Background:
The City of Sugar Land (City) parks system includes hundreds of acres of undeveloped land. Many of the areas, including along the Brazos River and Oyster Creek, are difficult to access for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. Before the original license agreement with the Fort Bend Mountain Bike Association (FBMBA) was approved in 2019, off-road bicyclists discovered some of these areas and started developing and riding trails in a number of locations—sometimes resulting in Parks staff receiving inquiries from residents who lived near areas where some of the unapproved trail work was being done. With that, resident concerns, as well as those of the Parks Department, spurred dialogue between Parks staff and bicyclists regarding the activities that were occurring on City park land.
The 2018 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan identifies nature/natural surface trails as a high priority based on the desires of citizens as expressed in the survey data compiled as part of the community input process. It is important to note that bike riding is not prohibited in the parks, and cycling is a great exercise. Therefore, the Department is not opposed to the riding and work of cyclists. However, the City needs to be aware of what is happening to ensure conditions are safe in the parks and that neighboring homeowners are not negatively impacted.
Accordingly, in 2019, it was determined that the cyclists should form a recognized and organized group that could work with the Parks Department for development and maintenance of a recognized trails system. As such, the bicyclists formed the FBMBA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit under the umbrella of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). FBMBA elected a Chair and Vice Chair, who were, and are, the spokespersons and liaisons to the City. The City's Legal Department drafted a License Agreement between FBMBA and the City for the development and maintenance of the trails, and the City’s Risk Manager provided insurance requirements for the organization. The PARCS Board voted to recommend the original license agreement to City Council on November 12th, 2019. The agreement was then approved at City Council in December of 2019 and went into effect. The original license agreement is set to expire on or around December 18th, 2024.
New Agreement Update:
The City and FBMBA would like to enter into a second License Agreement to continue to enhance and develop the City's single-track mountain bike trails. This new agreement builds upon the original 2019 agreement. The success of the initial partnership led to the expansion of FBMBA’s efforts and responsibilities. FBMBA will continue to maintain existing trails, including the Brazos River Park Trail, Brazos River Park Connector Trail, Brindley Trail, River Park Trails, and Oyster Creek Bike Trail. The agreement also covers potential future developments such as the Brazos River West End Trail, ensuring a framework for the development, maintenance, and restoration of new trails.
FBMBA has been a very successful partner to the City under the original agreement. In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, FBMBA volunteers put in over 2,000 volunteer hours. They successfully made repairs to the trails along the Brazos River from the river rising back in February, assisted with the Velosolution Pump Track World Qualifying Race in June, assisted with the recent Hurricane trail repair efforts, participated in multiple races this year alone including the 3rd Annual Sugar Land Classic Race back in May, and performed weekly trail maintenance and quarterly inspections of all the approved mountain bike trails. The success of the original agreement allows for hundreds of mountain bike riders a year to ride on over 15 miles of mountain bike trails in the City’s park system.
Both the City and FBMBA will work closely to ensure trails remain safe, enjoyable, and sustainable for all users. The agreement provides a five-year term with the option for five one-year extensions, subject to approval by the City Council. City staff presented this agreement to PARCS board on 10/8/24, and the board voted to approve staff's recommendation to City Council.
City staff recommends the approval of a second License Agreement between Fort Bend Mountain Bike Association and the City of Sugar Land for the continued use, enhancement, and development of the City's single-track mountain bike trails in Sugar Land.