Official: Creating skate park requires caution

Warren officials are planning to spend grant money on children's activities.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- City officials should use caution before putting in a proposed skateboarding facility, a Liberty Township official advises.
Some older children "just don't like rules," cautioned June Smallwood, parks and special projects coordinator for Liberty, which has such a facility.
City council's community development committee was to discuss skateboard and splash pad parks last week, but the meeting was postponed and not yet rescheduled. It was to involve the city's citizen advisory committee, which recommends to council how community development block grant money can be used.
Michael Keys, the city's director of community development, said the parks are being considered as part of an overall effort to give children added activities.
Keys explained that $75,000 in CDBG money was set aside about two years ago for either skateboarding, splash pads or both.
They are a top priority for Mayor Michael J. O'Brien, and a decision on where to put one or both should be made shortly, Keys said.
Choosing a location
Liberty decided to put up its skateboarding facility because the skateboarders were using "inappropriate" locations to skate, including public stair railings.
Smallwood said location is an extremely important choice before putting up a skateboard facility because of the youthfulness of those who will use it.
About three years ago, Liberty erected the facility at Church Hill Park. Young people vandalized it because there was a lack of vehicle traffic in the park that might have deterred them.
Because of this disrespect for the property, Smallwood explained, the skateboard ramps were disassembled and erected adjacent to the township administration building -- which also contains the police department.
Some problems remain, Smallwood said: Teenagers don't throw their trash in receptacles, and the area must be picked up. Also, the fence must be repaired periodically because the skateboarders speed off the ramps and into the fence, breaking the fence posts.
Every once and a while, Smallwood explained, she closes the facility so that the skateboarders will settle down.
Despite this, Smallwood said, it's nice to see mothers take their small children to the facility to learn the sport.
"For the most part, it's a pleasure," Smallwood said of the facility that had an initial cost of about $13,000 before maintenance expenses.
Councilwoman Virginia Bufano, D-1st, vice chairwoman of the community development committee, said she favors the city having a skateboard park.
Bufano said a facility is needed because skateboarders are using park sidewalks. Nonetheless, liability would be the paramount issue to resolve before it could be built, she said.
yovich@vindy.com