News Flash

Bike Skills Course Proposal

The Parks and Recreation Department and Forest Advisory Board are weighing the pros and cons of locating a bike skills course at the old city dump off trail #10 in the Community Forest Lands.  At public meetings since March 2019, the Board has discussed issues such as wetland and habitat disturbance, potential parking problems and protection of the dump cap.  Benefits would be a recreational opportunity for local youth and families to learn and practice safe riding skills outside the regular ACFL trail system.   You can read the Forest Board minutes or click here.

Because it may be located on an old dump site, the City is working with the Skagit County Health Department which oversees the dump closure.  The dumpsite was closed and capped in 2009.  The cap, which is yards deep in some locations, seals in the contents of the dump and cannot be disturbed.  It is currently covered with grass and mowed.  Regulations would allow more fill to be placed on the cap, which is why a bike skills course is being considered there.  The features of the skills course would be made out of gravel and soil hauled into the site.  Trees are not allowed on the dump cap as their roots could penetrate the barrier and cause problems.   The City will treat storm water from a potential park because water is not allowed to pool on the dump cap.  Rain gardens and a swale system will clean the water before it flows off site. 

If you have questions or concerns, we would like to hear from you: coa.parks@cityofanacortes.org

You can follow this link to see what a skills course might look like.