Skate park changes again:
City, schools to partner for new spot
By Barbara Brown Local skateboarders, city officials and school district administration all seem to be satisfied with a new decision on where to locate the cityís skateboard park. After rejecting several potential locations, the city approached the North Branch schools district staff and school board and asked if it could build a skate park on school property adjacent to North Branch High School. Most skateboarders in North Branch practice their skills in the street near the intersection of Elm and Sixth streets. The newest plan, presented to the North Branch School Board last week would build the park near the current ice rink south of the high school. The park is planned to be 70-feet by 100-feet and would include ramps and jumps. It will be paved, but not fenced, said city planner Al Cottingham. Cottingham added that the park would not be monitored by paid staff and would be a ìskate at your own riskî park. District administrators are checking with lawyers to make sure the park would be allowed and to ensure that the city would take care of insurance and maintenance. Cottingham said the city planned to cover the park with insurance and make sure it stays useable.
Skaters who gather and practice behind North Branch High School were happy to hear of the new park. ìIt really is the best place for it,î said Matt Marche, a sophomore. ìItís the best idea because it is closer to where most of the skaters are and it wonít be noisy to the neighbors.î Brandon Hult, a freshman, said the location is better than city parks because the school property skate park will be easy to get to without walking far. Safety has become the biggest concern in the hunt for a suitable location for the skate park. Previous suggestions included Central Park, Northwoods Park, the city office parking lot and a spot on the golf course property. Central Park had been rejected because the park is full of other recreational equipment and shelters and there was not sufficient room for a skate park. Northwoods Park was shunned by the city council and skateboarders alike because of its distance from the schools and downtown North Branch. A spot near the North Branch golf course got negative reaction from residents and golfers who feared the amount of noise and whether the youths would try to use the course club house on sweltering summer days to cool off. Council members also had been concerned with the Northwoods and golf course ideas because youth would have to walk along busy roadways to get to the skate park. Cottingham said the first few planned sites were going to be fenced because of their proximity to busy roads. The new site is about 100 feet away from Grand Avenue and about 50 feet away from the bus loading area at the high school. Cottingham said the parks commission liked the school district property location because it is highly visible from Grand Avenue. The city has set aside about $30,000 to build the skate park from park dedication money. A contract for nearly $19,000 was awarded by the city council to a Duluth company last week to build the ramps and equipment for the park.
Cottingham said the equipment will be ordered soon.
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