Delco Revolution team pitches mountain‑bike trails as Radnor board weighs Odorissio trade‑offs

Delco Revolution representatives urged the Radnor Township Parks & Recreation Board on Jan. 12 to make mountain biking and skills‑park facilities a local priority, citing the sport’s growth, health benefits and volunteer stewardship programs. Bess Yates, speaking for the Delco Revolution mountain‑biking team, told the board the team has grown from single‑digit membership in 2019 to more than 60 members and highlighted community trail‑maintenance projects and teen trail‑corps opportunities.

Yates said mountain biking provides cardiovascular exercise, mental‑health benefits and an environmental ethic that encourages trail stewardship. “Mountain biking builds community,” she said, and described shared‑use trail practices that minimize erosion and promote coexistence with walkers and hikers. Youth team members echoed those points: “It’s a great distraction from the outside world,” said Eli, a sixth‑grader, adding that riding helps him manage school‑day stress.

The presenters proposed a mix of facilities — from neighborhood practice loops and pump tracks for short skill development to longer single‑track trails for training — and suggested several Radnor sites for further study, including Harford Park (a candidate for a fenced skills park), Skunk Hollow, Sawmill Park, Brook Farm Trail, Ithan Valley Park and Smmedley Park. Alexander, a team member, presented a concept for a pump‑track or skills area at the lower portion of Harford Park, noting it would not require tree removal and would provide nearby parking and school‑connections.

Several neighbors urged caution. Terry Lindsay, who lives adjacent to Odorissio, said the community does not want the wooded area “touched in any way,” and asked the board to preserve existing footpaths rather than open the woods to bike trails. “We don’t want that part touched,” Lindsay said. Suzanne Fleming, who lives on Highland Avenue near Odorissio, described the park’s playground and facilities as rundown and said she cannot safely take her 2‑year‑old grandson there. Kevin Moyes cited the park’s history, questioned the long‑term scale and costs relative to club size, and urged the board to consider neighborhood context.

Board members and staff framed the presentation as a productive opening conversation but emphasized that Odorissio is already the subject of long‑running planning and separate capital investments. Tammy (staff member) said the township has spent years developing a concept plan for Odorissio and noted a $100,000 planning grant is already funding design work for playground and restroom improvements; she emphasized that any proposal to develop wooded trails would require additional study, storm‑water measures and community engagement. Several board members recommended evaluating alternative locations for mountain‑bike facilities rather than immediate development of the Odorissio woods.

The board did not take formal action on the Delco Revolution proposal; members encouraged the group to continue conversations with staff and to help identify funding sources and stewardship partners. Next steps: staff and the presenters are to continue exploring alternative Radnor sites and funding options, and the board will keep Odorissio’s comprehensive‑plan work and capital improvements on its pipeline before any decision on wooded‑area trail development.