Demolition of dirt jump park on hold

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

A petition to save an unofficial dirt jump park in Oshawa has now reached more than 6,000 signatures.

The petition, started by Steven Lind on change.org, is requesting the City of Oshawa stop the impending demolition of Greenland Dirt Jumps, and to provide evidence it’s necessary to do so.

According to Lind, the dirt jumps have been there for more than a decade, and are modelled after professionally built public bike parks.

“Some of the people who started building the jumps still ride and maintain them for everyone to use today,” he says.

He notes other than a single complaint about garbage, there’s been no complaints from the public regarding the park.

“Many people from other regions [and] municipalities visit to take advantage of the great riding opportunity rarely found freely accessible to the public,” he writes. “Many kids that live in the area are also able to take advantage of the close proximity to different residential neighbourhoods without the need for a drive from their parents.”

Lind writes he recently attended a meeting with city staff regarding Greenland Dirt Jumps.

“We took the time to discuss a variety of considerations, primarily public safety and risk management,” he says.

Speaking in front of senior staff, Lind says he was able to provide staff with the contact information for professional consultants, a summary of considerations for public safety and risk management, and photographs showing the design of the park.

His hope is that these details will provide city staff with a better understanding about the “practicality” of a sanctioned bike park in Oshawa.

“With bike parks in other regions of Ontario proving an ability for municipalities to adapt to the growing need for non-traditional sport infrastructure – their innovative leadership gives us examples of the challenges they found ways to overcome,” he writes.

Lind also notes he’s received support from Ward 2 City and Regional Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, as the Greenland Dirt Jumps can be found in his ward.

“I am hopeful that with over 5,600-plus petition signatures, a loud public outcry, and the support from Tito-Dante that the City of Oshawa will allow community engagement with a public meeting to better assess the interest in a bike park,” says Lind.

For now the demolition of the jumps has been put on hold, but there are still gates with signs reading “No Trespassing” and “Danger Restricted Area.”

To date, the petition has received 6,130 signatures, with a goal of 7,500.

For those interested in finding out more or signing the petition, they can visit https://www.change.org/p/the-city-of-oshawa-help-save-the-greenland-dirt-jumps?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_24817237_en-CA%3A3&recruiter=947501340&recruited_by_id=2bf039f0-57bd-11e9-ba31-c520a4d0b796&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi.