Oak Ridge moves trail planning to Mountains-to-Sea Trail committee, alters Parks & Rec advisory board seat

The Oak Ridge Town Council on June 5 adopted a text amendment to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board ordinance that removes a dedicated Oak Ridge Youth Association seat and transfers long-range trail planning responsibilities outside town parks to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail committee.

Council members explained the changes during the ordinance discussion: once the Oak Ridge Youth Association usage agreement expires, the dedicated ORYA president seat will end and that council’s ex officio seat on ORYA’s board will likewise be removed; the Parks & Rec advisory board will instead have a regular appointment in that slot. The ordinance amendment also removes “trail planning” as a formal Parks & Rec responsibility because, council staff said, the MST committee — established in 2018 — now handles trail planning and long-term trail connections outside town park boundaries.

The council asked clarifying questions at the meeting about where responsibilities divide: trails located within town parks remain the responsibility of Parks & Recreation, while trails outside park property — including connecting corridors and easements — will be handled by the MST committee. Councilmember discussion confirmed that the change is intended to reduce overlapping responsibilities and to reflect the MST committee’s ongoing work.

Anne Steele, chair of the Oak Ridge Mountains-to-Sea Trail committee, reported the committee’s 12‑month status update as requested by council. MST said it has not performed development on the Ashford subdivision easement during the pause directed by council, and instead focused on other trail-building work: maintaining Headwaters Trail, completing a trail to the Summerfield property line, securing a trailhead location for Pemberley and Carriage Cove areas, completing an Eagle Scout trailhead improvement at the town park campsite, and pursuing volunteer and scout projects for bridge and parking improvements. Steele said the committee is a small volunteer group and described outreach and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions and the state MST organization.

Council members asked whether MST had met with Ashford and Bear Creek neighborhood representatives; the committee said it had not, citing an unclear status and possible legal constraints referenced by council. Council members agreed MST had acted within the direction given at the prior council meeting: explore alternate routes and report back; council retains authority over any changes to easement status and would direct the committee if it wanted development to proceed on the Ashford easement.

The council unanimously approved the ordinance amendment clarifying Parks & Rec appointments and responsibilities. The adoption aligns the town’s advisory structure with the MST committee’s role in town-wide trail planning and preserves Parks & Rec responsibility for trails that lie inside town park boundaries.