As we prepare for this Saturday’s on-site P&D Committee meeting, I wanted to present our closing statement from the report we submitted to P&D back in January.

The following text was provided to me by Mountain Bike Advocate and Hall of Fame Inductee Peter Webber of Colorado. Please share with your readers because I believe it accurately summarizes the question the City of Gloucester needs to answer. 

"When considering any park activity, there are certainly impacts that happen, but the question is, are those impacts acceptable, and are they reasonable and appropriate in relation to the big picture of the specific park and the Park Department’s mission and management policies. One reason the park exists is for recreation.There is an impact of providing recreation. It is appropriate.

"Recreational activities have an impact on the facility.This is clearly true of field sports like football and soccer, and even golf, which are played upon unsustainable grass fields which require weekly, or even daily, maintenance as long as they exist. Playgrounds, sand boxes, flower beds, swim beaches, and trails require repair and maintenance as long as they exist. An extreme example is swimming pools, which require maintenance literally 24/7.These maintenance and repair needs are clearly acceptable to the government and public – even though they cost a huge amount month after month.We understand it is necessary, and worth it.Then why is temporary impact to Stage Fort Park not reasonable and acceptable once a year? Who bears the maintenance costs for the sports fields?The participants or event organizers? For the above cases, no. In the case of cyclocross, the event organizers have taken ownership of the repairs to the park."

We respectfully ask that the City Council please let the tradition of world class cyclocross continue in Stage Fort Park.

Best Regards,

Paul Boudreau