HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/6/2021 Item 4b, Furtado
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Donovan Furtado <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Costco Jumps Replacement
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Dear Parks & Rec Commission,
Please accelerate the development of city provided dirt jump parks and a pump track to replace the recent destruction
of the Costco Jumps. This new, or addition to a city park must be in an area that is centrally located, easily accessible by
kids via bike, and along designated safe cycling routes already in use to travel between schools and across town. The
acceptable locations include Laguna Lake Park & near Sinsheimer Park along the Railroad Safety trail.
The dirt jumps at Costco while unauthorized, became a valued community resource over their decade-plus existence. I
used them, my friends used them, and they were always in use while I or my family shopped at Costco. The news that
they were torn down devastated me, my friends, everybody in bike clubs and teams such as Cal Poly Cycling and the SLO
Scoters, and the SLO mountain bike community as a whole. Jumps like these promote a healthy lifestyle for riders of all
ages and abilities, build skills, teach responsibility with their use & maintenance, and promote community bonds via
easy equitable access. There are many cities with jump parks that SLO can use as a guide. Just to name a few: Truckee
Bike Park, Sedona Bike Skills Park, Bijou at South Lake Tahoe, Snakes Hollow in St. George Ut, Valmont in Boulder CO. All
are incredible and offer a range of beginner, intermediate, and expert features accessible and challenging to all abilities.
As previously stated, location and ease of access is key. Laguna and near Sinsheimer would promote healthy lifestyle
choices as well as be the most environmentally acceptable locations. A bike park should be located where kids are
already riding and not require a drive by car. Sedona & St George’s bike parks are located directly adjacent to their
middle schools and thus receive massive use. Costco jumps were there for all to see and thus also received steady &
continuous use. They were also set up in a prime location to be built. Having an area with hills is essential to building
these kinds of jumps because the hills provide enough speed and create natural templates for larger jumps like the step-
ups that were at Costco.
The Costco Jumps were my very first introduction to riding in SLO when I moved here a little over 4 years ago. I
personally can't imagine what the riding here will be like now that they are gone and we have next to no proper
alternatives. I implore you to please allow us to build a new set of jumps in a similar area to what was described above.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, Donovan Furtado
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