WINDHAM – Kam Berry and Ben Dionne, two Windham High Schools students who enjoy riding their bikes, are hoping to bring a BMX park to Windham.

With the help of Parks and Recreation Director Brian Ross, the two teens broached the idea to the Windham Town Council last week, which seemed receptive if the two can come up with detailed design plans and provide for ongoing maintenance.

The track, if approved, would be located behind the Windham Skate Park on Route 202 near the Windham Public Safety Building. A community garden, which stalled last season, is also planned on the southern end of the property. The skate park attendant, Ross said, would also be in charge of monitoring the BMX track.

“Our plan for the park is to have three different tracks of three different ability levels so that all kids could go there, from younger kids to kids that want to go to more extreme jumps,” said Berry.

Berry also said the location near the police and fire station “would make parents comfortable knowing where their kids are.”

Berry said BMXers in Windham, similar to skateboarders before a skate park was built, are now using storefronts and parking lots in North Windham, and by installing a BMX Park, interaction with drivers, customers and store personnel could be averted.

“We like to ride anywhere we can find, but store managers like to kick us off the places saying they don’t want us riding there, because they don’t want us getting hurt on their properties,” Dionne said. “And it’s going to be close to the school so we can ride our bikes there right after school. And that’ll get us out of trouble so we don’t get in trouble with the police.”

Councilor John MacKinnon asked about the proposed 6-foot high chain-link fence estimated to cost $11,000, which Ross explained would help to close the facility off during non-operating hours. He also said it would help separate the skate park and BMX park.

Councilor Tommy Gleason, who says he supports the proposal of a BMX park, said the fence would cost too much money. He also asked whether there’d be a need for another park elsewhere in Windham at some future time. Currently, there are several bike parks in Maine, the closest of which are in Brunswick and Portland.

Berry said he didn’t think the town would need another park.

“I think this would pretty much cover it,” he said. “Parents will be able to give kids rides there and especially because of the school, kids will bike to school quite a bit, so they could do this right after school. This would be a safe activity to do after school.”

Councilor Peter Busque, who owns several gravel pits in the area, agreed to donate the materials and labor that would be required to create the dirt track. After the meeting, Busque said of the project, “There ain’t nothing to it.”

Maintenance of the track, which could dry out during hot, dry weather and erode in wet weather, would likely be the responsibility a volunteer group, which would need access to water to wet down a dusty track. Ross said a water hose could extend from the public safety building in those circumstances.

The owner of EquipME bike shop in North Windham, Kevin Osgood, volunteered to lead work groups consisting of the kids who would use the track. DARE police Officer Matt Cyr also said volunteers could come from high school students who are required to do community service to graduate.

Concerning maintenance, Mike Gilheany, cycling club advisor at the Windham High School, said he would help design a track that, if built right, would need little maintenance.

“Anybody can put a pile of dirt together and make a jump, but if you do it properly, it’ll actually sustain itself easier with less maintenance. The two biggest things are water and proper drainage,” he said.

Council Chairman Scott Hayman said he is “totally 100 percent behind this” and said the teens should come back to the council with a more specific plan of the park’s layout, a maintenance plan, how the park would be funded and whether a club could be established to take care of the park.