A recently opened business in Sheboygan has been closed temporarily amid a dispute with the city government.
Bounce Trampoline Park announced on Thursday (July 24th) that they are now closed until further notice due to “moving targets” from the City’s Planning and Development Department.
Bounce owners Courtney and CJ took to social media to let their patrons and the greater community know their side of things as to why they had to unexpectedly close their doors for the foreseeable future.
Following an outcry from the public in opposition to the business’s closure, the City has put out a statement in response.
Taylor Zeinert, Director of Planning and Development, has said, “City staff, including licensed inspectors and third-party engineers, have conducted multiple inspections and evaluations of the site. While some of the more straightforward violations have been addressed, several key safety concerns, particularly related to building modifications, permitting history, and trampoline park structural features, require resolution before operations can safely continue.”
She continues to say that the city has provided “clear expectations and direction to Bounce.”
However, the owners do not feel the same way in the slightest. As laid out in the statement from Bounce, a lease agreement was signed in March of this year before they applied for an occupancy permit from the City in April, and that’s when the owners say complications began.
At that time, the City realized that the building plans they had for the site did not match what the building looked like due to previous tenants making changes without getting proper permits.
The City then told the owners that if an inspection took place, they would receive a temporary permit; however, following said inspection, that never occurred.
Instead, the City chose to fine Bounce $691 per day that they had been open to that point, totaling over $40,000, because of an issue with a previous business. After making repairs and modifications, the City told Courtney and CJ that if they received an expert opinion regarding safety measures around the park, they could continue operations.
They then got not one but two expert opinions confirming that their setup was safe and in line with other gymnastics or parkour environments, but were told that said opinions were no longer sufficient, despite a previous claim that they would be.
The City holds the belief that they are looking at public safety, but questions remain as to how it allowed Bounce to gain initial approval, let alone open, with such glaring issues at the site, of which the owners had no control.
