4-25-13 group asks fdl council to allow bmx bikes at skateboard park

A Fond du lac Moraine Park Technical College student and BMX enthusiast is leading an effort to allow BMX bikes in the skate park at Adelaide Park. Ryan Rochwite submitted a petition with over 500 signatures at Wednesday night’s city council meeting asking for an ordinance change to allow BMX bikes in the skate park. "I want the city council to allow us to share the skatepark," Rochwite said. Assistant Police Chief Steve Klein says he’s concerned about the proposal…citing safety risks and physical confrontations between skateboarders and bikers in the past. "Our experience from the past is that they don't seem to get along. I don't know if that's because the intent of the skateboard park was to be a skateboard park? You have skateboard enthusiasts that still use the park," Klein said. "They get concerned when they have bicycles riding within the skateboard park." But Rochwite says BMX riders and skateboarders can co-exist at the park. "Since they co-exist in 30,000 skateparks in America I don't see why this one would be an issue." Rochwite adds that he has been to the skatepark "since day one" and says a lot of the disagreements have occured between skateboarders and frisbee golfers. Councilmember LeeAnn Lorrigan says she likes the idea. "There is a lot of support and in just seeing the youth taking the initiative to step up, take leadership, take an active role, I just don't want to dismiss that," Lorrigan said. The city council voted to refer the matter to the Advisory Park Board to come back with a recommendation