Parks and Rec unveils city trails plan

Cycling is a big part of Dave Rogers' life. The Carson City resident spends weekends taking long rides with friends. He tries to squeeze in shorter rides during the week whenever possible.

The pleasure Rogers derives is the same he felt as a boy, "except that the bikes are different," he said.

Last week, the city's Parks and Recreation Department completed a nearly 70-page plan for cyclists, pedestrians, equestrians, roller-bladers, skateboarders and others, whether they use foot trails, bicycle paths and other paths for fun or as necessary transportation routes.

The Parks and Recreation and Planning commissions will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for a presentation of the plan. Representatives of the Board of Supervisors, Regional Transportation Commission, Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife and the Open Space and Carson River advisory committees are expected to attend.

The meeting also will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26. No action will be taken, but residents are invited to comment on the plan.

Rogers is among many who greatly enjoy cycling along the Tahoe Rim Trail, and he hopes access from Carson City to the trail will be a high priority among the planners.

He also hopes hillsides scorched during the Waterfall fire and deluged during the New Year's weekend floods will someday be available for cyclists again.

Rogers is glad he saw the hillsides - and all they had to offer - before they were burned. He remembers looking off toward the hillside the morning of the fire as he was leaving for work. It wasn't a large fire at that point. What resulted, however, was something he "couldn't believe."

The two events "have done horrific damage to the hillsides," he said. "I don't expect it to come back in my lifetime."

Originally, city officials sought to compile three different reports: a bicycle plan, an Eagle Valley trail system plan and one for pedestrians. Instead, they combined the three reports.

A pathway refers to all routes not intended for automobiles, including those made of dirt or gravel. This is why the report has been of interest to the Pine Nut Mountain Trails Association. While the group has great interest in off-highway vehicle-related topics, it also seeks to highlight trail access and maintenance.

Brian Doyal, a principal member of the trails association, said he was happy to hear there is a focus on creating more connectivity - ensuring that trails come together. He also cited loop systems and "continued use for all access groups" as important goals.

"We also want to protect the visual qualities of the hillsides," Doyal said. That might mean "relocating" some trails, he said.

"We believe this new rendition is a well-thought-out plan," Doyal said. "They're working with us."

The city developed a plan to connect trails so people can travel from one place to another without using a car. This would include access to all viable trails, which may involve private land. It doesn't mean the city is condoning trespassing, said Vern Krahn, the city's park planner, but that the document is partly "a wish-list."

The goal of the document, Krahn said, "is to make every home a trailhead."

Work began on the trail plan in October 2004, when the Parks and Recreation Commission held a community workshop. The city sent out 3,000 surveys in 2005. There were several public meetings about the plan during the second half of last year.

Residents can review the plan at the Envision Carson City Web site www.CarsonCityMasterPlan.com under "What's New" or contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 887-2262 for details. Those who would prefer to read a paper copy of the report can call the department to request one.

-- Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.

Here's the plan

Parks and Recreation Department's 70-page plan for cyclists, pedestrians, equestrians, roller-bladers, skateboarders and others.

On the Net

Review the plan before Tuesday's meeting at the Envision Carson City Web site www.CarsonCityMasterPlan.com under "What's New."

Details

Contact the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department at 887-2262. To read a paper copy of the report, call the department to request one.

If you go

What: Joint meeting of Planning and Parks and Recreation commissions

When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Sierra Room, Community Center, 851 E. William St.