Groups partner on creation of new trail system

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SANDPOINT — There's about to be a new kid in town in regards to the community's ever-growing number of trails.

The newest addition — VTT (short for velo tout terrain, French for mountain bike) comes courtesy of an effort by Sandpoint residents Steve and Julie Meyer and Pend Oreille Pedalers, a local bike club and trails organization.

The VTT site was acquired by the Meyers last year and will soon by placed in a permanent conservation easement through Kaniksu Land Trust, Jason Welker, POP executive director, said.

Welker said a number of trails are planned for the 100-acre property, which will then connect to those at the adjacent Pine Street Woods and Sherwood Forest. By late summer, a new trailhead will be constructed next to U.S. 2 on West Pine Street, with parking for 15-20 vehicles and a kiosk with maps and other information about the property.

The trailhead will provide access to the a nearly two-mile VTT “perimeter trail,” known as Rotary Green Heart, after the local Rotary Club, whose generous donation are making the trail possible. Trailhead infrastructure is being funded by a national Placemaker grant secured by the Selkirk Association of Realtors.

"The new trail will provide a beautiful loop around the lower flanks of the VTT property, and offer a 200-foot ascent up rocky slopes to connect with the narrow trails of Pine Street Woods," Welker said.

Also partnering on the effort are the Selkirk Association of Realtors and numerous volunteers, Welker said.

Helping make the kiosk part of the project happen is a $4,500 Placemaking grant from the National Association of Realtors that SAR received to transform an unused space in Bonner County into a vibrant community space, Stephanie Rief, SAR executive director, said.

SAR got involved in the project when a local real estate official who is a member of Pend Oreille Pedaler suggested they get involved, Rief said.

Rief said NAR offers Placemaking grants to state and local real estate associations to create new public spaces and destinations in a community, such as turning a parking spot into a parklet or a vacant lot into a pocket park or garden. The grant helps local groups partner with other groups organizations to plan, organize, implement and maintain projects that add livability to communities.

“Realtors live, work and volunteer in their communities and we take immense pride in our efforts to make local neighborhoods better places to live, work and raise a family,” Rief said. “This grant gives us a tangible, immediate opportunity to identify and address areas in the Sandpoint area that are in need of creation, enhancement and revitalization and can be used for the greater good. Placemaking can help foster healthier, more social and economically viable communities, and creates places where people feel a strong stake in their neighborhoods and are committed to making things better.”

In the case of the VTT project, SAR officials said funds will go toward a kiosk describing a trail system on the 100-acre property as well as the creation of individual trail signs at the site. It's anticipated that construction of the kiosk could happen as soon as April or early May.

Roughly 80 acres of the site’s 100 acres are being placed in a conservation easement with Kaniksu Land Trust, Pend Oreille Pedalers said on the group's website.

“Any trails we build on the property will be open to the public in perpetuity,” officials said.

The remaining 20 acres are being retained by the couple for possible development of trailside campground, "conservation development," or another innovative recreational or residential use. However, there are currently no firm plans for development on the property.

KLT officials said they are excited be a part of the project with the Meyers.

"KLT is thrilled to be partnering with the owners of the VTT property to protect this parcel for future generations of forest creatures and area residents alike," said Regan Plumb, conservation director for the land trust. "The conservation of this property, located right next door to Pine Street Woods, is such a tremendous gift to our community, and the fact that the owners intend to allow non-motorized public trail access knocks it out of the park."

VTT encompasses 100 acres of forested hillside, ridgelines, and ravines to the south of Pine Street Woods. Pend Oreille Pedalers and volunteers plan is to build approximately four miles of new non-motorized trail on the site, connecting the property into the existing nine miles of narrow trails in the Pine Street Woods and Sherwood Forest areas.

Buildout of VTT trails is expected to unfold in two phases between March 2021 and June 2022. The first phase includes a beginner arterial trail and trailhead parking area while the second phase will include construction of several shorter trails branching off the main trail to give mountain bikers, hikers and runners a variety of loop option within the property. Signage would take place during the project’s second phase, according to the POP website.

Projects like the VTT trail are key and welcome additions to the community's recreation offerings, adding according to SAR officials.

“As the Bonner County area becomes more attractive and welcoming due to the various amenities it offers, nearby properties may also increase in value,” Rief said.

Information: pendoreillepedalers.org

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and followed on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.