I receive this letter from Lisa Erdman, whose trampoline apparently prompted the trampoline ban ordinance.
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To: Steve Koczela
From: Lisa Erdman
Date: 8/3/07It my trampoline that is in question, so I feel it is very important to respond to the ridiculous level this issue has come to.
My neighbor whom has an issue with the trampoline never spoke to me about the concerns prior to the offical notice from the village of Shorewood. We have no prior negative history. It offends me that this issue could not have been dealt with between the two of us. I still extend the offer to her to call me if the children are to noisey in the yard and she is trying "to nap in the afternoon."
You are correct the issue at hand is not a safey issue. The trampoline has a net around, is 3 feet from the fence, and 3 feet from there house. Our insurance automatically covered the trampoline under play ground equiptment, the same as a swing set. It is a fact that if trampolines damage other peoples property and many claims are made insurance would exclude or charge more for covering them.
At the last board meeting the argument was that the 18 foot trampoline could blow over and damage our neighbors home. I can not find a single case of this ever happening. As far as I'm concerned there are many trees in our neighbors yards that could fall on our house, the point you can't start making rules for what if's in life.
Shorewood is a child friendly community. I think it is my disgression for whether a trampoline is safe for my family, not the village board. There is another meeting August 6th regarding this issue, I encourage anyone interested to attend. At the last meeting an ordinance was already written and if we hadn't attended the meeting this ordinace would have been placed because of one couples complaints. Without notifying anyone else in the community. If this trampoline is taken down we are going to put a swing set in it's place. So I have a feeling this isn't the last you'll hear from me.
I would also like to address the 'privacy issue' that trampolines supposedly present. Under the current ordinace the trampoline must be 10 feet from all structures. Guess what. We live in the city and 10 houses can see in my back yard from there up stairs porches. Creating a community that families can work together to fix issues is the answer. The trampoline in question is NOT in front of the bedroom window nor any of the neighbors home. It is at the rear of the house 5 feet back and 3 feet from there fence.
I urge the complaintant who has taken it to such extremes to talk to me about the issue. We have a very close neighborhood, no one knows the complaining couple, good or bad. However I would like to point out the close relationship they have to the board, she does much of the marketing for the village of Shorewood.
I feel this is an ordinance written for one resident whose complaint is not safety it is the noise of children playing in the yard in the afternoon. So I encourage them to speak to me and come to a conclusion rather than involve the entire city. With a trampoline or not there will be children playing in my yard. Lets not make all the children in Shorewood lose a healthy and fun way to enjoy the summer because of your inability to compromise with us.
- Lisa Erdman, 8/3/07
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