LITTLETON, Colo. — A makeshift bike park has turned into more than a summer pastime for kids in the TrailMark community, but now the future of their beloved park is in question.
"We started building these jumps, and it got a lot of people out of their house," 10-year-old Liam Visscher said.
The bike park is located next to TrailMark Park and it consists of dirt mounds that have been fashioned into ramps for riding a mountain bike, allowing neighborhood kids to proudly show off their best jumps.
A group of kids and parents gathered at the park Thursday morning after learning its future is in jeopardy. They received notice from the homeowner's association about plans to level the area and fence it in, citing safety risks. South Suburban Parks later clarified that there's no immediate plans to demolish the bike park.
"Why would you take away that fun from us? What are the reasons that you need to take it down?" 10-year-old Noah Reeves said.
A spokesperson for South Suburban Parks and Recreation said the department has known about the bike park since the spring of 2021 but recently became aware that the park was expanded.
"We just learned about this and want to make sure that everyone using our park is safe," said Becky Grubb, Communication Manager for South Suburban Parks and Recreation.
Grubb added that the parks and recreation department plans on hosting a public meeting with the neighborhood sometime in the next couple of weeks. She said a date has not been set yet.
"South Suburban’s next steps in regards to TrailMark Park are just to meet with the community and find out really what they want and how we can work together," said Grubb.
Parents and kids said they were shocked by the news. Now, they're wondering if there's anything they can do to save the park.
“In the summer, South Suburban actually did put a notice up saying that they wanted the kids to stop digging in the bike park. And when I reached out to the park ranger that left the note, he told us if the kids stop digging, they would leave the bike park alone. And actually, if they wanted to, they could add dirt to it," said Deahna Visscher, a parent.
