Could baseball stadium ground BMXers?

View larger image Ponton Cary, 16, of Winchester, flies through the air on his bike at the Lester P. Singhass BMX Track. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image Nigel Hopkinson, of Fairfax, focuses on the track as he rounds the turn Saturday at the Lester P. Singhass BMX Track in Winchester. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image The Lester P. Singhass BMX Track is seen at Jim Barnett Park in Winchester. Andrew Thayer/Daily

Some riders, fans worry about being displaced; others staying positive

By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER -- BMX fans could lose their track if the city builds a baseball stadium on the proposed site in Jim Barnett Park.

Some BMX riders and fans worry a stadium may push them out while others in the community remain optimistic even if it means moving the track elsewhere in the park.

City officials announced Jan. 23 a proposal by the Winchester Economic Development Authority to build a baseball stadium for a minor league team in the northeast area of the park on 12 acres occupied in part by the BMX track.

City resident Jim Culp recalled that his son, Carlin, sounded "very upset" when the news broke that the city may try to build a stadium on the site of the Lester P. Singhass BMX Track. Carlin Culp, 21, began riding BMX bicycles at age 6, his father said.

"Nobody mentioned what they would do if they would replace the track someplace else or whether they would just take the ground and we'd be left cold after spending all those thousands of dollars," Jim Culp said.

BMX aficionado Jeff Ketron credits baseball in the park for drawing his son, Jeff, into BMX racing. His son, now 9, who goes by "J Dub," found the track on the way to a baseball game, he said.

"We had no clue what was going on," Ketron recalled. "Just kinda blindly went over and started riding it and, the next thing you know, well, this year, we won a national championship."

Ketron said he sees a stadium as a positive move for the city that also would bring more attention to BMX racing. Ketron also lauded the parks and recreation department for working with the BMX community and said he thinks the agency would continue to do so if they need to relocate the track.

Brad Veach, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, and Winchester BMX club representatives have discussed alternative sites in the event the city builds a stadium as proposed. Options would include land both in and outside the park, although the club wants to stay at Jim Barnett, Veach said.

"So I don't have a specific site nailed down but I know that [club representatives were] pleased to know that we were open to other areas of the park," Veach said.

The BMX track occupies about two acres, according to Veach. The track runs nearly 1,300 linear feet in length, which exceeds the nationally recommended span of 900 to 1,200 feet, Veach said. The club has in recently years looked at redesigning the track, according to Veach. Also the parks and recreation department has discussed "wholesale changes for that area of the park," including improvements around the track, Veach said.

"If we do move forward with this and we are looking to move the track, obviously the user group, Winchester BMX, would be very involved in making recommendations on what it would look like and how it would be designed," Veach said.

Winchester BMX track operator Ben Cary lauded Veach and his department for working with the group over the years. Cary expressed optimism that the city would do so again as discussions about a possible stadium continue.

The city plans to hold a meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. in the War Memorial Building with groups of users possibly affected by the potential construction of a minor league baseball stadium in the park. This meeting is not a public forum. The city has invited the public to ask questions and make comments at an open house in the War Memorial Building social hall on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.