Big crowd turns out to support off roading track at Summers Lane reservoir site- process just starting
A big buzzing crowd of off-road motorcycle fun lovers showed up and begged the Fort Bragg City Council to make their long-time dream come true and develop an off-road riding track as part of the recreational amenities to be developed with the three new reservoirs off Summers Lane.
We at Mendocinocoast.news think this is a terrific idea that the city must make work!!
The area from about a mile east of Highway 1 along the north side (mostly) of HWY 20 is already used as an off-road biking area. Creating a 20-acre track among the square mile of scrubby forest being developed would actually reduce the damage done by bikers riding through timberlands and other unofficial venues.
The Council voted 5-0 to put the idea of an off-road track and possibly a tube track into the EIR for the development of the new reservoirs and recreation amenities the city wants to build on 582 acres of land it purchased from the Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District.
But this comes with a huge caveat. The bike riders need to form a non-profit or a contract process for a company to do a very big job- make sure environmental damage, damage to the neighbors’ property and law and order are followed. They need to help keep this new entity from scaring, intimidating and destroying the environment and hikers, horseback riders, and kids on bikes, all of whom also deserve to benefit from using. They also need to keep out dirt bikes with the super noisy mufflers and be very much into fire prevention. The Redwood Shooters have been very active in curtailing bad shooting behavior in Jackson. We need more of that!
Let’s do and keep involved with the council process!
The council was not there to say yes or no to a dirt bike track as part of the reservoir project. The meeting was intended for the council to put checks next to ideas of what might be included in the Environmental Impact Report for the project.
The council members were all for it. City staff had told the council that it would be best to check yes next to any idea they might want, because to add an idea back in later might result in a new EIR having to be done, greatly increasing the cost. The current EIR contract is approximately $600,000
So the council enthusiastically put the track in as a possibility. They did not want to put sports fields into the EIR. Councilmembers said fields were badly needed but would demand water and they did not want to commit new water at the site. Speaker Jacob Patterson had supported the dirt bike tracks because they did not require water. Council member Lindy Peters seized on this idea as well and said that was why he couldnt support anything that requires grass and irrigation.
“I think it goes without saying that this town is starved for activities in general, especially for youth,” said local resident Ross Koski
Koski said he was going to politely decline the admonition of no applause during public comment to show how strong the support for an off road was at the meeting.
“Mayor Godeke, you did say you didn’t want people to applaud or make noise, but I would remind the room that the city council seemed a little confused about why people are here, and it is our first amendment right in a public meeting to express ourselves however we like.”
Koski then turned to the big crowd “So maybe if everyone who’s here who wants this to be developed into an off road vehicle track, just let the City Council know.”
A huge round of cheering followed from the full house at Town Hall. They were out in force and for the track. But its true, if somebody had been in the crowd who was against it, they might not have felt comfortable speaking. There have been opponents over the years and they will come out in the process for sure. Several people with property adjacent to the reservoir acreage spoke in favor of a dirt bike track.
Godeke said the admonition was optional and was designed to prevent people on any subject to be able to speak without feeling intimidated by a crowd.
This was the admonition he issued at the start of the meeting, which the council has pretty much always said.
“We would also appreciate if, applause is avoided, because that can be intimidating for people who have different points of view. And we want to be welcoming to all kinds of points of view. So if we can limit, if you, if you want to acknowledge, you can also, you can always do that kind of thing, but it’s better not to better not to applause.”
Fort Bragg resident Will Harris, said he is a professional geologist, a certified engineering geologist, and for the better part of 20 years, worked with California State Parks to design sustainable trails for motorized recreation, spoke strongly in favor of putting plans for an off-road track into the environmental impact report for the proposed reservoirs. Harris said he had looked at the site and it was ideal for a track from all points of view.
“ I found it to be an ideal setting. Also, the topography is varied and hilly, which means it’s mostly out of the pygmy forest, which is an important point to bring up or to consider It’s a great opportunity for Fort Bragg, I think it’s a great opportunity for the families. I’ve seen how beneficial responsible motorized recreation can be for families and for kids.”
Jenny Shattuck said the council should make this happen either out here or after the city sets aside the conflict with the Skunk Train, with them or even make this work there or even at Wildwood Campground.
Resident Aaron Vargas said creating a legal track would be a great idea in an area now already being used for off-roading.
“That is a motorcycle track now. We’ve been off-roading out there since before I was a teenager. I learned how to drive a stick shift out there. I went motorcycle riding yesterday. I went by so many signs that said ‘no motorcycles allowed’ that it was ridiculous. There is not one legal place to ride a bike off-road around here, period. I mean, so for the kids now growing up, to be able to go off-road, there’s nowhere here that’s legal. The gates are locked, we can’t go anywhere.”
While we support an off road dirt BIKE track, which is what the crowd was there to support, we do want to add we don’t support off roading by “adults” in pickem up trucks with 4xr4 and four on the floor. There are several guys like that who have made most of the trouble for everybody. None were at the meeting. We know who they are, right? Are we scared to turn them in? We are not. We are doing it right now. If we could get the problem under control, perhaps the fun could be expanded to include other types of kids and car competitions.
Let’s not pretend this area has not been trashed! The city put pieces of the old Noyo Bridge along Summers Lane because the trashing problem got so bad. The loss of privileges and the locked gates come from irresponsibility by a few people, ruining everything for everybody else. But we the public, have to stop those people. The authorities can’t do it without us. Report them. Sue them. There are only a few of them. Many of you reading this know who they are. We can tell you if you don’t.
Currently, there is a pollution catastrophe in Jackson Forest, including people throwing out sulphuric acid barrels, shooting across roads, old growth stumps sliced up for talbes and throwing out mountains of trash. The main road through Jackson Demonstration State Forest had to be locked. Biologists and firefighters are having to spend much of their time as trash collectors. And where is the public? Let’s get these dirt biking lovers involved with helping keep Jackson Forest clean. Do what some of us already do. Take pictures, turn them in! Frank has investigated trailers and other trash dumped and found not much public interest. Frank also found there are about 6 people doing almost all of this. This needed dirt bike track would make life better for kids. It would enhance our town. Our tourist base is perfect for this amenity, being from Chico, Gridley, Yuba land, Sacramento and such in large numbers.
But it will also make an awful mess if we don’t have a vigorous group of local residents to provide eyes on the area and track down the jerks and sue them if need be. (We could do that right now if some of you wished to help.). Below, we provide some shots of the area, including an old building and on the right, city public works head John Smith next to some of the many concrete blocks from the old Noyo Bridge and other places that were used decades ago to keep the creeps making a huge mess out. Things were badly out of control. The area is now used for dog walking on a daily basis by the Mendocino Coast Humane Society, so this is not the part of the 500+ acres where the track should go, there is plenty more land away from here.
The city has to allow the new group of track enthusiasts and butt kickers for trash dumpers to take in money and police the area. It cant be all free and the city can get some too. An off road track is a great idea but not if people are going to come out one night and then let the council do the rest. There is a long history of commitment to the issue by off roaders. Some have been discouraged that the original golf course and the original off road track on the same property fell apart with nothing happening after many years of planning and meeting. But dont quit now! Its a great idea but it wil take hard work by busy familes. Don’t count us in to this cause, Frank is too big for off road bikes and we’re too old anyway!
The Mendocino Coast is a great place for boating but we are all missing the boat in not promoting the fact this is one of the greatest places on earth for motorcyclists, on road, off road, antiques. The famed motorcycle club Wino’ Crew started here in the 1940s. That awful ride over Hwy 253, Leggett Highway, 128 or Highway 20??? That is fun on a bike! Motorcycle clubs have huge meet ups here in September. There is a huge summer event for dirt bikers on private property, or used to be for many years. Here are some pics of motorcycles I have shot.
