Catoosa County may soon become a mecca for mountain bikers.
That is because the county commissioners on Feb. 7 approved spending as much as $40,000 of SPLOST revenue to match a grant offered by Bell, among the world's foremost helmet manufacturers, to build off-road trails for bicyclists.
SORBA, the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, has applied for a Bell Build grant to develop a network of trails on 417 acres abutting Windstone on land that was once part of the Swanson farm.
One stipulation of the grant being awarded is that the site must be made available for nationally sanctioned mountain bike races.
County Attorney Chad Young said that SORBA can apply for the grant if a matching grant is available. In this case, that matching grant would be provided by the county and paid with revenue from the special local option sales tax that is up for extension in March.
A map of the proposed site includes beginner trails, advanced single track and a long downhill run that would comfortably fit within the allotted acreage that is accessible from Swanson Ridge Road.
"This is one thing the county doesn't have," said Commissioner Jeff Long, who also serves as recreation director for Fort Oglethorpe. "This will attract people; [a mountain biking trail network] is a high-demand item."
Commissioner Jim Cutler said a good comparison could be made for the Swanson Ridge site with trail networks at the Volkswagen property, formerly the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant, across the state line in Hamilton County.
Young said there are currently only about 20 such mountain biking complexes in Georgia and this could be a boost to both locals and tourists.
"Figures show there are one and a half times as many mountain bikers as golfers," he said.
If built, the site will have parking, trail marking and be gated for the security of those using the property.