Ranchos trail design prompts Bing Pit questions

The county’s next big trail project may answer questions about the future of the unfinished part of Drayton Boulevard but raise some about the future of the former Bing Pit.

The county has long sought a trail connecting the Gardnerville Ranchos to Gardnerville where Lampe Park and the Douglas County Community & Senior Center.

County commissioners approved a $75,000 contract with NCE Consulting Engineers for the preliminary design and feasibility study for a trail along Drayton from Dresslerville to the south end. The request appeared on commissioner’s consent agenda.

The trail would run from the old Bing Pit north to Dresslerville, according to a report included in Aug. 15 commission packet.

That’s the easy part of the trail, which is estimated to cost around $6 million. The stretch from Dresslerville to Waterloo Lane is complicated by having to cross the East Fork of the Carson River.

According to the county, the 10-foot paved trail would be nearly 10,000 feet long and would include a pedestrian bridge over the river, since Lutheran Bridge is barely wide enough for motor vehicles. The prospect of ending at Bing Pit prompted residents to provide public comment on the Pit’s future.

In July, Gardnerville Ranchos General Improvement District trustees toured the pit as they explored possibly purchasing it, Manager Greg Reed said.

“There are currently no plans on the future of the Bing pit property,” Reed said on Aug. 1. “There are a lot of what-if scenarios for that property, but nothing that has risen to any level above rumor.”