Mill Valley's young riders lose two bike jumps in short succession

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Today's newsletter: We cover the loss of two informal bike jump sites used by Mill Valley kids for decades, the Boyle Park master plan heading to a council vote, and an interactive tool to explore the plan's priorities and costs. This Briefing is about 1,662 words, a 7-minute read.

- Written and edited by Franz Strasser-Galvis

For years, kids in Mill Valley had two informal places to ride bikes: beginner jumps at Edna Maguire Elementary and the more advanced Scott Valley jump trail on county land near Lower Drive. Both are gone now. One removed by the school district for safety reasons, the other by Marin County following safety incidents, fire concerns and escalating complaints from nearby homeowners.

Local riders built the Scott Valley jumps in 1998 on county-owned land, according to Patrick Linehan, a Mill Valley parent organizing around the issue. In late April, Marin County demolished them. The county gave the riding community no advance notice.

At a recent Mill Valley City Council meeting, a fourth grader said what was on many kids' minds.

"Me and my friends need a place to go that's not on the street," he said.

What happened: The Scott Valley jumps existed for more than 25 years without formal sanction, according to Linehan. Rangers, deputies and county staff visited the site over the years without taking formal action.

That changed last fall. Brush-clearing work by the County in the Firewise-certified Scott Valley neighborhood removed vegetation that had screened the jumps from adjacent homes. Nearby homeowners began reporting noise, late-evening riding, cigarette and marijuana smoke and loss of privacy. They also raised fire safety concerns, citing evidence of small campfires. The HOA cited at least two incidents involving injuries requiring emergency medical care, including one in December 2025.

In October 2025, county representatives met with affected residents and agreed the jumps should be decommissioned, according to the HOA. Staff promised to install a barrier as a short-term measure. According to the HOA, the barrier was never installed.

On February 8, the Scott Valley Homeowners Association formally wrote to county officials asking for action.

"The Scott Valley HOA's objective is constructive," Vice President Francine Millman wrote. "We want children to have safe, legal places to ride while restoring privacy and security to homeowners who are currently bearing the burden of an unauthorized recreational facility in their backyards."

In written responses to Mill Valley Briefing, Millman said demolition was not the HOA's stated goal. "Had this been a legal and properly approved location," she wrote, "the conversation may have unfolded very differently."

In April, a resident filed an incident report with Marin County Parks. According to Millman, the report described a rider standing on a secluded path directly behind their home who left when the resident appeared, and a separate incident in which a rider told another neighbor they knew their home address. The filing resident noted the rider had done nothing wrong, but wanted the county to be aware of the pattern. The HOA cited both incidents as evidence of escalating concerns.

The county's decision: County administrators authorized the removal under delegated administrative authority, without a Board of Supervisors vote. According to Laine J. Hendricks, Marin County's director of countywide communications, a county site review confirmed safety concerns including the height and configuration of the jumps and the absence of engineering or maintenance oversight.

"Operational land management actions of this nature do not require approval by the Board of Supervisors," Hendricks told the Briefing. Because the removal involved unauthorized structures rather than a new project or policy change, no formal public notice or stakeholder consultation was required, Hendricks said. County staff did notify the City of Mill Valley's Parks and Recreation department and City Manager's office, as well as adjacent neighbors and the HOA, before the demolition.

Linehan said rumors had circulated since February. Few in the riding community expected demolition without a public process or transition plan.

Two facilities, no replacement: The Mill Valley School District had separately removed informal beginner jumps at Edna Maguire Elementary. Julio Arroyo, MVSD's director of maintenance, operations and safety, confirmed the removal to the Briefing. "These were informal and, for safety reasons, have been removed," he wrote. "This area is not designated for bike jumps or recreational use."

Why Boyle Park isn't the answer: The community had been working toward a sanctioned replacement since at least 2018. Last fall, Dylan Bailey, a licensed landscape architect and pump track designer with Parametrix, assessed Boyle Park and concluded it could not accommodate a multi-skill-level facility. The available space topped out at roughly 4,600 square feet. Bailey concluded that an all-ages community track requires at minimum 10,000 square feet. Existing redwoods, a creek, a sewer access point, and circulation constraints made a larger footprint impossible.

The Boyle Park Master Plan, finalized this spring, lists 13 priority areas. A bike facility is not among them.

What the city is doing: The city is developing a request for proposals for a feasibility study to find a suitable location elsewhere in Mill Valley. City Manager Todd Cusimano, speaking at the April 20 City Council meeting, suggested an alternative to simplify things: have city staff identify potential locations directly and spend money only if environmental review is required. Arts and Recreation Director Ashley Howe called the pump track her top priority project.

What's next: Linehan said the County Executive's Office and County Parks staff have expressed interest in helping displaced riders. "I'm doing my best to help channel this unfortunate situation into something positive and collaborative," he said.

The Scott Valley HOA said it has reached out to the Mill Valley Pump Track Alliance and supports the replacement effort. "We would love to see a legitimate facility become a reality sooner rather than later," Millman wrote.

At Tam Bikes on Miller Avenue, a poster has gone up where kids have been writing about what the jumps meant to them. At the April 20 City Council meeting, a group of fourth graders delivered a petition with 78 signatures.

Patrick Linehan addressed the County Board of Supervisors on May 5. He described being interviewed by fifth graders for the Park Elementary School newspaper. One asked if he was mad.

"I'm not mad," he said. "I'm sad. And it's okay to be sad sometimes. I told them I went for a bike ride, and that made me feel better. That's exactly the point. These places help kids regulate their emotions, connect and feel better."

📨 Know someone who is interested in the debate around a bike pump track? Forward this to them.

It’s the final step in a process that began with a working group in 2023, involved two community workshops, three design alternatives and four Parks and Recreation Commission meetings before a unanimous commission vote last month.

The plan organizes improvements into 13 priority areas, estimated at $8.6 million to $10.7 million in total. The largest items are a new children's play area ($2 million to $4 million), restroom replacements ($1.95 million) and pathway and circulation work ($1.95 million to $2.05 million).

The top two priorities focus on what every park visitor encounters. Priority 1 covers pathways and circulation: a new pedestrian spine from Buena Vista to Blithedale Avenue, repaved paths for ADA compliance, a bridge replacement over Warner Creek, additional lighting and a new stairway to Buena Vista Avenue. Priority 2 is restrooms: a prefabricated four-stall ADA-compliant replacement near the main entrance and a separate replacement at the athletic field.

Tennis court improvements follow at Priority 3, picnic area upgrades at Priority 4, the children's play area at Priority 5 and athletic field drainage and grading at Priority 6. Warner Creek restoration sits at Priority 9 with costs still to be determined. There are dozens more in the draft, including a creek overlook deck at Priority 13.

Monday's vote adopts the plan. It does not authorize or fund any construction. Staff have already submitted the first Boyle Park projects for the city's 2026/27 capital budget. Everything else depends on future budget decisions, grants, Measure L infrastructure funds and community fundraising.

📚 Author Talk: Portia Elan with Michael David Lukas — Join local author Portia Elan at 6:30pm in the Library’s Creekside Room as she discusses her debut novel, Homebound, with National Book Award finalist Michael David Lukas. Registration is required for this free event at millvalleylibrary.org.