Lake Thom-A-Lex MTB- Hiking Trail
By Ben Coley / The Dispatch
Posted Jan 16, 2019 at 8:45 PM
Mark Breeden, president of Breeden Insurance Services, and representatives from Roadies and Dirties Cycling Club, announced Wednesday evening a plan to build a five-to-six-mile mountain bike trail around Lake Thom-A-Lex’s approximately 110-acre peninsula.
Mark and Nicole Smith with Roadies and Dirties, Chris Phelps, director of the Tourism-Recreation Investment Partnership, and Breeden presented the idea to local officials including Lexington Mayor Newell Clark, Lexington City Manager Terra Greene, Thomasville City Manager Kelly Craver and Davidson County Commissioner Fred McClure.
The trail would loop around the perimeter of the peninsula and would be used by hikers, runners and mountain bikers in either direction. It was also presented as a possible tourist incentive for Old Homeplace Vineyard, which would be adjacent to the trail.
According to the plan, the Roadies and Dirties club would oversee the design and construction of the trail with zero costs to either municipality. Lake Thom-A-Lex, located on Yokley Road, is jointly owned by Lexington and Thomasville. The only cost would be continued maintenance of the trail for such things as a gate or security cameras.
“I felt like there are parts of the county that I had benefited from their patronage to our business,” said Breeden, explaining why he wants to help fund the trail. “I wanted to help those folks out, as well. I know Lexington is right here, but Thomasville needs some love and so does the county, where most of our business comes from. I believe in the property itself and it being so centrally located, it benefits everybody. It something positive we can do for the county. You have to give something back.”
In his presentation, Mark Smith said the trail would have zero impact on water quality and that the largest cost would be a sand rock parking lot, which is currently estimated to be approximately $35,000. The parking lot would be accessible from Clodfelter Road.
Smith said the peninsula’s terrain fits perfectly with what a mountain bike trail should be.
“The elevation changes for mountain biking is pretty critical and this area has all that and plus it has the scenery of the lake — just a lot of different attributes to be looked at that, that this would be a great place to have it,” Smith said.
According to Smith, the maintenance of the trail would be covered through clean-ups from Keep Davidson County Beautiful, the Roadies and Dirties and Davidson County Parks and Recreation. The design of the trail would incorporate erosion control to avoid soil run-off into the lake.
Phelps used the example of the 1.1-mile walking trail at the lake that was completed a couple of years ago as evidence that users of the mountain bike trail would keep it clean.
“You go out (to the walking trail) now and you do not see a piece of trash anywhere on that trail,” Phelps said. “I know staff monitors that, but the folks that use it also take care of it. I’ve hiked it plenty of times in the two years or so it’s been in and not once do I see trash out there.”
The next step is to receive permission to build the trail from the Lake Thom-A-Lex Authority, which meets on Feb. 6.
Breeden, whose business also sponsored the Breeden Insurance Amphitheater, said he’s experienced first-hand how a public-private partnership can benefit residents.
He believes the same success can be achieved through the construction of the mountain bike trail.
“It’s been a perfect partnership with the City of Lexington in what we’ve done there and it’s been a positive impact,” Breeden said. ”... I’m hoping other people out there will feel the same and form these public-private partnerships. We don’t put a strain on the taxpayer, and we can take a lot of that burden off of them and give back.”
Ben Coley can be reached at (336) 249-3981, ext. 227 or at ben.coley@the-dispatch.com. Follow Ben on Twitter: @LexDispatchBC
By Ben Coley / The Dispatch
Posted Jan 16, 2019 at 8:45 PM
Mark Breeden, president of Breeden Insurance Services, and representatives from Roadies and Dirties Cycling Club, announced Wednesday evening a plan to build a five-to-six-mile mountain bike trail around Lake Thom-A-Lex’s approximately 110-acre peninsula.
Mark and Nicole Smith with Roadies and Dirties, Chris Phelps, director of the Tourism-Recreation Investment Partnership, and Breeden presented the idea to local officials including Lexington Mayor Newell Clark, Lexington City Manager Terra Greene, Thomasville City Manager Kelly Craver and Davidson County Commissioner Fred McClure.
The trail would loop around the perimeter of the peninsula and would be used by hikers, runners and mountain bikers in either direction. It was also presented as a possible tourist incentive for Old Homeplace Vineyard, which would be adjacent to the trail.
According to the plan, the Roadies and Dirties club would oversee the design and construction of the trail with zero costs to either municipality. Lake Thom-A-Lex, located on Yokley Road, is jointly owned by Lexington and Thomasville. The only cost would be continued maintenance of the trail for such things as a gate or security cameras.
“I felt like there are parts of the county that I had benefited from their patronage to our business,” said Breeden, explaining why he wants to help fund the trail. “I wanted to help those folks out, as well. I know Lexington is right here, but Thomasville needs some love and so does the county, where most of our business comes from. I believe in the property itself and it being so centrally located, it benefits everybody. It something positive we can do for the county. You have to give something back.”
In his presentation, Mark Smith said the trail would have zero impact on water quality and that the largest cost would be a sand rock parking lot, which is currently estimated to be approximately $35,000. The parking lot would be accessible from Clodfelter Road.
Smith said the peninsula’s terrain fits perfectly with what a mountain bike trail should be.
“The elevation changes for mountain biking is pretty critical and this area has all that and plus it has the scenery of the lake — just a lot of different attributes to be looked at that, that this would be a great place to have it,” Smith said.
According to Smith, the maintenance of the trail would be covered through clean-ups from Keep Davidson County Beautiful, the Roadies and Dirties and Davidson County Parks and Recreation. The design of the trail would incorporate erosion control to avoid soil run-off into the lake.
Phelps used the example of the 1.1-mile walking trail at the lake that was completed a couple of years ago as evidence that users of the mountain bike trail would keep it clean.
“You go out (to the walking trail) now and you do not see a piece of trash anywhere on that trail,” Phelps said. “I know staff monitors that, but the folks that use it also take care of it. I’ve hiked it plenty of times in the two years or so it’s been in and not once do I see trash out there.”
The next step is to receive permission to build the trail from the Lake Thom-A-Lex Authority, which meets on Feb. 6.
Breeden, whose business also sponsored the Breeden Insurance Amphitheater, said he’s experienced first-hand how a public-private partnership can benefit residents.
He believes the same success can be achieved through the construction of the mountain bike trail.
“It’s been a perfect partnership with the City of Lexington in what we’ve done there and it’s been a positive impact,” Breeden said. ”... I’m hoping other people out there will feel the same and form these public-private partnerships. We don’t put a strain on the taxpayer, and we can take a lot of that burden off of them and give back.”
Ben Coley can be reached at (336) 249-3981, ext. 227 or at ben.coley@the-dispatch.com. Follow Ben on Twitter: @LexDispatchBC