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Skateboard park difficult to locate in North BranchBy Barbara Brown The North Branch Parks Commission is having a hard time picking out a location for a proposed skateboard park on which everyone can agree. Some Parks commissioners may have thought the plan, which has been in the works for about a year, was closer to becoming a project last week when an idea for a skateboard park location was presented to the North Branch City Council. However, the idea to put the park in 18 parking spaces in the lot adjacent to City Hall was turned down. At least one council member, Roger Else, said he was not willing to see the skateboard park installed because too many people use the parking lot. While the remaining spaces would be enough to accommodate City Hall staff and visitors, it would not be enough for overflow parking from the American Legion and Abundant Life Assembly of God Church. City planner Al Cottingham said the Parks Commission suggested the parking lot because the area, approximately 60 feet by 90 feet, is already paved. Cottingham is working with skateboarders and Parks commissioners to work out some locations to present to the city council. The city has budgeted some money from the general fund for a skating park and some money to pay for it would come from park allocation money. Cost for the park would depend on how big it would be and whether a black top base would have to be installed first. ëThe tough park is coming up with a location the kids are willing to go to,î Cottingham said. The parking lot would have been ideal, Cottingham told the city council at the Jan. 14 meeting, because the greatest concentration of skateboarders congregates in the downtown area. Cottingham said the Parks Commission looked at building a park in Northwoods Park, just one mile north of town. Central Park quickly was eliminated as an option, Cottingham said, because if the 60-foot by 90-foot park were erected there, it would ìwipe out a chunk of green space weíve been trying to save there.î Skateboarders currently leave their ramps and other equipment at the Abundant Life church across the street from City Hall. Pastor Kevin Haseltine said the skaters leave homemade steel and wood ramps at the church and use them during nice weather months. Haseltine said the church was thinking of building a skateboard park on its own property, but the idea is still in its formative stages. He said the church was investigating insurance implications, supervision needs and hours of operation. The park, if it were built on the church property, could be used by anyone, Haseltine said. ìI just heard two weeks ago that the city was thinking about building a skate park,î Haseltine said. ìWeíll have to put our heads together and come up with something.î Cottingham said the city had wanted a skate park to be up and running by the time school lets out for the summer. ©ECM Post Review |