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Council defends bike‑park feasibility study as one of several site analyses for Hughes open‑space decisions
Summary
Opponents said a city bike‑park feasibility study privileges one use for Hughes open space despite surveys that ranked natural areas and trails higher. City staff and council members said the study was commissioned to explore options, including Hughes among potential sites, and that the study would inform the Civic Assembly and future decisions.
Several residents and speakers questioned why the city paid for a bike‑park feasibility study when the city’s 2023 recreation survey ranked paved multi‑use trails, hiking trails and natural areas above bike parks as priorities.
Speakers including Michelle Hafely and Diana Murphy pointed to survey slides showing bike parks as a low priority (ranked 13th–17th in various charts) and argued the feasibility work should not be funded using taxpayer dollars unless the study included or prioritized other uses that the public ranked higher. Patricia Babbitt and others urged that feasibility studies for alternative uses of Hughes public open space be funded if the city is exploring options for the land.
City staff responded that the bike‑park feasibility study grew from earlier public input and council direction. Ginny Sawyer, project staff, told council the study was commissioned in response to repeated questions heard during outreach: if not Hughes, then where? She said Hughes is being evaluated alongside other possible sites so the study can provide options, not a predetermined outcome.
Council context and next steps Council members said the feasibility study is intended to inform an ongoing civic assembly process and to provide additional data for deliberation; several councilors acknowledged the study’s cost and said they questioned the priority when the study was first proposed. Staff said the bike‑park study will be presented to the civic assembly but that city agencies should evaluate private feasibility work for technical completeness before assembly review.
Ending Council did not approve construction or any specific site at this meeting. Staff will continue outreach and provide the feasibility results and technical review to the civic assembly and council for further consideration.
