; topic finish SEG 2856).