Belvoir Ranch plans reviewed as trails set to open this summer
CHEYENNE — The Cheyenne City Council received an update on the Belvoir Ranch master plan Friday, including details about recreational trail access opening this summer and potential for more developments in the future.
Currently, recreational access is set to open this summer on the northern side of the city-owned ranch, which includes a 17-mile trail system. The city is still trying to figure out ways to get trail access south of the Union Pacific rail line that runs through the property.
Options include building a bridge over the rail line, which is more expensive, or an underpass beneath the railroad, which is more cost-effective but more difficult to negotiate with Union Pacific.
'The current effort, which I understand, is not with the bridge, but rather is with the underpass,' said council member Pete Laybourn. 'So I think that is a very important part of this effort. In fact, I think to a lot of people like me, probably the most important aspect of how we reach the Big Hole, and all the really, very high-quality recreation is there.'
The original master plan completion date was scheduled for summer 2024, but that was postponed to refine implementation measures. It was largely complete by September, but green property availability and possible scope refinement pushed that to December.
The master plan update was presented by AVI Senior Planner Mark Christensen. He presented how the plan has evolved from the original 2008 master plan and what things may look like going forward.
Some things from the original plan are set to move forward, like missile site monument signage, gated entry and wildlife viewing. Other things from the original plan, like equestrian trailheads, however, are no longer in the updated master plan.
Challenges other than the railroad for recreational access also include cellular reception and funding opportunities. Christensen added that it will be important to take inventory of plants and wildlife to understand how future trail construction may impact the area.
When asked about trail maintenance, Christensen said the city would likely have to rely on some volunteers at first, but it is something the city should consider more going forward.
He said grazing will still be important for wildlife control, and the city is considering creating campsites, which will likely be primitive and not suitable for recreational vehicles.
Notable historical assets in the area include old Atlas missile silos, teepee rings, indigenous artifacts, homestead locations and a famous outlaw cabin.
Christensen said it was expensive to fully restore the missile silos and said the plan indicates the city should just look at including light interpretive signage, which is less expensive.
He said it will be important to find ways to deter vandalism at these sites and implement safety measures at the missile silos.
Council member Mark Moody asked about the potential negative impacts to hunting management.
'We're really thinking about the potential for conflicting uses,' Christensen said. 'So if I'm riding my mountain bike down the trail and scare away a deer that a guy's archery hunting for, that's the sort of conflict that we're seeking to manage. So, I think we have recommendations of ensuring that trail use doesn't interfere with the hunting season and those sorts of things. So it's kind of kind of more of a policy directive that we need to have, a policy to address these potential conflicts.'
The east side of the ranch, which has access to the interstate and is closer to Cheyenne, is currently undeveloped. Christensen said there is opportunity to leverage this asset into more developments, though it is unclear what that may look like at this time.
He said the area needs infrastructure development and the city should pursue ways to have that be developer-funded for things like large water lines.
'I think a lot of times, when something new is potentially looking at locating in the city, something exciting can happen. We tend to think maybe we could put it on the Belvoir,'' Christensen said.
He said it is important to consider if the development meets characteristics of the area, including factors like the impact on the land and the duration of use.
The natural and recreation area is more on the west side, and in the middle is mostly energy and resource opportunities.
In the original 2008 plan, wind turbines were set to be placed along ridge lines. As that came to fruition, they were places in different areas than originally anticipated. Christensen said it is important to delineate where those and other energy developments will be placed going forward.
He said there are other resource and development opportunities, including potential solar development on the future landfill site.
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