Ortonville-A divided council has approved reopening the long-shuttered Skate Park.
Council Member Liz Waters made a simple motion to ‘reopen the Skate Park as soon as possible? at the June 22 council meeting. The motion was approved by a 4-3 vote, with Waters joined in voting yes by council members Debbie Baker, Tonja Brice, and Courtney McClerren. Voting no were Council President Wayne Wills and Council members Dan Eschmann and Coleen Skornicka.
‘We’re going to try to open on July 7 or July 14,? said Village Manager John Lyons the day after the vote. ‘We’re not opening until a skate park monitor is hired and in place. If you want to skate, you must come in to the village office during regular business hours and register and pay the fee.?
The opening of the skate park was not on the meeting agenda, but the motion came after a lengthy discussion at the meeting, and follows years of controversy at the park, as well as nearly two years of the park being closed.
The park originally opened in 2004, adjacent to the Sherman Village Park at Cedar and Ball streets in the village. The property is owned by the village and located near homes, as well as a basketball court and baseball fields. Skate park equipment is owned by Brandon Township and Recreation Director Fred Waybrant has estimated the total investment in the park to be $120,000, with $85,000 worth of equipment, $15,000 in concrete, and the remainder of costs 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 neighbors who complained of noise, vandalism, littering, profanity and drug use by those at the skate park. To eliminate issues, village officials instituted registration and user fees and were mostly successful.
Due to a lack of registrations last year, however, the skate park was closed for the season. This spring, the park has also remained shut due to a lack of registrations, even as kids are seen skateboarding on village streets and sidewalks, outside of businesses and the Old Mill, and inflicting property damage, Lyons said.
Lyons was opposed to opening a park where a paid village monitor may not have any participants to supervise.On Monday, he said 24 sign-ups had been received, although only two individuals have paid so far.
‘I’d hate to see this program disappear,? he said. ‘Parks rarely profit, they are a service of the village.?
Waybrant, absent from the meeting, had offered a written proposal to the village for a 6-week recreation program at the skate park, with a site director offering instruction; however, village council members seemed disinclined to accept the offer.
‘Why are they taking the reins?? asked Skornicka.
‘We called them out on money,? responded McClerren, referring to questioning where the funds are from donations of returnable cans and bottles to a bin, purportedly a skate park fundraiser.
‘Why is that container still there? Show me where the bottle money is,? said Skornicka.
Waters said she wanted the skate park to open immediately and believes that once the park is open, skateboarders will sign up. She added that the skate park is not in an ideal location with homes nearby, but that can’t be changed at the moment due to the expense of moving it to a location such as the Brandon Township Community Park at 1414 Hadley Road. Such a move would also preclude children who walk to the park.
‘This is an investment in our youth,? said Waters. ‘They are going to skateboard anyway, give them the right place to do it… The property is ours, we’re letting it go to waste.?
Wills disagreed with reopening the skate park, and defended himself as a champion of athletics for children and adults, saying over the years he has supported soccer and baseball, tennis and swimming. The difference between those sports and skateboarding, he said, is that the ones he has supported have coaches, umpires and referees and parents watching kids.
‘With the Skate Park, parents drop their kids off and they’re not watching,? Wills said, adding that he wants to know who is certified to inspect and maintain the Skate Park equipment. ‘Who does the equipment manufacturer recommend and what is the life expectancy of the equipment? Sam Bernstein and Geoffrey Feiger will hold the village responsible (if there is a malfunction or someone is injured).?
‘Why does a sport have to have a coach?? asked Baker. ‘There are children on the basketball courts and ball fields without adult supervision. I get very offended (at the suggestion) that there should be coaches and parent involvement. Not every child has a parent involved.?
Noah DeVoe, 22, a Brandon Township resident and avid skater, has used the park in the past and continues to skateboard, frequently at an Auburn Hills park. He offered to conduct weeklong skateboarding camps, although his fee, council noted, would likely be out of reach for many area youth.
‘Skateboarding is dangerous and waivers should be mandatory,? he said. ‘Helmets should be required.?
The village does require helmets for skate park use. Village insurance covers use of the skate park liability without an additional charge.
The park equipment is inspected annually by Waybrant and the DPW employees and has been cleared for use this year.
Lyons said due to the late opening of the skate park, the normal $20 fee per user has been reduced to $10 for the season, $5 for each additional family member and a cap of $20 per family.
The park will have hours of 3-7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday and 1-7 p.m., Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Bikers will be allowed in the park on Wednesdays and Fridays. The park will close for the season at the end of October.