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Alpine to monitor mountain bike teams' usage of Lambert Park November 29, 2016, 8:59 amIn an August city council meeting, City Councilmember Troy Stout said "it was apparent that the park was being loved to death." Currently five school teams — Skyridge High School, Pleasant Grove High School, American Fork High School, Lone Peak Junior High School and Lone Peak High School — use the park during the season, which lasts from July to October. Stout, an avid mountain biker who uses Lambert Park several times a week himself, said he'd seen more traffic in the park this year than in the last five years combined. In the past he has seen several teams show up at the park at the same time. "There's literally no room for anyone else on the trail," he said. Stout also said the trails are becoming hazardous and that he worries about less-experienced riders. He said he strongly supported the mountain bike teams, but added, "We're taking a little bit more than our fair share in our end of the county to support the sport." At a Sept. 27 council meeting, two residents spoke in support of protecting the park. Blyth Larrabee said Lambert Park was "a wonderful place to recreate and for families to gather. As grandparents, it has been a wonderful place for us to participate in different activities there." "I hope that will be preserved in our community ... and that the council will take the necessary measures to protect it and safeguard the gem that we have here in Alpine," she said. Bryan Burr said he was a mountain biker and an avid user of Lambert Park. He said it is great the teams have Lambert the park to ride in, but added, "There's a price that's being paid. In some areas, the trails are becoming degraded and are becoming treacherous." Both Burr and Stout felt it was important that the teams that use the park give back in some way. In response to these concerns, coaches from some of the teams attended the Oct. 25 council meeting to discuss the issue. "Lambert Park has been great for us. It's a wonderful venue with a lot of great trails. We certainly appreciate having that available to us," said Clay Shubin, coach at Lone Peak Junior High School. He said the teams have worked on park maintenance projects in the past and plan to do so in the future. "We feel like we need to earn our turn," he said. "We're more than willing to do trail work and signs. We realize what a blessing it is to have that park." In response to the council's concerns, Lone Peak High School coach Davy Kammer sent an email to the city council. "On average, Lambert Park is being used roughly 3 times a week for a 1.5 - 2 hour practice during these 4 months.... The residents of Alpine and other users of Lambert Park currently share the Park with the Mountain bike teams for about 5 1/2 hours a week over a 4 month period," Kammer's email said. The coaches currently have a complete schedule of when each team will be practicing at Lambert Park and at what times. Generally they practice in the evenings. After a prolonged discussion on the issue, the council decided to have an annual meeting with all the coaches and to utilize the coaches' schedule as the city's guide for using the park. The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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