City of Farmington receives grant to secure 80 acres of land for mountain biking

FARMINGTON —The City of Farmington announced on Monday it received grant money to turn an 80-acre spot of land on the far north side of town into another mountain biking getaway.

Warren Unsicker, the City of Farmington’s Director of Economic Development, said the property is located near the intersection of Road 3800 and Colibri Place, just northwest of Farmington Lake. Unsicker also said the area, which he described as untouched “to a degree,” can be seen from over a hill on Foothills Drive.

“We are in the process of wanting to maximize that space, create that space people can utilize for mountain biking,” Unsicker said. “This (grant) will help us with the planning and overall design with this area… This will be something the city will be able to curate.”

The city was among nine recipients to receive $30,000 in Trail Accelerator grant money from the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

Unsicker said the city applied for and got approved for the grant money within the last few months, adding that experts from the IMBA will come in to help with the planning process.

Unsicker said acquiring the land is part of the city’s long-term goal of maximizing the city’s vision as an outdoor recreation destination.

Matt Hollinshead covers sports for the Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4577 and on Twitter at @MattH_717.

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