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Commission discusses Fred Van Trails repairs, rock armoring and small trail features; WEMBA pledges funding support
Summary
Parks staff reported patches of the Fred Van Trails were disrupted by a water-main project and need professional restoration; staff proposed rock armoring steep inner-loop segments and small trail-side features to increase sustainable use, and said the West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance committed to fund the estimated improvement work.
City staff told the Parks & Recreation Commission that parts of the Fred Van multi-use trails were disturbed by a recent water-main installation at Manhattan Park and need restoration beyond the contractor’s initial repair.
“Contractor restored the area, did a good job restoring it, but they're not professional trail builders,” Speaker 2 said, adding that sustainable trail features—such as drainage rollers and tread shaping—were not rebuilt and the city intends to bring the original trail builder back for more permanent repairs.
Staff proposed pairing a maintenance restoration with an enhancement package: rock armoring on steep sections to reduce erosion, plus modest trail-side user features such as rollers and tabletops that would sit off the main line so hikers and less technical users can avoid them.
Safety and multi-use concerns drove much of the discussion. Several commissioners urged caution: rock armoring can be slick when wet and may increase injury severity on falls; tabletops and rollers drew broad support while jumps and wooden features raised hesitation because of visibility and long-term maintenance concerns.
On funding, Speaker 2 said the West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance (WEMBA) has committed to cover the contractor cost estimate for the combined package; if work exceeds that estimate, WEMBA would be responsible for the overage, otherwise the city would fund a maintenance-only repair from the water-main project’s remaining budget.
Next steps: staff will confirm materials and design with WEMBA, ask the trail contractor to provide a schedule (the contractor may be able to complete the restoration in a 2–3 day window, weather permitting), and return with refined plans that reflect commissioner feedback on safety and multi-use access.
