Higher costs have planners revamping the design of the bike track proposed for Springside Park. They say the plans from three years ago will be scaled back.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A 50 percent jump in construction costs has put a roadblock in the proposed pump track at Springside Park but the commitment remains.

Alison McGee, president of the Berkshire Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association, and other planners went before the Parks Commission last week asking for more time to re-evaluate the project and fundraise. 

They are expected to present a "goal for a new approach towards the same goal" next month and "concrete options" in July.

"You know we're supportive of this," Chair Paula Albro said. "We're on your side so we'll keep the conversation going."

McGee said the park's 2021 design has increased by at least 50 percent, largely due to the price of asphalt. It was last quoted for $400,000, making the new price $600,000 or more.

"In general, the costs are increasing significantly and so with that, that has caused me to want to make sure that I'm thinking carefully about how we're approaching this and I was working on a timeline for fundraising to present tonight but I wouldn't want to present something that is inaccurate or overly ambitious," she said.

"That kind of increase causes some significant challenges for us as small nonprofits. We are still very much intent on seeing this project happen but I think we need to take some time to look at how to do that and the logistics of that."

She wants to revisit the plan for cost-saving modification with American Ramp Co., which is working on the paved component, and also reconnect with the city and community.

"I really do want to underscore that we are still very much committed to the project," she added. "But I think that the big impact on us as nonprofits and we would want to be able to collaboratively plan that and plan it thoughtfully."

Garrett Pulley of the Berkshire Mountain Bike Training Series explained that they want to "get back out" and hear what people are asking for if they continue to pursue the plan.

"And basically, if the community wants us to continue to pursue, we present what we've learned and, again, see where we're at or maybe there are other ideas," he said.

"We're not completely closed to the idea of doing something different but again, we want to look at what it takes to pursue and then look at what it takes to potentially do something different so before we really continue to go down a road we want a month to meet as a group, reassess, and then ultimately bring back some suggestions next month."

Berkshire NEMBA and the Pittsfield Community Design Center are hosting a Bicycle Film Festival on June 16 to raise funds, people with grant-writing specialties are being solicited, and there has been a verbal confirmation of a matching donor.

The planners emphasized that they are not starting from scratch, as they have put four years into the first proposal.

"What our goal with this was going to be to be able to come with some really clear options both to you, as the Parks Commission, and then also to the community to kind of decide what would make sense and what holds truest to that vision that we had for it being a really meaningful addition to the parks," McGee said.

The commissioners are open to different proposals but want to make sure that any changes are made clear.  

The approved design covers about 2.3 acres on the former baseball field behind the North playground.
It consists of an asphalt pump track, a skills development area, a flow zone, and a dual slalom course for head-to-head racing. In addition, there is also a picnic area and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance features throughout.

"If that has to shift to something that is different and whatever that difference is, I think we all want to be able to sort of know what that is," Commissioner Anthony DeMartino said.

He added that the bigger question is what the nonprofit can get for the money that is raised in a reasonable timeline.

"Once the commission agrees on an approach for a new or modified project or the same project, I think maybe what we do is sit back down with city staff, the park superintendent, and myself and we can help you look at sort of what the what the city process is in a very definitive timeline kind of way," Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath said.

"And then maybe we can think through what some of those milestone dates might be based on your capacity and your abilities and then we can sort of have something ready which you can then bring back to the commission."

Early this year, the commission approved a memorandum of agreement between the city, New England Mountain Bike Association, Shire Shredders, and Berkshire Mountain Bike Training Series. It was requested that the Shire Shredders be replaced with a group called the Wheel Monsters, run by Kevin Delaney.

Delaney previously ran the Shire Shredders.

"There were some shifts in who was coaching specifically the Shire Shredders team that affected kind of what we were saying with the MOU and who was signing on to it but Kevin has been a steadfast supporter of youth mountain biking and really embodies the kind of commitment that we're trying to find when we sign an MOU," McGee said.

"So the commitment that Kevin has had to creating a culture of not just riding bikes but giving back and creating community is really important to us and so the name that we would have been adding to the MOU has shifted but the mentality and the commitment have not."

The commission decided to hold off on amending the MOU until there is a clearer path forward with the project.

DeMartino said one of the main goals for the evening was to sharpen the point to make sure they keep moving.

"I think there's been sort of doggy paddling a little bit here and sort of staying above the water," he added.

"But now I'd like to think that over this next couple of months with what we just talked about we'll come to the end of the summer, likely, with a fairly concrete timeline and plan as to where we're going to be with this."

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