Thursday, October 1, 2026
A proposed mountain biking park at Marj Yung Park is another step closer to the construction stage after a conditional use permit was granted for the project.
City of Olympia Hearing Examiner Mark Scheibmeir approved the permit with a number of conditions in a decision released on Thursday, July 9.
In issuing the permit, Scheibmeir found the project complies with city regulations and will not have a adverse effect on the surrounding neighborhood.
The mountain biking park is going to be built at 2549 Black Lake Blvd. SW, a site formerly known as Kaiser Woods.
Among some of the conditions attached to the permit, the Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department must obtain necessary engineering approvals and complete cultural resource and historic preservation reviews.
The department must also establish tree protection measures, monitor trails within critical areas for three years, maintain at least 20 parking spaces and control noxious weeds.
In addition, the park can only operate from dawn to dusk. He also directed the city to install signage at Black Lake Boulevard and Park Drive to guide visitors to the main entrance and parking area.
Park plans call for 3.5 miles of new mountain biking and hiking trails, preservation of 1.9 miles of existing trails, two bicycle pump tracks and skills stations, a 25-space parking lot, a restroom and new access road from Black Lake Boulevard
The project has undergone years of planning and revisions since it was first presented in 2020. The formal permit application was submitted in June 2023.
Before reaching the hearing examiner, the proposal underwent four rounds of review and was revised to address concerns raised by nearby residents.
Revisions included creating a 150-foot buffer between trails and neighboring residential areas, acquiring additional property for a new entrance and parking lot along Black Lake Boulevard, redesigning trails to increase shared use by hikers and cyclists, and minimizing impacts to trees, wetlands and streams.
Scheibmeir said the final design preserves the parks department’s original vision for a mountain biking facility, while addressing neighborhood concerns and protecting environmentally sensitive areas.
During a June 22 public hearing, 11 speakers voiced support for the proposal, describing it as an opportunity to expand outdoor recreation, introduce young people to mountain biking in a controlled environment and connect with the existing regional trail system. Supporters also said local cycling organizations would help maintain trails and encourage responsible use of the facility.
Four other speakers expressed concerns about traffic, parking, environmental impacts, tree removal, and potential conflicts between cyclists and hikers. Several speakers also urged the city to discourage visitors from using Park Drive to access the park.
Environmental findings show the site contains about 24,000 trees, with 90 trees proposed for removal. Of those trees, 62 are dead or diseased, leaving fewer than 30 healthy trees slated for removal to construct the parking area.
Scheibmeir also found the project avoids direct impacts on three wetlands on the property, limits impacts to wetland buffers, and retains existing stream crossings to reduce disturbance to critical areas.
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olyhiker
There goes a great hiking area.
Saturday, July 11 Report this
peterpumpkinhead
I'm unfamiliar with this area, but if the proposal is based on bikes and hikers sharing trails, I foresee lots of conflict.
Saturday, July 11 Report this
BobJacobs
I'm so glad to see Marj Yung recognized. As a county commissioner, she was a strong advocate for improved government functioning.
Also glad to know that the city went to extreme lengths to recognize the interests of all parties.
It is reassuring that the mountain biking community has a good record of caring for the trails they use.
Bob Jacobs
Saturday, July 11 Report this
TheDevil
Its about damn time. Everyone associated with this project ought to be ashamed that it has taken as long as it has. Olympia has a large population of outdoor enthusiasts that it largely ignores. It owns over a 1000 acres, and of that 70 acres is going to Mt Bikers and we have to share with and dodge walkers with thier stupid dogs. Walkers and hikers have hundreds of miles of trails its b.s. that they get to walk through our park. Olympia is severely late getting around to building trails for bikes. Even backwater ultra conservative states like Arkansas have epic mountain bike parks. You'd think we'd have hundreds of trails and several parks but we don't. We got ten thousand miles of walking paths. Who ever runs oly parks needs to be fired and replaced with someone with creativity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to listen to the community who pays them.
Sunday, July 12 Report this
General
Why is Olympia spending public money to promote mountain biking? This is an elite sport that costs thousands of dollars to participate in, much more than even golf. It promotes soil erosion and silts up our streams and wetlands. People get injured and sue the land owner. Mountain bike lobbyists have been trying for years to get DNR to build them a park like this and DNR said no. What’s next, a publicly funded polo field?
Sunday, July 12 Report this
TheGreatAnon
TheDevil
Do you know about the extensive mountain bike trail network in the Capitol Forest? They half an hour away by car or even a modest bike ride away.
Also too, your comment makes you sound like a angry 12 year old on a Mountain Dew jag who knows some cuss words. Grow up.
Monday, July 13 Report this
ViaLocal
Wow, theDevil sure seems to think calling dogs stupid and being rude will build support of this park? I was all for it until I read all that anger and ugliness from the mountain biker community??
Monday, July 13 Report this