Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Trails Mou topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rowlett councilists direct staff to advance DORBA MOU for Pecan Grove mountain‑bike trails amid safety and prioritization conditions
Summary
The Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association presented a proposed 7–8 mile stacked loop trail system for Pecan Grove and asked for a memorandum of agreement. DORBA said it would build and maintain the trails at no cost to the city; council asked for design changes near playgrounds, tree‑mitigation clarity and scheduling to avoid conflicts with higher‑priority capital projects.
The Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association (DORBA) on Monday outlined plans to build and maintain a 5‑loop mountain‑bike trail system on city‑owned Pecan Grove land, and Rowlett City Council directed staff to bring a revised memorandum of agreement (MOU) back for formal consideration.
DORBA President Jacob Niles described a stacked‑loop layout that would yield roughly 7–8 miles of mostly green and blue trails and said the group would provide volunteers, signage and liability coverage. "All of our trails are multi use," Niles said, noting DORBA’s history of MOUs with land managers and its volunteer maintenance model.
Martin Malloy, who introduced the group to council, said the design emphasizes separation of uses—bikes flowing counterclockwise and hikers clockwise—and avoids disc‑golf fairways where possible. "We will build the thing at no cost to the city," Malloy said when summarizing the group’s offer of donated labor, equipment and fundraising for materials.
Council members and staff pressed DORBA on several points before agreeing to advance an MOU for formal consideration. Concerns included the proposed Loop 1 alignment near the wet‑zone and Kids Kingdom playgrounds, potential traffic and parking pressure at the Rowlett Creek Preserve parking lot, tree‑mitigation rules for cut vegetation, and who would set the schedule and priority for work given other capital projects such as Wet Zone and parking‑lot reconstruction.
Staff said earlier MOU drafts required reworking to better protect the city and to clarify indemnity, insurance and approval processes. DORBA representatives said the organization typically provides certificates of insurance and works with emergency services to map 9‑1‑1 markers and trailhead signage.
Council members repeatedly requested that any trail‑flagging and construction be done in close coordination with parks staff, and that the city retain final approval of alignments and timing. Several members said they supported the partnership in principle but emphasized that the city’s capital priorities and staff work plan must govern when any construction begins.
The council signaled a consensus to place a revised MOU on a future meeting agenda for formal action after staff and DORBA resolve outstanding technical and indemnity items. The council did not take a formal vote Monday.
Next steps: staff and DORBA will coordinate on flagged alignments to address safety concerns near the recreation facilities, refine indemnity and tree‑mitigation language in the MOU, and return the revised agreement to council for formal consideration.
