A bike park, an improved BMX track, a new skate park and picnic space are just some ideas floated for an improved Cundiff Park.
The city budgeted money for park design this year, but work won’t start without more community discussion, Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Metz said.
Two years ago, the city floated plans to build bicycle trails east of the Animas River Trail, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board asked Metz to explore the idea further and consider options for a traditional park as well. A public process for the park could be held this summer, she said.
“I’m sure we’ll hear other ideas and interests in the community,” she said.
The 17-acre park along the Animas River is behind the shopping mall that is home to Big 5 Sporting Goods and Zia Taqueria. It was formerly used for disposal of snow in the winter, and it is largely undeveloped except for a dirt lot, the BMX Durango track and Animas River Trail.
The BMX track was allowed to open on a temporary basis 14 years ago, but not having a permanent status has hindered permanent construction, said Jordan Rupe, the track operator and coach.
He would like to have restrooms, concessions, a bigger garage and better drainage.
“It was put together by volunteers, and it’s inadequate,” he said.
Since it was built, it has been absorbed into the Durango Parks and Recreation system, he said.
A new facility could draw more people from out of town for competitions and better serve racers who practice there. In the summer, about 120 kids attend camps there, and many cyclists who are not BMX riders use the track.
The nonprofit that supports BMX Durango track and programs sets aside money annually to help the city fund improvements, he said.
“We really just want a permanent facility for everybody,” he said.
An adjacent bike park would provide space for cyclists, including BMX riders to practice skills.
It would help young athletes including those in Durango DEVO keep up with their competitors training elsewhere, DEVO coach Sarah Tescher said.
DEVO coaches are creative in teaching skills, but when DEVO cyclists compete against those who have a bike park, they have noticed a difference. Bike parks give cyclists the ability to practice skills in a confined and controlled environment, and they are gaining an edge over Durango riders, she said.
“We are getting passed as a community slowly; it’s really slowly,” she said.
Tescher has been advocating for a bike park for ten years, but it seems to get delayed year after year, she said.
“When I first started working on it, my son was in preschool. Now, he is going into eighth grade,” she said.
Earlier this week, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board held a meeting for anyone to come and present ideas for future parks and recreation projects, Metz said
There were several groups interested in a bike park in Cundiff, and some groups who would like to see another skate park built there.
The board also fielded general requests, many not related to Cundiff. Residents would like to see outdoor pickleball courts, more restrooms along the river trail, a Camino del Rio underpass and sand volleyball courts to replace those that will be eliminated by the expansion of the sewage-treatment plant next to Santa Rita Park, she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
