[Westy]

From the CAMBC listserve.

CAMBC is working with the City of Charlottesville and is exporing the
opportunity for a freeride park. There is a good chance this will
happen, but we need a handful of dedicated people who are experienced in
riding and building this sort of thing to step forward and lead the
way...ie this won't happen unless you make it...!

If you're interested, drop me an email. We'll get a committee going. We
need to select a location (out of 2 or 3 options) and get a preliminary
design on paper within one month.

Every once in a while I hear someone complain about lack of freeride in the area. The call for people to help develop a freeride area has gone out before and no one showed interest. If any of y'all want such a thing step up and get involved.

Check out www.cambc.org for contact info and such. If you are still confused let me know and I'll hook you up with da folks in charge.

 

[mud'n'sweat]

I know a couple of guys are working real hard to make this happen. Hopefully there is adequate response this time. Talks with the city have been positive so far, and hopefully things will work out this time around.

 

[BIRDMAN111]

sssssswwwwwwwweeeeeeeeetttttttttt

 

[Bearmntpicnic]

ssssweeeeeeeeeeeettttttttt

 

[AlmostHeaven]

how else can we help? we've built trails for years in/around C-ville like O-Hill and some other classified places, but this would kick a$$!!!

 

[Westy]

how else can we help? we've built trails for years in/around C-ville like O-Hill and some other classified places, but this would kick a$$!!!

Contact Will at CAMBC, just go to WWW.CAMBC.ORG and click on the contact us link.

Here was the latest email sent out on the subject.

Hello everyone,
There's been a lot of interest and emails flying today so let's seek to limit the trama on everyones inbox.
The potential freeride park is a City deal. Walnut, Preddy, ect are in the County which is a different government and not currently an option. The freeride park location options are in McIntire Park.
I'm proposing that anyone who is seriously able to write a proposal, detail our plan, and attend a half dozen meetings, meet at 4pm Sunday at McIntire West, at the pavilion area to scout the various locations. CAMBC really needs a point person for this and it is not me. Email myself or the board, not the other 200+ people on the email list if you can run point or want to go scouting.
Preddy Creek is 500+ acres owned by Albemarle County it currently has 4 miles of ATV trail, half of which is probably still under water. The Albemarle County Planning Commission approved a trail park on this property several months ago. CAMBC helped with the pitch. We are currently waiting on final board of supervisor approval and funding that will provide an officail parking area. We are also waiting for a naturalist study to be completed that will ID sensitive plants and areas we should avoid during the construction process. Once the study is done, we have a trail design round table with parks and rec and other members of the community. Until then, we aren't doing any work there.
Maybe somebody want to write a trail construction grant application???
At some point Albemarle County will need Planning commision approval from Orange and Greene as well, so things are moving at Preddy, but not fast enough.
Hope that helps,

 

[Bearmntpicnic]

There is some nice pitch over at McIntire. When I first got a downhill bike it was the off season and I coudlnt drive. I road my Big bike anywhere if there was some drops or a lip. I road I little at walnut when I was jumping my xc bike It has alot of potential and some nice trannys.


If this park would include jumps I think it would be some what helpful to get some knowledgeable bmx kids involved. It could be counter productive but I know they can build jumps

 

[Westy]

This coming Saturday, January 19, CAMBC and the UVa Mountain Bike Club will join forces to begin work on a freeride park on the McIntire park site between the firehouse and picnic shelters. We have approval from Chris Gensic of Charlottesville Parks to begin work on a new trail that will include two sweet log rides and a few other jumps and fun stuff. Chris has also indicated that he will do what he can to get us a truckload of dirt to work with. We have high hopes
that we can get off to a good start with this work and eventually build a more comprehensive freeride/skills building park when McIntire is masterplanned.

Kyle Woolard (head of the UVa club) has been very helpful getting this going and all of us involved are excited about the prospect of the two clubs joining forces on this venture.

So ... we hope you'll come out and lend a hand this Saturday. The plan is to meet at the picnic shelters at McIntire Park at 10:00am. Will has said he will take care of the chain saws but we could use people to come out with tools (especially shovels and wheelbarrows to move dirt) and a willingness to help!

We will send another reminder and any other details before Saturday but we hope you'll put this on your calendar.

Hope to see you there,

Scott Smith

12324

 

[mtwhore]

If he's not involved yet, someone needs to contact fellow monkey "chop". Hes got what it takes to make it happen. Efficiently.

 

[jaekormtb]

We got a nice chunk of work done out here in C'ville yesterday. It's nice to get things started, and it sure is nice to dig/cut/build with the blessing of the city Parks and Rec Dept.

 

[bigmclargehuge]

any pics?

 

[Krosskountrykid]

Congratulations to the CAMBC for your success in getting the City to allow the freeride construction in a local park. The interseted parties in Eastern VA have not been able to convince any locality to allow this. Westy, in your opinion what factors are most important in convincing local officials to allow this type of riding?

 

[Westy]

Congratulations to the CAMBC for your success in getting the City to allow the freeride construction in a local park. The interseted parties in Eastern VA have not been able to convince any locality to allow this. Westy, in your opinion what factors are most important in convincing local officials to allow this type of riding?

I haven't been involved in dealing with the county but from my perspective it has been made possible simply by building a good relationship with the county/city. CAMBC puts in a lot of hard work building and maintaining multi use trails throughout the area, they quickly respond to any issues the county has even when they are unreasonable complaints from psychotic locals. The county has come to respect and trust the organization. The core members aren't really freeride types but it goes to show you that when riders of different types work together a lot more can get done.

 

[Krosskountrykid]

Thanks for the reply. I see in your post you maintain MULTIUSE trails. Generally our trails in Tidewater are marked for Mountain bikes and that is where our emphasis is. I don't recall doing any work on hiking or equestrian trails. The idea has occurred to me as a good will gesture to some of the local parks depts.to offer to help maintain established trails. Perhaps in trade for some consideration at a later date for DJ and Freeride options.

 

[jaekormtb]

The C-ville trails are underway. So far, it's certainly in its infancy. We've got a pretty nice table, a log ride, a couple of berms and a couple of small kickers. It's not worth a road trip for anyone to come out and ride, but if you've you're just burning to do some legal building, drop a line on the www.cambc.org trail building forum and I'll try to meet you out there!

 

[bagtagley]

Any updates on this? I saw the January pics on the CAMBC website, but has there been any more progress since then?

 

[Westy]

Last I heard things were on hold because of possible road construction in the area. FWIW the county has been open to building a freeridy skills area at WCP in the past. Problem is that no one interested in that kind of stuff seems interested in doing it at Walnut Creek.