Snowflake council discusses acquiring roughly 71 acres adjacent to bike park in exchange for infrastructure work

Town staff on Tuesday outlined a proposal for the town to acquire approximately 71 acres adjacent to Snowflake’s bike park in exchange for the town installing infrastructure in the area. The discussion centered on property donations, right-of-way connections and the timing of roadway improvements.

Staff member Brian Richards presented a map and said the bike-park area encompasses about 230 acres. "They propose donating about 45 acres to the town and an 80 ft. ROW," Richards said, and he described additional right-of-way contributions from J-P Cattle Co. that would link with easements from the Slades.

The council focused on which roads to build first. Richards noted Rodeo Road currently provides the only connection through to Highway 77 from Centennial Boulevard and that the town already has an 80-foot ROW from Rodeo through Centennial to the east. Councilor Travis Kay asked whether the town should budget work across two years; Richards said the town could wait on Rodeo if it is not immediately needed but that work on McLaws would require complete legal descriptions before proceeding. Councilor Byron Lewis asked whether McLaws could be done this year; Richards replied it could.

Several councilors raised practical concerns about completing roads ahead of need. Councilor Greg Brimhall said building Rodeo prematurely "just invites nuisances, like kids driving out there and causing damage." Richards recommended contacting a surveyor, securing the easements to the bike park and having the town attorney prepare the property documents as the next steps.

The discussion also addressed access control. Tyler Slade, present for the item, asked for a fence to reduce trespassing, and Commissioner Bruce Meyer cautioned, "don't pave before you know where the storm water is going." Councilor Mark Sheen noted a lock on an existing gate owned by Dale Toone that was intended to deter traffic but said if a road already exists the Slades should be able to use it.

The council did not take formal action during the worksession; members identified surveying, legal descriptions and further coordination with property owners as follow-up tasks.