Ortonville- The Village Skate Park could remain closed for the second year in a row.
Unless village officials receive at least 30 registrations by May 15, Village Manager John Lyons said the park will remain locked all summer. Normally, the park is open by this time.
‘I thought we would open it, but only one person has registered,? said Lyons. ‘The numbers have been steadily going down and last year we only had one person register and that is not enough to hire a monitor… If we don’t have enough people by May 15, I will recommend to the council at the May 25 meeting that we keep it closed.?
The Skate Park, located at the corner of Ball and Cedar streets, opened in 2004. While the property is owned by the village, the equipment is owned by Brandon Township. Recreation Director Fred Waybrant estimates the total investment in the park to be $120,000, with $85,000 worth of equipment, $15,000 in concrete, and the remainder of cost in fencing and excavating. Various fundraisers and donations paid for the park’s establishment and it was very popular for several years with kids, but not with the neighbors.
Village officials instituted registration and user fees two years ago, in order to pay for a skate park monitor to reduce issues at the park that included vandalism, profanity, drug use, noise and littering.
With the skate park monitor, those problems were mostly eliminated, but without paid registrations ($20 per user), there is no money for the monitor and officials will not subject neighbors to an unsupervised skate park.
Waybrant is offering a possible alternative, however. If the skate park does not garner the needed number of registrations, he will propose to the township board a return to skate park recreation programs.
‘Introduction to Skateboarding? or ‘Open Bike Night? would be possible programs, with the park only open to participants during set times, with registration fees covering a site director for those hours, likely during the evening while baseball or softball games are taking place at the nearby Sherman Village Park.
‘I don’t want to see it sit empty for another year, there’s too much money invested in that park,? he said. ‘We’ll keep it so it doesn’t bother the neighbors. All programs are monitored with site directors, that is what would have to take place.?
The current village fee schedule is $20 per skater or biker and $10 for each additional skater/biker in the same family. There is a $40 cap for a family of three or more. A day pass can be purchased for $2. Applications are available from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday at the village office, 476 Mill St. or go online at www.ortonvillevillage.com to print and fill out a registration form to bring to the village office. A parent or legal guardian must be present with identification to register users under the age of 18.
If 30 sign-ups are received and the park opens, the hours of summer operation would be 1-7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.