Minutes - Parks and Recreation Commission - 06/14/2007

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Case #2:Skate Park Planning ParksSupervisor Riverblood reviewed the Skate Park planning process to date with the Commission and Council. Commissioner Shryock stated she had heard some very positive comments at the skate demonstration regarding the location and whether or not they need one. She had heard from comments that the Lions are not interested, apparently at one point they had discussed helping out but now they are saying they will not back or support a skate park at all. She thought a lot of the resistance is the stigma associated with skate parks and not knowing anything about them. Mayor Gamec stated another problem people have is how the skate boarders dress but he thought the kids were very cool and nice. He stated this is a growing sport. Councilmember John Dehen wondered how they will bid out the equipment. ParksSupervisor Riverblood stated they needed to be very specific on what they want and bid it out to get the lowest bid, while obtaining quality and equipmentthat cannot be easily moved by kids. Councilmember John Dehen wondered why they are considering a skate park and not a bike park or something else. ParksSupervisor Riverblood stated skate boarding is a very popular sport. He stated the question is whether they allow bikes with skateboards. If they use concrete with steel coping, you could allow bikes with trick pegs in the parks. ParksSupervisor Riverblood indicated a wireless company wants to locatea tower at Alpine Park and they typically pay $14,000/year in rental fees and they could use that money to pay for some of the improvements to the park. Councilmember Matt Look asked if the $75,000 will pay for everything including landscaping. ParksSupervisor Riverblood indicated it would not. He stated they will need to make a lot of improvements including parking, trails, landscaping, etc., he added that they could run the municipalwater to the park from the existing neighborhood adjacent to this. Chairperson Johns stated they need to start the planning process now even though the skate park will not be started until 2008 and completed over time. She stated the cell tower proposal prompted them to move this further along. She stated another thing is the popularity of this is extraordinary. They are always getting requests for a skate park in the City and it is happening all around them and the skate parks are booming. She stated this is not popular just here, but all over the country. She noted they need to help provide the equipment for skate boarders so they do not use things they are not supposed to use. Councilmember Matt Look stated there are small towns in northern Minnesota that have skate parks too, and has witnessed their popularity. Park and Recreation Commission/June 14, 2007 Page 3of 6