The needs of the biking, skateboarding and tennis communities were presented Wednesday at the Durango Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting.
The board did not make any decisions, but it will make recommendations about the projects to the Durango City Council in the coming months.
Most of the attendants came to support a new $2.5 million bike park at Cundiff Park, and they called on the board to recommend the project go forward in 2016.
“We can’t justify pushing this to the next budget cycle,” said Travis Brown, an advocate for the park.
Advocates have gathered 600 signatures to show widespread support, said Mary Monroe Brown the executive director of Trails 2000.
The idea for the new park came from Alpine Bike Parks, a company hired by the city to assess Chapman Hill for a bike park.
The park designers said Chapman Hill was too steep to serve as a bike park, but Cundiff could be an ideal location, said Cathy Metz, parks and recreation director.
The company is now working on a conceptual site plan, and it will likely have the plan ready for city staff to review this month, she said.
The board discussed the need to involve more than just bike-park advocates in the development of Cundiff to ensure some of the improvements could appeal to more than cyclists.
“This an important thing for many people. ... Let’s make sure we have more buy-in,” said Sandy Burke, chairwoman of the advisory board.
Skate park advocates also made a case for a shade structure and drinking fountain that would serve both skaters and Animas River Trails users.
In the last year, the park has been transformed from a questionable destination to a gathering place for skaters and their families, the residents said.
The project would take $31,000 to $57,000 from the city depending on how much the group can raise from donors to offset the cost, said Pete Sakadinsky.
“We have public and private donors willing to help immediately,” he said.
The needs of the tennis community were also placed before the board and the Geoff Craig encouraged board members to support rebuilding tennis courts at Fort Lewis College.
This project would likely cost about $500,000, and the city has an agreement with FLC to rebuild the courts at some point as part of a lease agreement, Metz said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
