TITLE: Title
Public Hearing on Community Use of the Cycling Area at Martin Luther King Jr. Park
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to give the Mayor, Board members and community an opportunity to discuss and determine what age range and/or skill of riders should use the cycling area at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
body
DEPARTMENT: Recreation and Parks
CONTACT INFORMATION: Anita Jones-McNair, amcnair@townofcarrboro.org, 919-918-7381 and Wendell Rodgers, wrodgers@townofcarrboro.org, 919-918-7371
INFORMATION: Stewart Engineering Inc. is scheduled to present the 90% construction design plan for Martin Luther King Jr. Park on May 23, 2017. In order to complete the proposed plan the community use for the cycling area should be determined. Some community members expressed age considerations as youth, tots, children and teens. The Recreation and Parks Commission recommended 5-16 years of age. Board members have shared varied views on age ranges from tots to teens.
Staff researched whether established age ranges for cycling areas are recommended at the regional and national level. Information was not available. Staff reached out on the National and State list servs requesting what criteria is being used to determine appropriate age measures within cycling areas. We are awaiting responses.
Staff also spoke with parks and recreation staff in Newton, NC that oversee Jacob Fork Park Pump Track (.25 acres) and Wake County staff that that oversee the pump track at Lake Crabtree Park in Raleigh NC. Drew Cade, Park Manager at Lake Crabtree has offered to give a presentation to the Board of Aldermen on his experience overseeing the pump track at Lake Crabtree.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: None at this time.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends that the Board listen to community comment, discuss and direct staff and the consultant on what community use criteria to utilize for the cycling area.