The war of the words is over.
The battle over Grand Forest North between mountain bikers and naturalists has ended in a do-over — thanks to a $1 million anonymous donation.
Nature lovers who wanted to leave Grand Forest North in its pristine natural setting and mountain bike enthusiasts who wanted to build trails there had been fighting a war of words for a few months.
“She was aware of the conversation and wanted to help,” said Dan Hamlin, parks services division director of the Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District.
To help with a solution, she donated $1 million to buy a 10-acre parcel adjacent to Strawberry Hill Park to the west. The only other stipulations made by the anonymous donor is that the nearby dog park be expanded, and it remain a park forever.
Hamlin walked the parcel Tuesday with parks executive director Terry Lande, parks commissioner Dawn Janow and Mary Meier, executive director of the BI parks foundation, which accepted the donation.
They found the site perfect for mountain bikers, with hills to go down and climb and some fairly open areas where trails would be easy to build. In fact, some trails logically made by mountain bikes could be seen on parts of the property.
“It has a nice terrain to it,” Lande said. “There’s not as much understory.”
He said a reforestation plan will be made with natural vegetation replanted in other areas and dead trees removed and others trimmed for the safety of riders.
Lande said mountain bike trail supporters had not seen the property yet but were “very, very, very interested.”
The new area does have a few neighbors to the north, but Lande mentioned there is a natural buffer between the two.
Hamlin said the area is about half the size of Grand Forest North, but since it will only be used by mountain bikers the trails can be built closer together.
Hamlin said the parks department had recently found out the land was for sale, and of course was interested due to its proximity to its existing facility with the skate park, ballfields and parks offices. It quickly thought about how it could come up with the money.
“We scrambled to find a way to raise the money – come up with something,” Lande said, adding they asked the listing agent if the family would wait until they could come up with a fund-raising plan.
Janow said “It was well beyond what we could afford. It’s great, but too bad. Then three days later …”
Meier said with the donation going to the foundation it can “turbo charge” the process.
“The donor came out of the blue,” she said. “It’s such a joy.”
Lande said the plan had been to build four houses on that property.
“It dropped in our lap,” he said. “It’s the perfect spot.”
Hamlin, Janow and Lande look at a cleared area that already has trails.
Lande, Hamlin and Janow check out some of the existing trails.
Bike trails already exist on parts of the property.
Bike trails already exist on parts of the property.
Bike trails already exist on parts of the property.
