BMX bikers have built an extensive network of berms and jumps in a conservation area in North Burnaby. Photo by Jason Vawter/Submitted
The City of Burnaby is estimating it will cost $170,000 to dismantle an unauthorized bike park and remediate the 鈥渟ensitive鈥� conservation area where it hid for years.
A BMX track known as Kush Woods grew over 25 years, as riders built jumps, berms and even a large dirt bowl in the wooded Capitol Hill Conservation Area in North Burnaby, BMXer Chester Jones told the NOW in July.
Jones said he helped build Kush Woods into the largest BMX park in Canada, the centre of the local riding community and an internationally renowned destination attracting X Games athletes.
But all that happened without the city鈥檚 knowledge or consent, and, soon after an employee stumbled across the track earlier this year, the municipality began making plans to remove it.
The remediation of the site will include removing 124 features, tarps, wood, tools, 24 water drums and 鈥� 鈥渙f particular concern鈥� 鈥� steel drums containing a potential environmental hazard.
The city says four steel drums were labeled 鈥淕enyk Thermal Green Resin鈥� 鈥� a spray-on building insulator that contains tris phosphate (TCPP), a compound regulated by the B.C. Contaminated Sites Regulation. The company contracted to remediate the site found TCPP in 鈥減ossible concentrations above standards鈥� in eight soil samples, according to the city report.
The company also found hazardous trees and invasive plants that will need to be removed, according to the report.
The city says the $170,000 remediation will be covered by its existing parks budget.
Burnaby has also hired a consultant to study potentially building a new BMX track near the existing Mountain Air Bike Park at the base of Burnaby Mountain. The city says it鈥檚 hoping to work with the local BMX community to 鈥渕odernize and upgrade the park to attract riders of all ages and abilities.鈥�
In July, Jones said Kush Woods was a world-class BMX track catering to advanced riders. Other public facilities do not provide the challenging ride experienced bikers want, he said.
Reached by phone this week, Jones said he was unaware of the city鈥檚 latest plans.
鈥淚 don't know what's going on because they don't talk to us,鈥� he said.
Jones said he had not seen the new city report. When shown a copy by the NOW, he said he saw 鈥渟ome crazy figures鈥� before declining to comment further.
鈥淭o be honest, I have too many emotions to think straight right now,鈥� he said.
