The City of Aspen’s Parks & Open Space has opened a public survey to collect feedback on a Draft of the Marolt Open Space Management Plan Update. Plenty of information to page through if you use or ride through this park-like area located near the entrance to Aspen.
One key take-away of the Draft Plan? A skills trails area for bike riders is proposed for future development on a small portion of this busy and popular park land. We consider the available area (between Castle Creek Road & Marolt Place) to allow for a smaller ‘pocket bike park’ with room for jump lines, or a skill building flow trail with both easier and more challenging features for all ages to enjoy. We are asking all mountain bikers who use or pass through this property on a bike to participate in the survey and share your thoughts. Don’t use the property currently, but see value in this type of bicycle friendly recreation amenity? Speak up!
One aspect of the plan notes that some social trails may be closed within the greater parcel, particularly those that connect main routes to less used access points on the perimeter of the property. RFMBA supports designating and signing a primary route for mountain bikers and commuters to follow when connecting from downtown Aspen towards the nearby Moore Open Space and beyond. Having his primary route will fix a fairly confusing situation for riders passing through the area for the first time. Closing some of the less used trails on the property may be difficult given the patterns of public use established over many decades (these social trails are walking paths more than bike trails), but we appreciate the City’s intent to better manage this open space for a variety of uses.
RFMBA notes that the winter groomed trails on this property are open winter fat biking. While the plan acknowledges this use, our full comments will point out that this use is not mentioned in each section that relates to winter use of area. Passing through the area, and looping the ~1 mile of wide groomed routes on the Marolt OS is a great part of many local fat bike loop rides.
The Survey requires a username/password to be set up on Aspencommunityvoices.com to ensure high quality responses and data to analyze. Thanks for taking a moment on this extra step. The survey is open through the month of March: https://www.aspencommunityvoice.com/marolt-master-plan
According to City of Aspen’s Parks & Open Space department: Recommended management actions in the draft are divided into seven sections which include: maintenance, natural resources, historical resources, recreation and trails, interpretation and education, agriculture, Aspen Community Garden, and special events. It is likely that one or more of these categories relate to your particular area of interest.
Aspen Community Voice will be open for input on these projects through March. Community input will be integrated into the final plan, which will be presented to the Open Space Board for adoption during their regularly scheduled June 2021 meeting.
The Marolt Open Space Management Plan is updated every decade. The ongoing goals are to protect, restore, and preserve the qualities of the Marolt Open Space in the spirit of the acquisition of the property, and in reflection of the values and needs of the natural and human communities that depend upon this space.
