Public Skateparks At Risk! by Susan Linerode

Manager of a public skatepark, Susan Linerode, wrote a great article on this topic that should shed some light on the continued unconcern of skateparks that are important to the local youth by the community and how you can help!Now More Than Ever Before, Municipal Skateparks Are On The Chopping Block

Editorial by Susan Linerode.

Nearly every week, I get letters or e-mails from riders across the country with a common theme: “My town is shutting down our skate park,” or “All of our funding for the skatepark got cut, what can we do?” Just Google “skatepark funding reductions” and you will get literally pages and pages of local communities all suffering with the same problem–not enough revenue to cover expenses. In times of financial uncertainty, municipalities across the country are looking to make cuts to balance their budgets. Let’s be honest, your local skatepark is probably on the top of that list. Here are just a few examples of how YOUR elected representatives are making decisions that directly affect you.

Here is a recent example with a theme that is the same across the country. I received this from a rider in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, who saw this on NWFDailyNews.com.

11/05/2010, 10:01pm – Fort Walton Beach - For the first time since it opened in 2001, the BMX and skateboard park at Fred Hedrick Recreation Center will not get city funding.

Fort Walton Beach’s 2010-11 operating budget does not include money for Emerald Coast Dirt and Vert.

Since the BMX park opened, the city has paid about $13,000 annually for its electricity, insurance, and upkeep, said Jeff Peters, the city’s recreation and cultural services director.

Fort Walton Beach now is exploring the possibility that the property on Jet Drive could be used as “a revenue producer for the city,” Peters said.

“An example would be…soccer, let’s say,” he said. “If you put a soccer field out there that people rent daily, that’s a revenue maker.”

Other ideas include a dog park or a paintball facility, Peters added.

What municipal officials often fail to understand is the economic impact a well-run park can offer a community.

Bill Madden, who owns and operates the Dirt and Vert, is on a month-to-month contract with the city. He said he wants to stay in business and has agreed to pay its operating costs.

Madden said the regional and national events he hosts at Emerald Coast Dirt and Vert bring droves of tourists to the area several times a year. He is hosting a National Bike League dirt-jumping event this weekend at the park.

“People are coming to this event, buying hotel rooms, eating out, shopping here, and going to gas stations,” Madden said. “It’s not being paid directly to the city, but it’s obviously helping the local economy.”

Just take a look at the Gatorade Free Flow Tour. These regional events are held across the country, and absolutely bring in tourists, competitors, and riders into a local community. The event I held at my own park (Freedom Skate/BMX Park) brought riders from California, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, Jamaica, and the Netherlands.

In addition, consider the socio-economic impact of safe skateparks in local communities:

City of Long Beach, CA – Facts about 14th Street Park:
- Poverty Rate: Within 1/4 mile of the park, 47.5% of the residents live in poverty, and 44.5% of the youth in the area live in poverty.
- Number of Youth: 3,739 youth live within a 1/4 mile of the park
- Reduction in Crime Since the Skatepark was Installed: From 2003 to 2008, crime has dropped in the immediate area around the park, which has historically been a very high crime area of the city. Since 2003, drug related incidents have dropped 60.9%, violent crime has dropped 29.3%, and overall incidents have dropped 22.8%. Further, calls for service have dropped 23.0%.

Can a dog park or a soccer field offer those types of benefits to a community? Does a 60% reduction in drug related incidents and nearly 30% reduction in violent crime save more taxpayer money than a few thousand dollars in park upkeep? Shortsighted politicians and city accountants are too quick to dismiss these intangible benefits. Or rather, do they see a group of constituents who are unlikely to organize effectively?

In the case of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, alternative options to the Emerald Dirt and Vert facility included creation of a dog park or conversion to a pay-per-use soccer facility as ways to bring in revenue into the city coffers. In the case of a dog park, city officials estimate $50,000 to tear down the existing skatepark, plus the money necessary to create a facility for dogs. Dog parks can be a great idea, but they are by no means a guaranteed “cash cow.” Consider the following cities that found themselves unexpectedly in “doggie doo.”

In 2007, the city of Rocky River, Ohio, and four residents filed a complaint with Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court regarding the “consistent, uncontrollable, unregulated and/or loud barking by the dogs.”

The issue went to court for the second time after an appeal in July. Now the cities are in the process of making their final arguments to Judge Carolyn Friedland in common pleas court.
The case has cost the city of Rocky River a total of $26,631 over the last three years ,and there is still more work to be done. Both municipalities are using in-house counsel from their legal departments.

There is no way to sterilize every blade of grass and dog parks can be hotbeds for diseases, such as kennel cough, Parvo, distemper, intestinal parasites, etc. Even if dog owners do pick up after their dog, there is still a fecal residue left over.

And I might add, just because dog park etiquette says don’t bring your sick dog to a dog park, is not a guarantee that someone won’t bring a sick dog to the park.

In Tigard, Oregon, officials conducted a study, and it was discovered that 16 to 20 percent of fecal matter in Tigard creeks were linked to canine DNA.

Some neighborhoods are calling for environmental impact studies on water runoff from dog parks. A neighborhood in Los Angeles commissioned a study of rainwater running off a dog park and bacteria levels were through the roof.

Converting a skatepark to a soccer field can literally cost up to $200,000, considering turf, grading, drainage etc. The return on investment for such a project could take 10 years to recoup. Again, here is yet another example where a community is not really saving money, but shifting the manner in which taxpayer money is allocated. I like dogs and soccer, but in terms of an investment into a population that so many dismiss as outcasts or different or not like the captain of the local football team, I submit to you: these members of our community have the most to gain by involving themselves in a sport where their commitment and creativity can be fostered and encouraged.

How can you become a catalyst for change? What steps can you take to make sure your voice is heard?

1. Organize. Find a small group of committed individuals to be the voice of your cause. Make sure you have the right group to be effective and not a detriment to your cause.

2. Identify the process. Each municipality has it’s own fiscal year. Generally, the budget is proposed at least three months before the new budget is adopted. This proposed budget is open and available to the public.

3. Find an advocate. This is probably the single most important piece of advice. This can be an elected official, a park and recreation commissioner or even a well-respected member of the community like a school board member.

4. Be willing to make compromises. Be prepared to negotiate. Perhaps you may have to be willing to accept reduced hours at your local park or agree to do some fundraising to offset expenses. There are plenty of organizations willing to donate to a good cause if you are willing to put in the effort to find them.

5. Become part of the process. Run for office yourself. I first ran for local office eight years ago and (other than driving the more stereotypical politicians bananas with my non-traditional ideas), have been able to put forth an agenda that otherwise would not likely have been brought to the table. Take chances, get involved and be an active participant is what happens in your community. There is no better satisfaction then knowing you had a part in what happens in your own community.

Read the whole Story here.

http://www.grindtv.com/bike/blog/21924/public+skateparks+at+risk/