| | Published April 29th, 2009
| Design Approved for Bike Park
| | By Cathy Tyson |  | | Lafayette Bike Park Layout provided
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The final design plan of the Lafayette Bike Park was recently approved by the Parks, Trails and Recreation Commission, so if everything moves ahead according to plan, bikers could be enjoying it as early as this August.
A contractor is expected to do some initial grading work to prepare the site at the Community Park in June. Following that, it's up to a presumably youthful volunteer crew to complete final jump building for the park, with an anticipated completion date of late summer.
Featuring beginning, intermediate and advanced jumps and a special pump track for younger riders near the entrance, input from bike enthusiasts was an important part of the design development. The final addition to the plan was a downhill slalom track, where two riders can race at the same time; clearly the designer was paying attention to the requests of the Park's user group.
"The designer, (Nat Lopes of Hilride) has produced a lot of these types of parks before, so the process has gone smoothly," said Recreation Coordinator Jonathan "Ace" Katayanagi. "Initially there were three flat levels, but Hilride had a different vision - that they could work with the natural contours of the slope, maintaining the look of the hillside." Via a series of stakeholder meeting bike enthusiasts as well as the general public were asked to submit suggestions regarding what they would desire in a bike park.
The only bump in the road has been neighborhood concern over a four foot fence surrounding the park. Katanyangi said it has two purposes - to provide a boundary and to separate the bicyclists from the spectators.
For potentially unemployed youth this summer, there will be plenty of jobs for jump construction associates, no experience necessary. For more information on the park or volunteering or making a donation, go to www.lafayettebikepark.com.
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 | | Site for the new Bike Park
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA