After Years of Debate, Parks Board Votes in Favor of Poolesville Skate Park
6,600-Square-Foot Facility Awaits Commissioners Board Approval
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Thursday, May 15, 2008; Page GZ05
After more than two years of debate, Poolesville's Parks Board has recommended building a skate park in the upcounty town.
If approved by the Commissioners Board, the skate park would be the first recreational facility other than traditional parks built by the town, Town Manager Wade Yost said.
The seven-member Parks Board's 4 to 0 vote in favor of a skate park was greeted with applause from about 60 people who gathered at a meeting last week to show support for the facility. Chairman George Deyo, Vice Chairman Doug McKenney and board member Kurt Behrend abstained.
"We just had a huge crowd," McKenney said after the room had mostly cleared and the board was deciding the details of its recommendation. "Clearly, there are people who want this."
The board recommended a 6,600-square-foot above-ground park with ramps and rails for skateboarders and in-line skaters, secured by fencing. They suggested it be built on 3.77 acres on Wootton Avenue behind Selby's Market, a site the town plans to use for recreation. The property will likely need a master plan before decisions are made, board members said.
In the past, board members have cautioned that the skate park could take years to design and construct. It could open after many of the preteens and teens who have lobbied for its construction graduate from high school.
The May 7 meeting began with a presentation from Peter D'Amelio, a Poolesville resident and chairman of KaBoom, a District-based nonprofit that helps communities plan, design, build and raise money for play spaces, including skate parks.
"You can have a city that builds a skate park or you can have a city that becomes a skate park," D'Amelio told the board. "I think Poolesville's a great city, it's a city that deserves a skate park, and as a citizen of Poolesville, I'm here to make it happen."
Several issues remain, including how the skate park would be staffed and how maintenance would be funded. In addition, some members were still wary of the project's potential $250,000 price tag.
