BUCKHANNON – The Upshur County Commission on Thursday approved a new progressive skill-building feature for mountain bikers next to the trail system near Buckhannon-Upshur High School in the Upshur County Recreation Park in Tennerton.
In a previous Upshur County Commission meeting, Julia Kastner, a volunteer with the Upshur County Trails Volunteer Group, updated the commission on upgrades and additions to the trail system, including signage, native plants and a new trail. During the meeting, the group also requested approval to construct a progressive skill-building area with progressive bike drops.
The skill-building area would be located behind the basketball court at the old amphitheater, according to Upshur County Trails volunteers.
The commission decided they could not approve the bike drops without first obtaining approval from the West Virginia Development Office because the Upshur County Recreational Park property was purchased using a land and water conservation grant back in the 1970s. Thus, anytime the commission wants to convert its use, they must consult the development office first.
However, at Thursday’s meeting Assistant Upshur County Administrator Tabatha Perry said she spoke with a representative from the office and building the drops would not be a problem.
“This is not considered a conversion of the land,” Perry said. “It’s just an addition; therefore, the National Park Service does not need to provide approval.”
“Progressive skill-building is a place where beginner mountain bikers, all the way down to little, tiny kids on tripods can start off with something really small and work their way up to bigger skills,” Kastner said. “Progressive skill areas are becoming very much a standard offering at bike parks or parks that offer mountain biking all over the country. What we would like to start with is a series of three progressive drops, so that’s a very small drop, a medium-sized one and a slightly larger one, so folks can build up to that skill.”
In other Upshur County Commission news:
- The commission approved an advertisement for a full-time tax deputy. Applications are due no later than close of business on Feb. 15, 2021.
- The commission approved correspondence from Jan Cochran, Lewis-Upshur Animal Control Facility Director, requesting to change Christy Riffle’s employment status from part-time to full-time, effective Jan. 31, 2021.
- The commission approved correspondence from Cheyenne Troxell, 26th Judicial Circuit Community Corrections Day Report Center Program Director, requesting the employment of Linda Barnhouse as full-time case manager for the Lewis County office, effective Jan. 31, 2021.
