What’s up with PikeView Quarry? Are we getting a world class bike park?
The 2014 COS Parks System Master plan references the need for a world class bike park (check the page labelled 141 – and thank you to all the MedWheel members who participated in the process that resulted in this plan!). In 2020 and 2021 the city completed the purchase of the Pikeview Quarry frontage property but not the quarry itself. However this purchase contract contained the requirement that the quarry property be donated to the city once the reclamation is completed and certified by the state. The intention of city staff and leadership continues to be that this property will be used for a world class bike park.
How long will it take? Reclamation is underway and is expected to continue through 2023. If dirt moving and vegetation seeding/transplanting can be completed in 2023, the state requires 1 year to show that the new vegetation is stable, assuming the other technical requirements of the reclamation are completed. The absolute soonest the quarry could be transferred to the city would be in 2024. Planning and construction would start soon after that.
Like any big project, this one has some associated risks, especially considering the size of the effort and its prominence within our city. MedWheel will continue to monitor the progress of this project. For now – YES the quarry bike park project is still proceeding!
FUNDING UPDATE in 2018 El Pomar announced they would commit $1,000,000 to the operating costs of a world class bike park regardless of the site, with the stated (non-binding) intention that it would be at Pikeview. However since that time, city parks staff has asked El Pomar to re-allocate these funds toward other projects including Panorama Park, downtown parks, and other projects. MedWheel remain hopeful that El Pomar and other funders will assist with the operating costs for a bike park at Pikeview but at this time, no funds are allocated specifically for construction or operations of a the Pikeview bike park.
Check here for a recent drone tour showing the progress at the quarry.
Watch here for footage from an airplane tour that a friend took us on this summer to look at it.
If you have suggestions about this or any other trail project, please email us info@medwheel.org. To learn about other projects, check our Advocacy page.
Below you can see a statement of support created for the city of COS to use dirt from USFS adjacent to Pikeview, in order to support the reclamation process. Here is the USFS project page for this part of the process.
