CPRD Board Votes to Allow Bikes on Rilee Park

NEWBERG, Ore. — On Thursday night, after hours of public comment and deliberation — preceded by months of lead-up discussion and a consultant report — the Chehalem Parks and Recreation District board voted 3-2 in favor of allowing mountain biking at Bob & Crystal Rilee Park within 90 days. Biking activities are not allowed at the park until CPRD announces it’s permitted.

The motion came after discussion of a report from California-based C2 Consulting, which specializes in mountain biking facility development. The CPRD board voted in February to hire C2 Consulting for $10,000 to determine which properties within CPRD’s district would be best suited to host biking facilities, following up on board direction from 2023 when the board banned biking at Bob & Crystal Rilee Park but said it would find a suitable location for mountain biking in the future.

The consultant’s report considered locations, topography, existing facilities, approximate development costs, and proximity for mountain biking. The report did not factor in multiple uses for the trails or park, noting that would be a decision for the board.

“User conflict was not viewed as a constraint because of the study view that as a management decision,” Superintendent Clay Downing said, citing the C2 Consulting report. “The district has the authority, whether it’s through the board or administratively, to decide what uses or users are out there.”

The report reviewed 10 CPRD properties and determined two were capable of hosting biking facilities in the near term: Ewing Young Park and Bob & Crystal Rilee Park. Others, like Director Jason Fields’ proposed Newberg Landfill site, were identified as long-term targets that would require time and investment to develop.

At the core of the discussion was donor intent — a phrase used frequently by those in favor of a biking ban at the park — and broad community use. Proponents of the ban frequently claimed Crystal Rilee’s desire for the land to remain hiking-, agriculture-, and equestrian-focused, and characterized the land as effectively donated: the 325-acre park was sold to CPRD for $280,000 when it was reportedly valued at $6 million according to CPRD records.

Downing said the district could not make decisions based on donor intent. The Crystal Dawn Smith Rilee Foundation sold Bob & Crystal Rilee Park to CPRD in 2014, after Crystal Rilee died in 2006. The purchase amount was largely dictated by the foundation’s debts and legal fees at the time of sale, according to CPRD records.

Former Superintendent Don Clements, who was in the role during the property negotiations, appeared before the board during the February meeting.

“There were certain things we couldn’t agree to and did not agree to,” Clements said at the February meeting. “If I remember correctly, one of them was the idea of trails, and would it be horses only? We did not agree to that … But what we did agree to is that there would always be horse trails there.”

In the purchase agreement completed in 2014, the foundation attempted to pass through certain stipulations for the sale, but CPRD, as a public body, could not acquiesce, as they were deemed exclusionary. The foundation agreed to the sale without any stipulations. 

“The idea that former ownership of our property without any legally binding agreement can tell us what to do with our property and that they can tell us how to use public resources — that’s very concerning,” Downing said. “Where does it stop?”

He added that CPRD staff did not have a recommendation on whether to allow biking facilities, and that the decision rested with the board.

Directors Jason Fields and Matt Smith said they fear the reputational damage that could result if the district does not respect donor wishes, which they said could discourage future land donations. They also raised concerns about the safety of mountain bikes sharing space with equestrians and hikers — a concern shared in some form by all board members.

Director Nick Konen said he agreed that bikes and horses should not share the same trail, but argued the park’s 325 acres could support all user groups. The proposed plan to add bike tracks would not exclude horses from the trails, but members of the equestrian and hiking communities raised safety concerns about co-existence, noting that horses are prey animals easily spooked by fast-moving objects. Konen said early attempts at community education and signage were not sufficient.

“One thing we’ve heard a lot is that we’ve tried this in the past,” Konen said. “And no disrespect to the past parks district, but I don’t see what was happening in the past as a real attempt.”

Board President Jim McMaster cited Ewing Young Park — the other property recommended for biking infrastructure — which currently hosts BMX riders, dog owners, disc golfers, hikers, and others across 46 acres. By comparison, Rilee Park’s 325 acres and 12 miles of trails are used by walkers, runners, and equestrian groups.

“Adding mountain biking would allow more CPRD taxpayers to enjoy the property while participating in an activity they love,” McMaster said. “Multiuse trails are common, and in many parks, equestrians, cyclists, and hikers have positive experiences sharing trail systems.”

Safety remained a point of contention. Directors in favor of allowing bikes suggested building separate facilities for different user groups and increasing signage and educational outreach. Konen asked staff to research the cost of hiring a park ranger to enforce separation.

All board members agreed that pedal-assist and e-bikes will not be permitted on mountain biking trails.

McMaster moved to allow biking at Bob & Crystal Rilee Park within 90 days, amend the park’s master plan to include mountain biking as an approved recreational use, and direct staff to work with user groups to implement the change in a manner that promotes safe, shared use of the park by mountain bikers, equestrians, hikers, dog walkers, and other trail users. The motion was seconded by Konen and passed 3-2, with Smith and Fields dissenting.

What Happens Next

Bikes are not immediately allowed at Bob & Crystal Rilee Park. CPRD staff was directed to allow bikes to return to the park within 90 days. Downing said staff will prioritize safety over meeting that deadline if necessary.

“It may come down to opening in phases,” Downing told Newsberg. “An initial, smaller opening and then a larger opening down the road. It’s easier to do some trail and surfacing work during the rainy season anyway.”

Downing said staff will need to design the park with bikes in mind, followed by education, outreach, and enforcement. He acknowledged community concerns about different user groups self-policing and said investment in a staff presence at the park may be necessary.

“It’s going to be something new for us,” Downing said. “We don’t have any ranger-like positions at our parks. But it may be what we need to help implement this change at the park.”

The board’s decision may also face a future challenge from the Friends of Chehalem Parks PAC, which last month discussed the possibility of an ordinance to designate Rilee Park a Rural Heritage Park. Board members Fields and Smith announced they have signed on as co-petitioners for the ordinance. The proposed language would set the qualifying threshold at 100 acres or more — making it specific to Rilee Park and not impacting any existing CPRD properties.

The ordinance aims to “preserve and protect certain lands within the Chehalem Parks & Recreation District for heritage purposes.” If adopted as currently written, it would limit permitted uses to walking, hiking, horseback riding, farming, and compatible community events — explicitly barring bicycles, e-bikes, and skateboards — and would prohibit conversion of designated properties to intensive athletic facilities or other uses incompatible with their open-space character.

The PAC will attempt to place the ordinance on the November general election ballot, Smith said, which will require signatures submitted before the district measures deadline in the late summer. Yamhill County Clerk Keri Hinton did not return requests for the precise filing date or exact number of signatures before press time.

Downing said bikes are not allowed at Bob & Crystal Rilee Park until CPRD announces an official opening.

Disclosure: Newsberg Founding Editor Branden Andersen has a personal friendship with CPRD Director Nick Konen.