Over the last year people have been commenting on this blog
and approaching me on the street with a need of having a skate park in the
area. I agree, we need some good ideas for recreation areas for Media's youth, and much like I wanted one when I was younger, a skate park is still as popular as ever. (ed. note: we ending up building one of our own, but that's another story)
As you many know, I'm running for Mayor of Media with a commitment to advocating these projects and taking a personal interest in seeing that they succeed. Trust me, I've done some research on this long before deciding to run for mayor, so the intent is genuine (check this board). I like doing this stuff for fun, not political gain.
As you many know, I'm running for Mayor of Media with a commitment to advocating these projects and taking a personal interest in seeing that they succeed. Trust me, I've done some research on this long before deciding to run for mayor, so the intent is genuine (check this board). I like doing this stuff for fun, not political gain.
During my discussions, three questions are always raised when it comes to something like this:
1) How will it be paid for? 2) Does it have enough support? 3) Where would it
go? I didn’t think the first item was a
major issue and a case can be made for the second, but what I struggled with
was where would something like this go that had enough space to work and didn’t
present a major distraction.
 |
| Barrall Tennis Courts |
During the last two weeks we had some interesting news with the
purchase of GRM and the plans to make changes to that property. If the changes as expected include a walkable, livable
area, a skateboard park may not be a bad suggestion for this development project to
consider. That's in Middletown, but as elected Mayor I will make a case and advocate the need for such an area.
But wait, just this weekend, I heard Rocky Run YMCA may have
an idea of a skate park too. I’ve yet to
confirm that or discuss it further, but that’s quite a location and perhaps the
best option. Let's see.......
I'll report back on these situations, but I'd like to hear from you. I was once told by someone when I worked for the White House, "We have an explosive idea, we just need the mechanism to set it off" I believe that illustrates this movement. Hey, this could be fun too, so lets look at these challenges in a different way then how they've been viewed for the last 18 years.
Tedman O'Hara
Candidate for Mayor of Media (retired skater)
I'll report back on these situations, but I'd like to hear from you. I was once told by someone when I worked for the White House, "We have an explosive idea, we just need the mechanism to set it off" I believe that illustrates this movement. Hey, this could be fun too, so lets look at these challenges in a different way then how they've been viewed for the last 18 years.
Tedman O'Hara
Candidate for Mayor of Media (retired skater)
I have been saying for years that Media needs a skate park/ bike park. There are so many kids in the area and a very large portion of them ride or skate. I do not think the YMCA is the best option as more than likely it will be only for members of the Y and I for one am not a member as well as so many other families in the area. I would suggest the following locations: Barrall Field Tennis Courts, Martin Park, Memorial Park, and the park at S. Jackson and Park Ave.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what a 3/4 of a square mile town needs. A place where parents from all of the outlying municipalities can drop their kids off for free babysitting. It will be perfect. Kids (please read that as 16-18 year olds) can ride the trolley out from 69th St, make a mess and go home. Show me where we have more than a handful of RESIDENT skateboarders and then discuss the benefits vs cost. Outside skateboarders will bring nothing to the table. They won't increase business, they won't enhance the character of the town, and they will require resources from the police and Borough maintenance departments.
ReplyDeleteAll of these negative comments, complaints about outsiders, noise, litter, etc have been voiced by other communities that still went ahead and built the parks. Guess what? All those complaints were without merit, the kids were respectful and those who were not were told to leave by the others. The kids policed it themselves. You need it to be close so the Media children and young adults can walk or skate there so Rocky Run is a stretch.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone wants a skate park or any other service that has an identifiable customer base that is not representative of the entirety of taxpayers, then that service should be treated as a fee-for-service enterprise, with user fees collected at the door or otherwise in advance. It is easy to do with today's technology.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think that "entirety of taxpayers" is a bit of a high threshold for a government to meet prior to funding just about anything? Outside of emergency services and the military, not a whole lot would meet that threshold. Schools, roads, public transportation, parks, etc. are all not used by your "entirety of taxpayers" I don't mean to cast aspersions in your direction, but what you're saying sounds like some Tea Party logic we don't want in town.
DeleteI'd be ok with a skate park if the following stipulations were in place:
ReplyDelete- It was located somewhere that didn't displace existing recreation / open space (i.e. the tennis courts at Barrall or current woods / fields in a park) such as the open parking lots across either Baltimore Pike or Lemon Street from Hill's.
- After funding the initial construction of the skate park, the Borough would need to transfer ownership, maintenance, liability, etc. to a non-profit group comprised of the parents of children interested in using the facility. I'd even be ok with a small budget going to the group for yearly maintenance, but anything above and beyond that number would be the responsibility of the skate group.
- The skate park would only allowed to be open during daylight hours and have to be "staffed" by a minimum of two parent volunteers at all times for supervision purposes. This staff would also be responsible for enforcing smoking, littering, etc. type rules for the facility.
We have precious few recreational areas for adults. A skateboard park next to a school in a small busy borough?
ReplyDeleteAlmost as bad an idea as charging for parking on Saturdays in a business ditrict slowly emerging from near death afer being bookended by malls and about to face another threat.
Retired skateboarder or not, it's bad idea. Floaring random ideas is a bad campaign strategy.
Love Tedman but skate park bad idea..volunteers? Trust me it have a few but after a while. ...
ReplyDeleteGovernment should operate prudently MM. You're suggestion that a new service serving a small segment of the population is ludicrous. Certainly the government can act as a facilitator of new services for only a handful, but that handful should pay for the service with user fees or memberships, particularly when we know the new services will attract users from other areas that do not pay taxes here. This is not a tea party idea, it's smart management of severely limited resources.
ReplyDeleteAnd it happens all the time. Look at the sanitary sewer system, for example. Originally owned by the Borough, was it not? The decision to operate it like a business and then sell it to Aqua/LWW was a tea party idea? A different type of service, but the same principle.... fee for service paid by the users.
ReplyDeleteGive Media a skate park! I'm a parent of a 14 year old who has gotten in trouble for just carrying his board at the playground. The fines are ridiculous and I stopped responding to them. It's a mode of transportation. My boy was cited a block away from home (after 9pm), by the court house, (that's closed ), just trying to get home. Can't the borough council approve lifting the ban after 6 pm for areas where business is closed? I think it should be restricted on State St. But I do think We have an under utilized tennis court and that would be a great spot for it.
ReplyDeleteVery true...or they can take off the ban on the playground if they dont feel like building us one, which they don't. People have been trying for over 20 years...check out this article here http://articles.philly.com/1995-07-24/news/25676600_1_skateboarders-borough-hall-borough-council
Delete