Document text
MONDAY February 23, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels December 13, 2003 Ashland seeks input from cyclists on design of planned bike park By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings After relying on a field with piles of dirt to perform jumps and other maneuvers, Ashland bike riders will soon have their own bike park. The Ashland Parks and Recreation Department will seek input from bike enthusiasts about how to design and build the new park, which could be open as soon as spring. "Our plan is after the first of the year to begin working with some of the local bikers to plan for a new one," said Steve Gies, interim parks director. Parks staff and bikers likely will hold a few joint meetings to work out details, he said. "I would like to have it done by spring," Gies said. "It's been a long time coming." Bikers have had to defer their dream of having their own designated park for several years. The new park will be built uphill from the Ashland Wastewater Treatment Plant. The land for the park had been used for vehicles and construction equipment while the Ashland Public Works Department renovated the sewage plant to meet new effluent standards, according to Gies. During that time, bikers used a temporary bike park located in a field to the west of the sewage plant. The public works department and parks department will work together to move dirt and create the new bike park, Gies said. The park will be next to a bike path that connects with the Bear Creek Greenway just downhill from the sewage plant. Sean-David Salliotte, co-owner of Forged-Horse Cycle & Beanery on Ashland Street, said local bikers are researching successful bike park plans and hope to work closely with the parks department on the design for the new park. He said bikers also are willing to volunteer to help build and maintain the park. The cost of creating the park hinges largely on the price of soil, according to Gies. The new park will be an asset for kids, teens and adults who enjoy riding bikes, as well as for the larger community, Salliotte said. "We want to set up weekend events where kids and adults can show their stuff and make it something the community can be proud of," he said. "It will give youth something constructive to do. It's a very, very healthy and fulfilling thing to do. ... It will be another good way to come together as a community." Salliotte encouraged everyone interested in biking to attend the meetings that will be set up by the parks department. "The more active the community is in getting this built, the better it's going to be," he said. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: A new improved archive search is coming! Look for it in mid-February! .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams