Hello,
An update on the Carlsbad Parks Assessment process;

The Carlsbad Parks and Rec. department started an assessment survey in February of this year. The intent of the survey is to hear from the community and develop a plan to fit the needs of the community.

The final public hearing of the Carlsbad Parks and Rec. parks assessment survey will be held this coming Monday (time and location are noted below). The survey will lead to a comprehensive action plan for the next five years. This action plan will be presented to the City Council for approval in November.

This is our last chance to get building a bike park on the Carlsbad Parks five-year plan. The bike community had a good turnout at the open meetings in February. This effort resulted in building bike specific areas being placed on the preliminary list five year plan. This was a big step for our bike/cycling community, please come to the meeting Monday to continue our momentum and ask Carlsbad Parks to build a bike pump/jump/skills area.

If you desire to speak at the meeting, a white speaker slip form should be filed out with the Commission Minutes Clerk. Each speaker is limited to 5 minutes. Please remember to state your name and address for the record. If you do not want to speak in front of everyone, please attend. I'll ask the people who support a bike park to raise their hands.

Thanks!

Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting
Monday, September 30th 5:30 p.m.
Carlsbad City Hall Council Chambers
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008

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If you are the big tree
We are the small axe

I was gonna ride Calavera on Monday after work, just convinced my friend that we should trade the ride for attending this meeting. I may or may not talk depending on my mood. See you there!

Hi J.A.M.,
Just had a horrible thought 'they' might leverage a bike park against preservation of current singletrack trails.... Do you have any info/insight on the city's stance regarding bike park vs long term support/'protection of access' to the trails at Calavera and Rancho La Costa?
As a Carlsbad resident, trail runner and mtber I voiced my support for the singletrack trails like those at Calavera and La Costa rather than the DG multi-use paths/sidewalks being made and called trails, earlier this year. I also pointed out the irony of the marketing of the future Hollysprings McMansion development. They tout, "generous open space and extensive hiking trails, higher elevation, gently rolling hills and hundreds of acres of surrounding natural habitat preserves, provide a pristine environment with sweeping pastoral and blue-water vistas." All while destroying said pastoral land and encroaching on the little open space left.
Edit: Are the speaker forms to be filled out on site or beforehand? If beforehand, can you provide details?
Thanks,
Aaron

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It is not enough to fight for the West; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. -Edward Abbey

Thank you for coming out to support.

I have not heard anything that would lead me to believe Carlsbad would trade trails for a bike park. I would be off the bike park wagon if that were the case! I'm hoping we can point to a successful bike park project as proof that we need more trails with bike features.

Speaker forms will be available at the City Hall chambers.

Thanks again for coming out. I know the pickleball people will be.

_________________
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe

that Hollysprings development almost made me cry...that is just out right terrible and awful to think of...the high school was bad enough in so many regards....

Monday at 5:30....I will try my hardest to be there despite my family obligations...perhaps I will take the family with me to the meeting....with iPad in tow, of course, to keep them quiet...

This is tonight. Please come out if you can. Getting a bike park on the plan is a huge step.

_________________
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe

We will be there

How'd the meeting go? I got tied up at work and couldn't make it.

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It is not enough to fight for the West; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. -Edward Abbey

Lots of speakers in favor of the bike park, including a couple who I had prejudged to be anti-bike hikers. I did not speak (not a Carlsbad resident, anyway) but I believe it was J.A.M. who asked for a show of hands and there were probably 15 people in favor of bikes in general.

There didn't seem to be any real focus on a specific bike park and the opening presentation only had 'BMX park' as a rather low priority item on their survey. That said the consultant or whoever was drafting the plan had an 'adventure park' as an item which sounded pretty cool, as well as a picture of a full on BMX track like down in Chula Vista as part of that. I think it was good so many people spoke as there was a clear indication of interest and some speakers reminded the committee that we really just want a patch of dirt to play in, not necessarily some crazy pro BMX track.

I was disappointed that they specifically excluded open space utilization and trails as part of this plan, because that is in a separate plan. I am curious about that particular plan if anyone knows, I would love to advocate for a coherent connected trail system even if most of it is the existing DG utility roads.

Glad I attended, an interesting experience in local government on a night when the Feds were dysfunctional. (Moreso than every other night, that is)

Thanks for the update and to all those that were able to make it to the meeting.

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It is not enough to fight for the West; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. -Edward Abbey

Thank you to everyone who took the time to come out to last nights meeting. They can be tough to sit through but being part of the process is the key.

The cities consultant presented their findings from the survey. Then they presented two big $$ ideas that will help meet the need of the community going forward. The second idea was for an outdoor adventure park that included a picture of a pump track. This was a nice surprise.

At least 6 people spoke supporting a bike park and about 15 total showed to raise their hand in support of Carlsbad building a bike park. I’m confident we made an impression on the Parks Council and the Parks Director.

One council member asked what could be implemented in 2014. I told him we could build a bike park in 2014!

I’ll follow up with some emails today.

Thanks again!

_________________
If you are the big tree
We are the small axe

^^^ That's all very good news. Thanks for your hard work.

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A bicycle is a splendid thing.
~Ernest Hemingway