Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, in collusion with the King County’s natural lands program project manager David Kimmett, have taken it upon themselves to remake Big Finn Hill Park in their own image, in spite of the many voices of protest from the local community.

I must certainly give the bike alliance a hand for their ability to motivate their base of support and motivating their members into action; however, the bike alliance’s and King County’s inability to hear the voices of the people whose lives and neighborhood these changes most directly affect, is greatly disturbing to myself and nearly everyone in my community.

Every time that we have expressed concerns about the changes to the park, we have been told that we are being rude and that this is essentially a done deal. At no time do I, or the majority of my neighbors, feel that we have had a meaningful voice in this process.

I recently received a forwarded email from the “committee” saying that “users other than the riders are fragmented and unlikely to come together under any circumstances.” That just makes me mad. You have poked the bear and stirred up a hornet’s nest in the process.

If the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and King County had truly attempted to work with us, I am sure we could have reached a compromise, but there has been no attempt at diplomacy on their part. From everything that I have seen and heard, the changes to this park are a foregone conclusion and the local residents’ opposition is a minor inconvenience to be swept under the rug and ignored. When the desires of a small special interest group completely railroad the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the local community, I worry for our democracy.

Since they have decided to exclude us from the process, we are now circulating a petition to have bicycles banned from the park. Got your attention now? Can you hear me now?

This petition will be filed, unless the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance stops making “improvements” to our park.

We have never had a problem with sharing this beautiful park with bicyclists, or any other visitors. This is a very friendly and tolerant community. Our tolerance, however, is at an end.

Sean Cash, Kirkland