Concord meeting revisits bike‑park proposal at Russell Martin Park amid abutter concerns

Concord Parks & Recreation officials and volunteer trail builders on [date not specified in the meeting] briefed neighbors on a proposal to place a 1.4‑acre mountain bike park at Russell Martin Park and sought public feedback.

David, a Parks & Recreation staff member, opened the session with an apology after some abutters did not receive prior meeting notices and said the meeting was a repeat to gather broader input. Project presenters described a small, wooded pump‑track and jump area intended for riders of all ages, built to blend into the forest with volunteer maintenance provided by groups such as the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA).

The presenters said the park would offer skills features, dirt and wood elements and a pump track to promote outdoor recreation, youth mentorship and local economic spillover if visitors come from outside Concord. “It’s for kids, adults to improve their skills, just to have fun,” said an organizer presenting the concept. They said most trees would remain, that invasive species and deadfall would be removed, and that an environmental review would be required before any design or construction.

Keene volunteer Mike Davern, who helped build and maintain a bike park in Keene, told the meeting that rider‑led maintenance can cover daily care and reduce municipal maintenance burdens. “We maintain the bike park 100% with the local riders,” Davern said, describing volunteers sweeping tracks, shaping berms and doing periodic repairs.

Neighborhood reaction split on location: several residents said they support a bike park in principle but oppose siting it in the wooded area of Russell Martin Park. Ian West, an Ironworks Road abutter, said he did not receive notice of the prior meeting and warned, “linking a bike park to a solution to the homelessness issue in Concord is disingenuous.” Other abutters pointed to vernal pools, wetlands and sightings of pileated woodpeckers, saying the parcel is environmentally sensitive and urging the city to reconsider alternatives.

Pam, a long‑time resident who said she grew up nearby, called the area “an oasis” and warned that even physically separate facilities produce audible noise: “There is no way that you are not going to hear noise from the bike park,” she said, adding concerns about habitat disturbance. Several commenters asked the project team to apply the trails committee’s siting criteria and provide clearer evidence that the envelope avoids wetlands.

Supporters — including parents, school staff and local NEMBA representatives — said a formal park could reduce rogue trail‑building and create a supervised place for youth to learn trail stewardship and safety. “It gives people a sense of ownership,” said Matt Bowser, vice president of NEMBA’s Central New Hampshire chapter, who said trail development elsewhere reduced vandalism and rogue trails.

Staff reiterated that site selection to date is conceptual: they described a roughly triangular envelope of about 1.4 acres under consideration, said an environmental review and applicable agency permits (including Fish and Game review, as required) would be completed before any design or construction, and said the project team does not plan to request municipal construction funds. Staff also said they will post maps and the full list of sites reviewed online and invited residents to suggest alternate locations.

The meeting closed with staff offering contact information (recreation@concordnh and David’s city email) for follow‑up and reiterating that further study, design and permitting must be completed before any work begins.

Next step: staff will post site maps and outreach materials online, review environmental constraints in depth if the city advances a design, and return to the public with refined proposals.