Community Government Health & Wellness

Park project adding mountain bike trails at McCormick Forest creates stir

Posted on January 28th, 2025 By: Ed Friedrich

PenMet Parks’ plan to add mountain bike trails to McCormick Forest Park triggered unrest among some users.

Mountain bikers riding the shared trails told Bobbie Busch and another walker who chose not to be identified that their daily hikes would cease because the paths would become restricted to pedalers.

The unidentified walker and another hiker, Cindy Dillon, attended the park district’s Jan. 7 board meeting to learn PenMet’s intent, but left unsatisfied because of the format. Guests can only speak during a public comment period and then are limited to three minutes. Commissioners and staff listen but can’t interact.

Map of Rotary Bark Park and surrounding trails. PenMet plans to add more this year.

So the unidentified walker took to Facebook and Dillon began collecting petition signatures to keep the park as it is.

Facebook posts Jan. 10 and 11 elicited 160 comments, unsurprisingly both fact and fiction. They stated hiking paths would be replaced by motorcycle trails. That changes would occur east of Bujacich Road in the 122-acre McCormick Forest, west in the 97-acre Rotary Dog Park area, or both. That a mountain bike group is driving and funding the effort.

Hubbub results in project webpage

PenMet Commissioner Billy Sehmel and former Commissioner Amanda Babich jumped in to try to dispel the angst and confusion. The parks district added a webpage on Jan. 13 titled “McCormick Forest: Multi-Use Trails.” It summarized what little is known so far about the plan, answered frequently asked questions and provided a sign-up for email updates.

Executive Director Ally Bujacich and Board President Laurel Kingsbury reiterated during a Jan. 21 commissioners meeting, at which four more residents spoke against the project, that they are aware of concerns and guaranteed opportunities for public feedback during the design phase.

The webpage states that PenMet has budgeted $550,000 to enhance or add trails on the west (dog park/fire department) side of Bujacich Road for walking, biking and horseback riding plus new trails dedicated only to mountain biking. The existing 15-acre off-leash dog area won’t be affected. Parking needs will also be studied.

From left, Gretchen Delon and Connie Gillan enjoy the Rotary Bark Park with their doodles Saturday. Photo by Ed Friedrich

The project has not begun. PenMet will select a consultant in the next couple months, followed by conceptual planning and public outreach from March to June, according to the page. Design and construction schedules haven’t been determined.

The real plan, though not as distressing as the rumors, didn’t placate those who believe the park should remain unaltered. Since Jan. 8, Dillon has collected 240 signatures from those who agree.

Hikers, bikers coexisting

She rarely comes across bicyclists while walking and has never had a problem sharing trails with them. Everything has worked fine the way it is. There is no need to change, she said.

“I don’t want them cutting trees, clearing the underbrush and making the trails exclusive to mountain bikes,” she said.

Dillon pointed out that in PenMet’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan survey, respondents rated walking and hiking trails as the most important amenity, with 73% saying they are very important. Mountain bike trails were 10th at 17%.

She said mountain bikers have better places to ride, particularly 360 Trails on Key Peninsula and Banner Forest Heritage Park in South Kitsap. She admitted if PenMet developed mountain bike trails at McCormick Forest, it would probably attract more riders.

PenMet labeled the project Phase 1, indicating future phases, Dillon wondered. What would they entail? “They’re not telling us,” she said.

Busch lauded the parks and their responsive maintenance crew while speaking during the Jan. 21 meeting.

Sign at the east entrance to McCormick Forest Park. Photo by Ed Friedrich

“It’s such a wonderful place. We’re there every day,” she said of she and her mini-Australian shepherd Penney. “It’s quiet, beautiful, great air and I don’t have to worry about distracted drivers.”

Mountain bikers introduced her to the project, telling her that her days of walking the trails are numbered.

Not the best way to start off

“It was real disconcerting finding out like that,” she said. “We’ve always had multi-use trails. I can’t understand why they can’t remain multi-use trails without cutting down any trees.”

“The fact that it was not advertised is our biggest concern. Like, ‘Whoa, they’re doing what?’” Busch said later in a phone interview. “My other concern is we don’t have a lot of mountain bikers. I don’t understand what the half million dollars are for. Are they going to cut down trees, go through the wetlands, dig up the areas where we have trilliums growing? There’s no information.”

“I just want to be left alone. We have shared for years. We’ve been going out there for 12 to 14 years. I don’t understand why we need designated mountain bike trails when we have had no problems.”

The clearing at Rotary Dog Park. PenMet plans to add trails outside the fenced dog park. Photo by Ed Friedrich

Patrick Amman told the board he’s concerned about the affect changes will have on wildlife and the experience of current users. There are other mountain biking areas.

Keep it natural

“We’ve lost so much of our nature the last 20 years since I’ve been here,” he said. “The addition of these bike trails in old forest is very disconcerting. I’m concerned about the urbanization of parks. I like to feel like you’re going outdoors. We should keep places natural and preserve what we have.”

Two Narrows Baseball Club officials grumbled during the Jan. 21 board meeting that their playing time at Sehmel Homestead Park has gotten pinched. They recommended installing lights to increase field availability. The anti-bike trail contingent suggested shifting the $550,000 to field lighting and everybody (except the mountain bikers) would be happy.

PenMet Parks in an email on Monday, Jan. 27, said its PROS plan — updated in 2023 with the aid of substantial public input — identified a list of project priorities that included multi-use trails at McCormick Forest Park.

A network of multi-use trails already exists on both sides of Bujacich Road. Photo by Ed Friedrich

PenMet will phase implementation, it said. It’s too soon to describe what future phases, for which there is no funding, will look like.

“We look forward to engaging our community to shape the vision for this project,” the email said.

Planning will consider feedback on safety, environment

Safety for all users will be a key part of the planning and design, as will the environment.

“The project will be designed to minimize the impact to the existing trails,” the email said. “Trail design will take site features and constraints such as environmentally sensitive areas, trees of significance and existing trails into account.”

The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance made a presentation to the park board two years ago that included a proposed trail concept at McCormick Forest, the email said. The North Bend-based group, with a West Sound chapter, isn’t providing funding.

It hosted a booth at PenMet’s Oct. 5 Scarecrow Festival at Sehmel Homestead Park where it handed out flyers of its concept “to promote their interests in McCormick Forest and this upcoming project,” the email said. Some attendees got the impression it was more official.

“Official information from PenMet Parks was not publicized at that time as the project was not launching until 2025,” the email said.

Entrance to Rotary Dog Park and other trails on the west side of Bujacich Road. Photo by Ed Friedrich

The west side of the park, not counting the fenced dog park, totals 82 acres. That should be plenty of room to add some mountain bike trails, posted former Commissioner Babich.

“There is a ton of acreage behind the dog park that could be used to expand the trail system,” she wrote. “Could that include MTB trails? Possibly. Will it include walking trails? Most definitely. … The more people out on the trails recreating, the better.”