Is a HIGH-IMPACT recreation development an appropriate use for Hughes open space? Absolutely Not. But there is an alternative location.
Screenshot from https://x.com/bikevalmont
As you may (or may not) know, there is a vocal group pushing for a recreation-tourism type bike park at Hughes that they describe as a "world-class" and "large-scale" and a “recreation-hub” for bike and recreation tourism destination. They have made their demands abundantly clear as they cruise effortlessly in the draft of the hard work of community members that collected signatures and campaigned for protected open space in 2020-2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Cameron Peak Fire.
This vocal group wants their proposed mountain biking playground, they want it to be a "world-class" and "large-scale" bike tourism destination, and they want it to be at Hughes Open Space near the existing protected Natural Areas, Pineridge and Maxwell, and any reasonable opposition to their plan, even by other avid cyclists, be damned. The group has said they want the bike skills park to mimic Boulder's 40-acre Valmont Bike Park. A large-scale development and recreation tourism bike skills park like Valmont could be a fun future recreational use in Fort Collins…but ONLY where such a tourist destination makes sense. For certain, heavy impact recreational uses of any kind, especially with multiple traversing, intersecting and fragmenting terrain and trails, is entirely incompatible with the voter-supported Hughes open space initiative, with the conservation priorities of our existing Natural Areas, and with the fragile biodiversity and ecological integrity of the sensitive ecotone and wildlife habitat where Hughes is located.
For a clearer picture, here are photos of Valmont Bike Park (credit Valmont Bike Park twitter), which is just like the recreational development some special interest groups want to see at Hughes. The City of Boulder deliberately constructed the Valmont Bike Park WELL AWAY from their own sensitive foothills and Flatirons. In fact, the Valmont bike park in Boulder is located east of the Foothills Parkway, near the Boulder Airport and across from Valmont City Park in a previously undeveloped, weedy field. Also of note is that HIGH-IMPACT recreational development does NOT at all align with the well-established legislative intent of the citizens’ ballot measure to conserve Hughes as protected open space with very LOW-IMPACT recreational uses (a hiking trail, disc golf course and sledding hill).
There are alternate siting options, and the City of Fort Collins should find an appropriate location that makes sense for a “world-class” and “large scale” recreation tourism bike skills park and pump track. A more sensible location could be identified near the soon-to-be developed Montava residential community, near the Anheuser Busch Brewery, with easy access to the I-25 highway, and where eateries, bike paths, and other amenities will be integrated in the future. Or, along the eastern Mulberry Corridor where the City plans future amenities like mixed use housing, restaurants, breweries, and more.
A high-impact recreational park of any sort, including a bike skills park or cross country course, does not belong in a sensitive ecotone or anywhere near protected open spaces. Let’s find another location that works for everyone.
And, let’s protect Hughes in perpetuity as one of the newest City Natural Areas!
Images of Valmont Bike Park from:
https://x.com/bikevalmont
https://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/outdoors/biking/bike-park/
