Signal Mountain High School student plans bike trails through town complex

Signal Mountain High School student Camilla Mincey and her father plan to build a mountain biking trail running through the Signal Mountain Town Hall complex. / Photo by Pixabay
Signal Mountain High School student Camilla Mincey and her father plan to build a mountain biking trail running through the Signal Mountain Town Hall complex. / Photo by Pixabay

A Signal Mountain High School student, Camilla Mincey, and her father are proposing to construct bike trails through the Signal Mountain Town Hall Complex, a project for which the town council has unanimously expressed its support.

Cycling is prohibited on all trails in town parks such as Rainbow Lake and Green Gorge, said Town Manager Boyd Veal, making the addition an asset to local recreational offerings.

The proposed trail route, the exact length of which has not yet been determined, will run from the back of the tennis courts located down the hill from the library, wrapping around past the pool with a loop heading toward the recycling center, said Veal. In discussing the route with Parks and Recreation Director Jarred Thompson, they identified some areas as potentially problematic due to wetness or because there is already too much foot or car traffic.

"Her dad is on the parks board and relatively experienced at building trails like this, so I'm fairly comfortable that they could do it properly," Veal said. "But regardless, once it's done, it would be an additional facility for the town to maintain."

The original plans for the project have been scaled back slightly, with the location of the trail route now farther away from the Signal Mountain Playhouse and the library, he added. The reasoning behind the change was to keep the cyclists separate from the activities going on at the playhouse and library, the latter of which plans to expand soon.

Camilla and her father will be working with Thompson to nail down the project details, consulting with the town's stormwater manager, Cliff Fite, to avoid creating issues with erosion in building the trail, said Veal.

About 20 percent of the proposed trail system already exists, mostly near the pool area, with those trails used by kids as shortcuts from the baseball fields to the pool. Thompson said they plan to spruce those existing trails up a bit and use them as part of the new bike trail route.

"This is a situation where you have a father and daughter that are basically saying, 'We're willing to go out there and do every foot of this project and cut the trail,'" said Mayor Dan Landrum. "It's pretty amazing."

He said the signage for the trails is a small expense that will be covered by the town.

"I think it will be utilized by a lot of people," said Councilwoman Susannah Murdock. "I think it's a great contribution."

Veal added that the area where the trails will be located has become overgrown, and building the trails will likely be good for the health of the trees there. Clearing out the underbrush would also make it easier for anyone using the trails to be seen.

In response to Councilman Bill Lusk's question of whether the town would be liable if someone was injured on the trail, Veal said the town would be no more liable than it is currently with the existing trails.

A start date for the project has not yet been determined.

Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.

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