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Council debates mountain‑bike destination plan amid water and cost concerns
Summary
Town councilors and residents sharply debated a proposal to build mountain‑bike trails on town‑owned land outside Tazewell, weighing potential tourism revenue and county grant funding against fears for a nearby drinking‑water source, patrol costs and long‑term maintenance.
The Town of Tazewell council spent a major portion of its Oct. 14 meeting debating a proposal to develop mountain‑bike trails on town‑owned property outside the municipal limits.
Vice Mayor Joe R. Beasley and other supporters described the plan as an early, exploratory effort to create a regional recreation destination that could draw visitors into town and boost revenue. “If you look and adjust our revenue for inflation … the only two categories we are beating 2021 numbers are sales taxes and occupancy taxes,” one council member said, arguing that trails could channel visitor spending to Main Street businesses. Staff said the county has offered about $60,000 for feasibility and design work and that the town would use outside firms experienced with trail builds and environmental compliance.
Opponents — including council members and residents who spoke during the exchange — raised repeated concerns about the parcel’s proximity to a water source and the difficulty of policing and maintaining out‑of‑town trails. One council member said explicitly, “I don’t like messing with their drinking water. Period.” That speaker urged locating recreational investments in town, where policing and access would be easier.
Manager Reed and other officials said the project team has solicited technical input and intends to use firms familiar with environmental permitting and construction in sensitive areas. Reed said staff had prepared easement drafts and scheduled meetings with property owners to secure access for design work. “These groups have practice with that,” a council supporter said of the trail builders; “they work in national forests and know the red tape to protect resources.”
The discussion covered a range of tradeoffs: proponents pointed to studies and case examples suggesting incremental revenue gains for municipalities that host trail networks; opponents warned of recurring costs for patrol, erosion control and potential impacts on drinking‑water protection. Council members also debated whether federal ARPA funds and county grants were appropriate to study and seed a recreation project rather than paying for local core services.
Council did not adopt a final policy or binding vote to proceed beyond directing staff to continue outreach, secure easements and pursue feasibility funding. Officials said they would involve the public as design work progresses and that environmental safeguards would be required before any construction.
The council’s next steps, as stated at the meeting, are to continue negotiations with landowners, review feasibility proposals and return status reports to the council before committing construction funds.
