This is a post in support of the Waterdog Open Space Stewarts:
The Belmont Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Master Plan process is making its way through the Parks & Recreation Commission and ultimately to the City Council. The Master Plan is a planning blueprint for the next 15-20 years to guide the city’s network of parks, facilities, and recreational services for the future, including the Waterdog open space.
There is a small but aggressive group of anti-recreation activists in Belmont whose goal is to severely limit mountain biking from the Waterdog open space area. They are waging a campaign to have Waterdog designated as a “nature preserve” in the Master Plan, which would severely limit recreational access to the trails. If they succeed, mountain bike access to Waterdog could be lost for the next 20 years. They are very organized and have a dedicated website that vilifies mountain bikers. This group is working hand-in-hand with the local Sierra Club chapter to skew the survey results against continued multi-use access.
The PROS Master Plan Committee’s survey is live, so it is urgent that viewpoints supporting shared use are represented. Please take 5 minutes to fill out the survey. The survey is only open until April 23, 2021.
Oftentimes people think surveys don’t matter, but this one is very important. The PROS Master Plan Committee will be reviewing the results of the surveys—if the majority of survey results have negative comments about mountain biking, the committee could recommend restrictions or bans.
You do not need to be a resident of the City of Belmont to fill out the survey. In his State of the City address, Belmont’s Mayor encouraged all park and open space users to fill out the survey, even if they don’t live within city limits. Please spread the word to others you know who use the Belmont parks and trails so their voices can be heard too.
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Here are the positions SVMTB supports:
Question 1) Open Space
Question 4) Bike
Question 5) Select Waterdog Lake Open Space (John Brooks. Waterdog Lake and Hidden Canyon). Select all that are appropriate.
Question 7) Select “Bike pump track”
Question 8)
Strongly Agree:
• Repair and maintain existing trails
• Widen and improve select existing trails
• Add additional trails
• Add more signage for trail safety and etiquette
StrongDisagree:
• Reduce/limit number of trails
• Designate certain trails for certain uses
• Prioritize habitat protection
Question 9) Strongly Agree: Volunteer opportunities (trail work, restoration, etc.)
Question 16) Waterdog is the only place in Belmont and San Mateo County where cyclist have access to local trails. It is a wonderful place for children to learn to ride their bikes and for an after-work fitness ride. Waterdog’s trail were built by mountain bikers and the volunteer opportunities allows us to give back to community.
