Students’ proposal for Natick town forest bike trails gets approved

The efforts of two Natick High School students to create sanctioned mountain biking trails at Hunnewell Town Forest have received the blessing of town bodies that advise on and oversee open space.

The big approval came earlier this month, as the Conservation Commission voted unanimously in favor of the trails plan (see Natick Pegasus recording of Aug. 15 meeting, about 92 minutes in for discussion and vote). The town forest is under the care and custody of the commission.

There’s no formal schedule yet for when volunteers will build the trails or when they will open, but it could be as soon as next year.

The students’ proposal has been working its way through town government channels since last year, with the Trails and Forest Stewardship Committee, Open Space Advisory Committee, and Conservation Commission all vetting, and ultimately supporting, it.

Plans are for two downhill trails starting by the water tower, plus an uphill-only trail, with safety signage installed to help avoid conflicts between cyclists and hikers/runners.

Biking is already allowed in the town forest, but carving out bike trails has not been (unsanctioned ones have been removed). In making their pitch, Natick High students Ryan Tracy and Ben Vose shared their experience as mountain bikers, working at a local bike shop, and being involved with trails maintenance or trail building.

Vose wrote in a proposal this past January that “I believe that there has been too much of a focus on dismantling illegal bike trails than there has been on looking into the reason why they are being built in the first place. This is a proposal to create a bike-specific area in the Hunnewell Town Forest that will be open for all to use and will be properly and safely
constructed.”

As we reported earlier this year, both support and concerns have been raised by the public and town officials about the plan, with safety, environmental, and parking issues among them. Letters received by the Conservation Commission were about split, according to Natick Environmental Planner & Conservation Agent Claire Rundelli. The Conservation Commission touched base with town counsel regarding liability.

Town officials and volunteers have worked with the students to lay out rules designed to ensure the trails meet the public need without being disruptive or harmful. Conditions for trail allowance include a way for abutters to report issues, a site inspection by the town before the trails are open for public use, assignment of trail monitors, and more. Follow-ups to observe any erosion or other issues caused by trail use will be conducted.

Doug Drenik of the Trails and Forest Stewardship and Open Space Advisory Committees posted on social media this week about the planned bike trails: “Congratulations to the two Natick High School students who stuck with the process, listened to feedback, and revised their plans as necessary. Now the hard work begins to build the trail!”

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