HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/6/2021 Item 4b, Bull
Delgado, Adriana
From:Katie Bull <kebull@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, AM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Parks & Recreation Commission
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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 kids used them, and they were always in use
while I pumped gas at Costco. 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. For this reason, the suggestion to put a facility out
by the sewer treatment plant should be a non-starter. There is no safe way for a kid to ride
their bike to that part of town and the fact that a car ride is required to use a bike skills
facility should give us all pause as we work towards our 2030 climate action goals.
Additionally putting a bike facility whose primary users will be children near the sewer
treatment plant as a homeless encampment deterrent is in poor taste and poorly thought
out. Kids should never be used in this way.
Sincerely,
Katie Bull
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