Bike Skills Area at Upper Luther Burbank Park

Thank-you for revitalizing the bike skills area. Highly appreciated!

I am thrilled!! This will be such a great addition to Mercer Island. Thank you for being inclusive to children and adults and creating a love for a healthy and lifelong positive activity!!

My sons, now in their thirties, grew up on Mercer Island and greatly enjoyed using the 'cycling skills' area over 20 years ago. For decades that tiny area in the park has been one of the very few places on Mercer Island where kids can bicycle and parents don't have to worry about them being hit by a car or truck. The city's commitment to restore the areas it leveled should be honored. Unfortunately there is still no safe way for kids from the south end of Mercer Island to get to the park on bicycle. If there were, there would be less need for parking near this park entrance.

While I am an advocate for kids and teens and appreciate that there are wonderful opportunities for them to engage in the natural world on our beautiful Island, I staunchly DO NOT support the trail bike location or renewed use of the former/current site.

The wooded area of Luther Burbank Park is a very special, quiet, and beautiful little "nook" on our Island...a spot where rare trillium flowers can be found in the spring and the life cycle of a forest can be appreciated and observed.

Please find an alternate site for a mountain biking location as this park area is small and quiet and not an appropriate destination location for such activity. It is--given the slope of the property and fragility of new plantings and wildflowers--not able to sustain and support this kind of activity.

Even established mountain trails where mountain biking is permitted sustain damage as a result of this activity and there is a lot more terrain to be shared by hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers.

Upper Luther Burbank park is not such a location and should be maintained as the tranquil, "secret" spot that it is.
Thanks for listening.

While I'm supportive of a redesign of the Bike Skills Area in ULB, that my kids will enjoy for sure, I am concerned about two things if the BSA is going to become grander than it was.
1. Parking: a re-design is likely to bring more traffic to BSA, both islanders and others. Where would these people park? 84th Ave SE has almost nil street parking near the park and it's sure to get congested given the fairly steady vehicle and foot traffic on the road. Also, as a neighbor of the park I would hate overflow parking into residential streets.
2. Have the new designs been approved by the City? I have not seen it be published for public comment.

I do appreciate the City for the re-grading work to restore the area.

Agenda Bill 6001 lists the mountain bike park (BSA) to be built but the design has not reached the city from what has been made available to citizens in the parks report today. The city is asking for $215,000 to be spent in this hidden ravine along a narrow 84th Avenue where 150 homes pour into that street as their only access.. Youth vandalized the park during COVID. The city conducted no enforcement and finally the facility was closed - unsafe, illegal and vandalized. We understand the design will be for 25 year old riders it was all teenagers who used the park. Why invite increased traffic into this area. Several elementary riders were hurt falling at the rutted entry trail to the park just before the closure. Since the design has not been reviewed either by parks commissioners - or by council and since there has been no due diligence - which will include liability issues the city has ignored. Several attorneys have stated to us that at risk signs can't apply to youth less than age 18. So if a rider gets hurt? Will the parents sue the city? What will that cost? $215,000 is a lot to pay for an attractive nuisance that should never been considered in this location. Put Upper Luther into the Open Space Conservancy Trust and let the either parents or the 25 year old riders drive the teens to Duthie Hill in North Bend. - Or rent a bus. That facility has the backing by private sponsors and Evergreen Mountain Bike. Plus their Risk Waiver is multiple pages long. No mountain bike park in Upper Luther Burbank Park!

URGENT MESSAGE!! - I'd like to see an explanation from Earth Corps on the approval they have to replant in the Bike Area. If the staff at Action Sport Design (The folks assisting in the approved re-design (Let’s call it what it is “RE-DESIGN!” since the City DEMOLISHED the park!) how can changing the foot print help this process! Who was the consultant that determined the boundary lines? I urge folks to get involved…this is the most passive aggressive attempt at changing what has been a bike park since 2006.
I was at the last Earth Corps day assisting replant the section from the road to the down path to the bike area…I brought doughnuts for the whole group and it was a great time. I’m all for replanting in the areas that the kids cleared…but if you have been there lately – The over aggressive foot print that the plants have already been laid out basically will END the park.
More so – If/when the new bike park plans get approved…what if they are different to foot print Earth Corps have just planned! This is a waste of environmental resources. I believe replanting will have to happen…but how can it happen before the first issue THE BIKE PARK! Hasn’t been resolved!!
I just wonder if Earth Group know how they are being manipulated by a toxic minority who believe that the bike park, the hiking trails and the environment can’t coexist!!

This site and project has not been properly vetted or reviewed by the general population/voters of Mercer Island. No one formally selected this location to be the best site for this kind of bike park. The impact on the greater environment, including the runoff from this use, or on the native plants have not been fully evaluated. Upper Luther Burbank should remain as a natural park and all active uses such as a bike skills use, should be located in Lower Luther Burbank or closer to the I-90 bike trail. Much more work and planning needs to be completed. 84th Ave. SE is already an unsafe road as people drive to fast and the pedestrians and dogs have no where to safely walk. These issues need to be solved not exacerbated by an "active" use. We need sidewalks and a better pedestian connection between Upper and Lower Luther Burbank.

Upper Luther Burbank Bike Park - This space has been demolished by the city at the will of a few retired folks who are not representative of the surrounding neighborhood. An easy fix would be creating a new “hiking only” path down to the connecting trails at the lower end of the bike park.
The riders of the park did try to expand the park (But let’s be clear of the intent here - these are a bunch of excited kids/young teenagers who love riding, live in riding distance from the park, and also love and care for the environment.) Kids being kids is hard to see anywhere in this current day and age.
That said, after being told that the boundaries have to be maintained and respected...THEY COMPLIED!!

The re-growth came back quickly and the kids no longer used the additional trails they cleared.
How was this behavior rewarded…by the city erecting overnight a chain link fence put up and the whole space flattened by a bulldozer!!
The space has been for kids and riding since 2006. Why are the voices of a few folks ruining such a community loved space which supports environmental considerations, healthy family activity and is easily a community issue which can coexist?

Please restore the bike skills areas ASAP

Please approve a hikers only (Maybe 40 feet) trail that links to the lower trail and stairs.

I strongly oppose the idea of investing city funds to construct a formal Bike Skills Area in natural parkland that borders a residential area with no parking or other infrastructure to accommodate such a plan. At a time when the priority should be on preserving diminishing undeveloped park areas; and when city resources are scarce---why would this even be seriously discussed? Let's instead focus our attention on the more important city challenges we face. We need to preserve our open and accessible public spaces for passive use and concentrate on more immediate city needs.

Why is the Parks and Recreation Department fast tracking the bike skills area (AKA mountain bike park) in Upper Luther Burbank Park? In spite of the Parks Commissioners' recommendation that other site be considered, the city says it WILL BE in Upper Luther. And that it will be built in 2022-2023. Yet no one has seen the overdue Texas-based consultant's report. Public comments are to be closed February 15, yet the report won't be available to comment on. The SEPA review on the PROS plan is in progress; public comments on the plan won't be closed until February 23. Will there be a separate SEPA for the BSA, which is in an environmentally sensitive area? Will a separate SEPA look at the impact on the surrounding neighborhood, especially parking? No dedicated funding for building and maintenance of the BSA has been identified in the current budget.

So why is the city trying to rush this project through without following the normal procedures and allowing sufficient time?

I am a resident on SE 30th Place across from Upper Luther Burbank Park. I would like to see more opportunity for citizen engagement regarding these proposals. 84th Ave SE is not suitable for added car parking which would result from an expanded bike area. I agree with the comments left by tonio and Lauren and would encourage the city to extensively publicize engagement opportunities.

I live across the street from Upper Luther Burbank Park. I am dismayed by the damage done to the park in what is now called the bike skills area. When the City hired a consultant to study the situation, I thought it was going to be a consultant who would look at the possibility of having a bike skills area or not. Instead, they hired a consultant who designs bike skills areas. The City didn't listen to neighbors who are very concerned for the environment!

I would ask the City to consider looking at the original plan for Upper Luther Burbank Park and what it says for a bike trail. I support bicycling. I do not support damage to the environment. I thought this part of the park was to be undeveloped and left in its natural state. In fact, I was told I could not even clear out dead trees and branches because they were part of the natural environment and the City was not concerned about wildfires here.

I walk on the pedestrian trail very often as there are no sidewalks on 84th Ave SE and no shoulder in most places. Auto traffic on 84th Ave SE is fairly heavy and many do not adhere to the speed limit. The pedestrian trail is great but it is not wide enough for bikes and pedestrians, even if pedestrians try to step aside for the bikes. It is barely wide enough for pedestrians passing each other in opposite directions. At the very least, I would ask that the bike trail and pedestrian trail be separated.

It is clear that the City does not have the resources to ensure environmental damage is not done to a bike skills area. The City has not been concerned about the dangerous aspects of the current configuration. How can we be assured no further damage would be done to a newly designed bike area?

A recent survey showed there are a significant number of bikers who are 25 or older. While many current users bike to the area, if a new bike skills area is created and publicized, there could be a number of off-island users. There is no parking along 84th Ave SE and very limited parking on the side streets close to the park, most having no shoulders for parking. Parking must be considered in the plan. Parking is an issue even at Duthie Hill which is well designed and has attracted many users.

I would like the City to provide an option to allow a bike trail (not a bike skills area, no jumps) and let the citizens decide what should be done with this treasure of a park.

Thank you.

City of Mercer Island,

As a resident of SE 29th st directly across from the upper Luther Burbank trail, my family is directly adversely impacted by this proposal. I urge you to reject this project for the following objective reasons:

1) the hill on 84th ave and se 29th st where I live is a blind curve. It’s a very tricky road to cross, even with the current level of traffic. Inviting more traffic of any kind on this street will increase the driving and walking dangers to current residents.

2. There is very limited parking on 84th ave, and when cars park on the side of the trail, it takes away the walkway for children to walk or bike on the side of the road. We only have a walkway on the trail side, there is no walkway on the other side. When there are cars parked on 84th ave, it compounds the driving visibility problems explained above.

3. Our neighbor is full of young children learning to bike and children walking to school/home from school/taking walks on nice days. We also have a substantial elderly population that enjoys strolling through the trails during the day and in the late afternoons. Families and elderly all enjoy walking dogs in this area.

During the pandemic my children have loved walking in the trails and exploring the forest. Unfortunately, we’ve had many close calls with bikers as the trails are narrow and the bikers use the same entrances/exits as we do to access the bike park. It’s just a very small trail area and it’s not suitable for the proposed project.

3. There have been teenagers taking advantage of the relative seclusion of this trail and there’s been so much litter, alcoholic bottles, the stench of pot, and even a couch found in the trail. There is no reason to invest in a bike park that will only encourage teenagers to abuse this area.

4. The project is being championed by “18-25 year olds” but this demographic is not a sizable demographic in our community. It’s much more likely to be abused by teenagers as mentioned above, or attract bikers from outside our community which is not a worthwhile investment, considering the enormous costs to our community.

I urge you to reject this project, and consider other investments badly needed in our parks. For example, Luther Burbank park really needs a nice covered pergola that can be rented out for parties. Northwood elementary school desperately needs a bigger play structure. We need more sidewalks and lights. There are plenty of projects that could improve the quality of life for the majority of our community. This project wastes precious resources and creates far more problems for this neighborhood than its worth.

Thank you for considering my perspective.
Lauren Katz & Micky Treves + 3 kids 4/6/8
SE 29th st

If the City had already experienced operating challenges and safety concern for the facility, why would the City enhance it further for a group of users whom has proven irresponsibility? By spending public funds that benefits very small group of people, potentially non-residents, it is not the best use for tax payer's money. People are having up roar on this matter. Park belongs every resident and the space should be built to benefit the majority, race course does not belong in a park. Please think seriously.

Engaging Action Sports Design to assess the best way to preserve the natural environment is like hiring foxes to design a safe hen house. Of course they will conclude that an environmentally responsible bike-sports area is feasible. They are in the business of designing and building them. We need to FIRST ask the question if there should be ANY such bike-sports track allowed. This is a small park on a neighborhood street with no safe off-street parking. Encouraging even more visitors with parking on the unpaved earthen edge of the street increases erosion, threatens pedestrian safety with children forced to walk in the traffic lane, and will, as it has, draw a large number of off-island residents. The fact the City Counsel is even considering removing trees to accommodate the track shows just how far from the nature and tree preservation priorities of the Island this Commission has strayed.

Saying that bike riders should organize transportation to Duthie Hill is about as relevant as saying that dog owners should organize transportation to Marymoor Park.

The parks commission's report to the city council has doubts Upper Luther is the best place for a mountain bike park! Perhaps there isn't one on our island! Upper Luther has been vandalized to the point it had to be closed. As of this week the city has not received the Texas consultant's plans! How can the "Bike Skills Area" project: have been even listed as a 2022 action item when neither the parks commission or the city council has even seen what is proposed? The design as we understand it will now cater to 25 year olds since supposedly 43 % of the riders are 25? I've seen one person in their 20's riding there...the city survey was likely tarnished by the teenagers saying they are 25 in order to get a more sophisticated area with more bells and whistles. The bike riders need to finance a bus to take youth to Duthie Hill a 120 acre park with funds to manage it right. Keep mountain biking out of Upper Luther Burbank Park and put it into the Open Space Conservancy Trust!

Excited to see MI taken an open approach to redesigning the site. Mountain bikers on the island need a local place to ride and practice. This "underutilized" section of the park fits that bill as it has a natural slope conducive to jumps and berms that other location on the island do not. Critical to this project is a climbing trail that allow users to return to the top without getting in the way of the downhill riders or other users of the trails. Ideally there is also a designated parking area although I would hope that on Island riders would bike to the site.

Thanks for the November 15th meeting. It was very informative and very promising. I’m hopeful that we will arrive at a resolution that will improve riding opportunities and protect the natural beauty of the area.