THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 AT 10:39PM
Dear Club Members and Riders,
Over the spring you’ll notice construction taking place along the initial section of Long and Windy Road. The Biscayne Bay Restoration and Enhancement Program have received $350k in funding to beautify and enhance the beach that runs along the eastern border of our park. During the project’s duration you’ll notice occasional detours. While the final details are not set in stone we know that the initial 1/4 mile of Long and Windy Road will be rerouted about 100 feet to the left of where it currently sits.
The restoration’s management team have asked to meet with our club and riders in early June to present their plan and solicit feedback. (date and location TBD). This opportunity to collaborate in the decision making process is exactly what our club membership has been asking for. This is a major win for the club! The restoration team have agreed to present a written plan and map for our approval prior to project commencement. This is exactly the type of community involvement IMBA recommends for successful trail systems.
Let me anticipate some of your questions:
Will the park be closed? No.
How will detours impact my riding experience? Occasionally if equipment is moving into place or active construction underway we may see 1/2 day or day long closures of small trail sections. Nothing more than a minute or two of riding time will be closed at any one time.
Will there be any permanent trail closures? The first 1/4 mile of Long and Windy Road will be shifted 100 feet to the left and reconnect with itself prior to the entrance of Learning to Fly. Depending on the junction point we may need to redesign some of Run Through the Jungle and a short section Highway to Hell extension. Key words are “may”, “short”, and “redesign”.
How big is the restoration area? It’s a 200ft wide and 1/4 mile long rectangle along the initial 1/4 mile of Long and Windy Road.
Will they cut pines? Invasive species will be removed and replace with natives inside the 1/4 mile by 200ft restoration area.
Is this going to be another Oleta? No. The club has a voice in the project. We’ve been invited to participate in the actual restoration work. The club gets to sign off on the project before it begins.
Bottom line: The project is funded and it’s happening. At the same time we’re being asked to collaborate so there will be no impact to our trail system.
Now the fun part. Over the past 3 years my favorite form of entertainment has been watching minor issues get blown out of proportion on our Facebook page. This announcement has strong potential to kick off another such saga. I point out however that it might be best for us to wait for the plan to emerge and provide our feedback in a constructive and professional manner in person at the June meeting. There is no point speculating or creating and reacting to inaccurate information. On the other hand, it’s a free country and I’m a patriot. You have the right to say whatever you want. I will do my best to clarify misunderstandings, speculations, and misinformation.
I will publish the written plan as soon as it’s submitted. I will schedule a club meeting for discussion on the plan. Then as a club we’ll attend the June meeting and work with the Biscayne Bay Restoration and Enhancement Program to create a collaborative and mutually beneficial project plan.