Washoe County plans to begin construction next week to improve the "Biggest Little Bike Park."
They're rebuilding it due to safety concerns. However, some local bike enthusiasts are sharing their own concerns with the county's plans to renew one of their favorite parks.
Sedric Robinson, a bike enthusiast, says, "I wish they would just improve it instead of tear it down and start over because it really doesn't make no sense to me."
Jim Severt, creator of the Biggest Little Bike Park, says, "I understand they have a risk they have to address. They have to take care of things, but I think there's a more proper way to do than what they've done."
Over 25 years ago Jim Severt started to build jumps in this area, slowly turning it into a bike park. Sedric along with other local riders helped Jim build it and continue to maintain it to this day.
Angelo Nowakowska, another bike enthusiast, says, "I took it upon myself to fill the water containers that are here, buy my own shovels, buy a clay compactor."
Due to safety concerns, Washoe County is having Sierra Trail Works, a professional trail-building company, demolish the park and rebuild it to meet safety requirements and become more beginner-friendly than it is now.
This includes leveling out the ground, adding an emergency access road, adding water to help with maintenance, and a variety of pump lines and jump lines for different skills levels.
Piper, another enthusiast who's helped build the jumps, says he's worried Sierra Trail Works isn't qualified to rebuild a bike park specifically for people who practice jumps and tricks, "I'm going to hold these guys accountable for what this proposal is and make sure the money that's allocated towards this gets spent on this and that's my biggest concern about all of this now."
Washoe County is welcoming the bike community to meet with the project team at the park this Monday at 9 a.m. to share their input.
