HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/4/2019 Item 2, Riley
Wilbanks, Megan
From:MaryAnn Riley <maryann.riley@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday,
To:Advisory Bodies; Stanwyck, Shelly
Cc:Riley, Tim; Mary Ann Riley; Tyler Riley; Bryce Riley
Subject:Park Support- Bike Park Element- Parks and Recreation Commission
Our family is in full support of a bike park at Laguna Lake Park! Laguna Lake Park has been under utilized and appears to
have ample space to build a bike park with pump track elements. There are a variety of walking and biking trails in the
park that would allow users and their companions to participate in a variety of activities during or after using the bike
park. For us, it would be ideal to use the bike park, engage with others in our community and then go for an easy bike
loop or a more difficult ride up Cerro San Luis. Our community values open space trails and biking is a big part of our
culture.
The beauty of going to Morro Bay Bike Park and South Lake Tahoe Bike Park is watching people from 3 years of age on
the small pump track to people in their 70's all engaging and enjoying the same resource at the same time. As you wait
your turn or get ready to go down a route, you talk to individuals and engage with other members in our community. A
bike park could be used as a staging area for events, bike education, and possibly bike demos. For us the downside to
the Morro Bay Bike Park is it is small and we have to drive there and back, and if we want to do more path or trail biking,
we have to go to another location. We are mindful of climate change and reducing vehicle trips when possible, having a
Bike Park in the City limits would allow users to ride to the site vs drive.
Laguna Middle School has 808 students, I have spoken to parents and administrators at the school and it becomes a
challenge for our youth to participate in youth sports after 6th grade. Many of the kids age out of AYSO soccer, YMCA
basketball, and other sports as they reach middle school. There is only one team per sport and many of these kids do
not have an activity they are engage in. The proximity of the middle school to Laguna Lake Park would provide easy
access for individuals to use the park. Speaking to parents with middle schoolers, their kids do not play at each others
homes. They play video games online with each other, they text or snap chat each other. When you are engaged in an
outdoor activity or biking, this is not the case. Biking can be an individual or shared experience while doing something
healthy for your mind and body.
Any additional bike routes or paths to and from schools to parks would allow for greater access and accessibility.
I urge the City to consider implementing a bike park and look at what the City of South Lake Tahoe has recently
accomplished at Bijou Park. It is a well designed and thought out park which provides a variety of levels and styles of
riding for children's strider bikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes and more.
http://bijoubikepark.org/our-story/
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We thank you for your consideration,
Tim, Mary Ann, Tyler (11), and Bryce (9) Riley
1120 Vista del Lago, SLO
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