The City of McMinnville inviting residents to attend an in-person public session on Thursday to share feedback on potential improvements to the Bigbee River Trail.
Tourism Director Jordan Pupols said the city is hosting two public input sessions as part of the application process for a grant from the Recreational Trails Program. Pupols said if awarded the grant, the city plans to improve the trail and implement additional safety measures.
“It was volunteer-built several years ago, and it’s just in a position where it really needs professional assessment and improvement to not only make it as safe as it can be, but to really enhance it as the asset that it is to our community,” Pupols said.
Pupols said the city has worked with Bob Richards, who is known as the foremost trail builder in Tennessee, to put together a plan. Pupols said public input is greatly needed as it is an important factor in the city’s grant application.
“From the public, we’re not necessarily looking for direct input as far as what the trail and the park would look like from a technical perspective, but we do want to hear what their experience in those places has been before,” Pupols said. “What would you rate the quality as? Do you see these as beneficial improvements to our community? Would you be utilizing them? And community support is really the final requirement that we are going to need to secure these federal tax dollars.”
Pupols said the Bigbee River Trail is a mile long and is adjacent to the Baron Fork River. Pupols said trail improvements align with the city’s parks and rec master plan.
“The parks and rec master plan was approved in 2022, and one of the top priorities of that was to really expand our greenways and blueways within the city,” Pupols said. “The Bigbee River Trail is one of those greenways.”
Pupols said the state really wants to invest in mountain biking and cycling infrastructure. Pupols said the last part of the project would install a beginner mountain bike trail at Hobbs Park. Pupols said the city wants the community to have access to an active way of living.
The city will host an in-person session on Thursday, starting at 6pm at the Milner Recreation Center. A virtual session will be held on March 7 at 99:30am. Pupols said residents who wish to attend the virtual meeting can find a link on the city’s Facebook page.
