After fits and starts involving temporary closures during the past two years, the city's only official motocross track is on the verge of staying open on a permanent basis.
During tomorrow's evening session, City Council will vote on allowing a nonprofit to manage the publicly owned Buckman Motocross Track.
The track, which first opened in 1968, is a 55-acre obstacle course located near NM 599 for mountain biking, motorbiking and ATV riding. Two years ago, the city completed upgrades on the track totaling nearly $500,000.
But the city closed access to the track later that year, citing problems with potential liability. Some of those issues included problems with a nearby arroyo, a potentially dangerous intersection and fencing issues. The city eventually hired Great Outdoors Colorado to put together a plan to resolve the issues.
The track opened again earlier this summer, but problems remain with the city's inability to manage the maintenance that the track requires. Another issue lies in the fact of no existing national standards for motocross tracks.
Several of the people who ride on the track, however, have stepped up to fill the void.
"To maintain a track like that you've got to be out there every day," says Bette Booth, who chairs the city's Parks and Open Space Commission. "People who use it are willing to do that."
I Ride NM is a nonprofit recently established by Daniel Coriz, who regularly uses the track for leisure activities. The contract City Council is scheduled to vote on tomorrow would allow I Ride NM to take charge of the maintenance while the city still technically manages the track.
Booth says that she believes public-nonprofit partnerships like this have great potential for how city parks should run in the future.
"The city will bring out the equipment but the volunteers will maintain it because they ride it," she says.
Coriz, for his part, says the contract will keep the track accessible.
"We just want to see the place stay open to the general public," he says. "For a lot of people it's a release."