Washtenaw County pledges $400,000 matching investment in Ann Arbor skate park efforts
Dale Decker of Ann Arbor marks a piece of plywood while building a ramp for part of a street course as Steve Risner of Ann Arbor and Andrew Reeves of Brighton look on Wednesday night. The crew has been working for weeks to construct a temporary skate park for a fundraiser this weekend.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Efforts to build a skate park in Ann Arbor received a boost this week when the Washtenaw County parks commission offered up to $400,000 in matching funds to help get the project off the ground.
The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission voted Tuesday to partner in the project, and the city of Ann Arbor has already pledged land for it in Veteran’s Memorial Park on the city's west side.
Organizers with the Ann Arbor Skatepark Action Committee, which is promoting community efforts to create the skate park, said the funds will have a "transformative" impact on fundraising.
"We're on the brink of making it," said Jim Reische, fundraising co-chairman for the committee. "(The county funding) gives us tremendous leverage in our fundraising … It's tremendously persuasive, and it shows the county is willing to put their money behind this."
The matching funding will come from part of the county parks millage for capital developments. That means the county will match up to $400,000 raised through donations toward the park - bringing the possible grand total to $800,000 or more.
Some may question why the county would partner on a city asset like the skate park, said Robert Tetens, director of the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Department. But it's similar to many of the different partnerships the commission makes with communities in the county for projects like trail development, he said.
In the master plan, a skate park was already a county parks goal, Tetens said. This allows the commission to pool county money with other partners and get more bang for its buck.
"And for that, we will get a world class skate park," Tetens said.
The funding is becoming available just as organizers rallying behind an Ann Arbor skate park are hosting a fundraiser this weekend. On Saturday, an event called “The Grinds of March,” sponsored in part by the Red Belly Board Shop in Ann Arbor, will offer open skating, giveaways, prizes and vendors to raise money. Professional skater Andy Macdonald, among others, is expected to make an appearance.
"It's definitely picking up steam," Alex Bombroski, owner of the shop, said of the potential matching funds. "We're looking forward to being able to break ground in the near future."
Ann Arbor's park could join about 80 open skate parks in the state, according to a Web site called Concrete Disciples.
The skate park action committee, with fiscal help from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, has been busy raising the estimated $1 million needed to build and operate the park. Supporters behind the skate park say it would give skaters a designated place to skate that's actually designed for them, rather than skating within local cities.
Reische said building a skate park has resulted in a positive community effort to make a healthy recreational activity available to young people. And it's teaching them the value of civic engagement in the process, he said.
Committee chairman Trevor Staples said many people throughout the community have been asking what they can do to get involved and help.
"Now we can say, 'Donate whatever you can. It gets doubled and helps us toward our goal," he said.
A little over a year ago, the Ann Arbor City Council agreed to the development and operation of a skate park at Veteran's Memorial Park. It has not offered financial support, but council members sent a letter of support for the skate park to the county.
Ann Arbor Council Member Carsten Hohnke, D-5th Ward, said the skate park would add value to both the city and county. He called it an asset that will be all the more exciting when built because it took such a community effort to create it for "an under-served recreational segment of our community."
"This is great news," he said.
Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.
Comments
jenny
Thu, Apr 8, 2010 : 11:39 a.m.
How many girls and women will use this park? If it's not close to 50% I'm not ok with it. This sounds like a million dollars for a boys park. While girls will certainly be permitted to use this park, I do not know one girl who skates. And we even bought our daughter a skateboard. This is a park built by men for boys and men. I am tired of all the male dominated arenas getting so much public funding. Check out the new football stadium at Skyline. wow. Let's see a public gymnastics area, or dance studio. Kudos to the men who are organizing this, I know they are really into it, I just would rather finance something more egalitarian. And Hey by the way, where is the veteran's memorial? Why don't we invest in a public arts project at Vet's Park honoring our veterans?
Mick52
Wed, Mar 17, 2010 : 1:26 p.m.
Its good to see the county has plenty of money to spend on bad projects. A couple posters noted the last skate structure. No one used it after a while and it disintegrated and had to be taken down. I will not vote for county tax increases or renewals if this goes through, the county park money should go to county parks, repair, upkeep and new additions. Or I would prefer it goes to Rutherford pool in Ypsilanti, which needs it. Let A2 fund this park.
Buzz Brown
Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 3:35 p.m.
Great idea! Use already existing funds from a county-wide imposed millage to create urban parks that kids can actually get to. What a great way to help financially strapped local units of government. How can we get our Oakland County to learn this lesson and partner with local governments instead of competing with them for funds?
ResidentAnvil
Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 2:34 p.m.
cinnabon--I do pay taxes, and plenty of them, and I for one am grateful for the use of this money. I believe that this is exactly the time we need a place for youth to go and have something constructive to do. And, to all those out there that are complaining about the roads, police, fire, etc. getting enough funding, I suggest you move away from your keyboard and run for office. Stop the complaining and do something about it!
skonigsb
Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 2:33 p.m.
I live in A2, pay both my A2 and county taxes, and am thrilled about the idea of an Ann Arbor skate park. I challenge the idea that this is an expense that will only be used by one age group. I have been to the Riley skatepark in Farmington Hills, and have seen people of significantly varying ages all using and enjoying the park there. One guy I met there was in his late 40's, and he was there skating with his son. It scares me that many of the comments above are from people whom obviously haven't a clue as to how millages work, how taxes money is appropriated, and yet they still vote and pay taxes. I happily look forward to finding my own son skating this park, rather than searching for him on the streets of downtown, or worse yet, the diag!
eCoaster
Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 9:17 a.m.
Congrats to the Skatepark Action Committee for partnering with the County on this project! It has taken a lot of work and independent fundraising to get to this point. They have managed to bring together support from many places. What a positive result. I am inspired to give!
a2baggagehandler
Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 12:20 a.m.
It would be cheaper to teach the little thugs to golf.
a2baggagehandler
Fri, Mar 12, 2010 : 12:20 a.m.
It would be cheaper to teach the little thugs to golf.
jester32b
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:12 p.m.
Are you flipping kidding??? $400,000 for a skate park. So who is going to respond to the park when someone breaks their arm or gets something stolen while they are there? It won't be first resonding fire fighters or police officers because Ann Arbor City Counsel is going to be laying about 30 of them off soon. And how many inmates can you hold at the county jail for $400,000? Where are the priorities of the County Board? I want to know which county board members approved this. What a waste of my county money.
Lokalisierung
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 5:05 p.m.
Well I pay taxes and I think it's a fine idea. Just another kind of park for another kind of people. I wouldn't complain about redoing the band shelter at West Park even though I don't live near it nor would I go to any events there.
cinnabar7071
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 4:27 p.m.
tracyann I'm guessing you don't pay taxes, cause if you did, you'd understand.
tracyann
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 4:22 p.m.
I'm surprised at the amount of seeming animosity about a skate park being built. Yes, it will be used by "a bunch of kids" but would you rather have them loitering elsewhere or have a place to go to burn some energy?
Dug Song
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 4 p.m.
For those curious about the positive effects skateparks have on their communities, see this piece by Detroit Public TV on the success of the Riley Skatepark in Farmington Hills, MI: http://www.dptv.org/ondemand/special/riley.shtml Skateparks are often the most popular and heavily-used parks facilities in cities that have them. A big thanks to the County Parks & Recreation folks, and all of our supporters (which include the Ann Arbor City Council, Parks and Recreation Services Unit, Park Advisory Commission, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Community Action Network, Neutral Zone Teen Advisory Council, Ann Arbor State Street Area Association, Ann Arbor Main Street Area Association, Ann Arbor South University Area Association, Ann Arbor Commission in Art in Public Places, and many other local businesses and institutions) for helping address the needs of the thousands of skaters and families in our community who have rallied around this project. Friday night, we're holding a wine & cheese tasting fundraiser hosted by Morgan & York at the SH\aut\ Cabaret and Gallery in Kerrytown: http://www.morganandyork.com/home.php?cat=44 In advance of our Saturday "Grinds of March" family-oriented indoor public skate jam with street and halfpipe skateboarding contests, community and vendor exhibition hall, music, giveaways, and demos with special guest Andy Macdonald, 8-time skateboarding world champion and 19-time X-Games medallist: http://a2skatepark.org/articles/beware-grinds-march Please join us if you can, and help support our public-private partnership in building a mixed-use, family-friendly facility of lasting value in our community!
Lokalisierung
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 3:13 p.m.
"What ever happened to the skate park that was at Vets years ago?? It seems like it was used for a few years and just disappeared." We'll it wasn't a skatepark it was a huge Halfpipe and not friendly to beginners.
Steve Hendel
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 12:32 p.m.
$100,000 ENDOWMENT for maintenance? At current interest rates, you'd be lucky to get $2,000/year in earnings, hardly enough to maintain anything. Sounds like a low-balled estimate.
Steve Hendel
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 12:08 p.m.
"Public money is put in funds (buckets) to cut down on malefeasance. " NOT! It's primary purpose is to create the proverbial 'lock box' and ensure funding for a certain purpose no matter how priorities change; thus, for example you can have an overflowing 'bucket' designated for parkland acquisition, and at the same time a leaky sieve for park maintenance. What's the sense in that?
cinnabar7071
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 11:29 a.m.
It's park money, It's park money, It's park money. We understand that, but under stand this, the next time the gov't wants money for police, schools, or anything else, well go get bent, it's my money!
Steve the Wookiee
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 11:17 a.m.
Come on people. It's Parks money from a dedicated Parks Millage, to be used for Parks activities. It can't be used for police, fire, schools, roads, basic services etc. It can't just be wily-nily shuffled around. Public money is put in funds (buckets) to cut down on malefeasance. And before everyone piles on saying "there already exists malefeasance with public dollars", check again. Poorly managed, maybe, depending on your priorities but out right theft is rare (yes, I saw the county embezzlement article).
scooter dog
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 10:19 a.m.
OK, its PARK money,but it came from the county,so its county money,use it to repair the roads not some stupid knee jerk skate park that only a bunch of kids will use.Wow when will the circus end.
emu2009
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 10:13 a.m.
If this is park money from a park millage then the voters as well need to get their priorities straight. Perhaps when we have schools closing their doors there should be some caveat to budgets that state money from other areas should be moved to more important things. The $400k would be better spent by removing it from the park budget and putting it towards schools in the county. Plain and simple.
tracyann
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:56 a.m.
It's PARK money. They are using it for a skate PARK.
scooter dog
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:47 a.m.
Well if its COUNTY money have you ever driven down Huron River Dr west of North maple in the county.For the last 5 yrs they,the county say they do not have the funds to repair the Bomb craters in the road.I'll bet 400k would make a sizeable dent in getting it,the road repaired.A skate park!,when the infrastructure is falling apart,please,how absured.
townie
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:33 a.m.
C'mon, people, do a little reading before you write these knee-jerk, tea party comments! If you ever got off your desk chair and did something for the community, I'm sure you'd appreciate it if others gave you the courtesy of just a little research before writing comments. The skate park group is raising private money to build AND maintain the park. The County is offering to match the private contributions, up to $400k, from dedicated park millage money. If you'd rather see the County spend the money on another allowable park purpose, fine, but voters approved this millage to pay for park projects. From what I've READ, this appears to be a very responsible approach to building a park feature that is in demand. Another benefit of skate parks is that it gives kids a safe place to go and do stunts, instead of damaging park benches, walls and railings around town.
Atticus F.
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:30 a.m.
I for one will be happy to see a skate park built. I skated Vets years ago. Another thing to keep in mind is that they will charge admission just like they do at the rec center or at Vets pool. So please stop over exaggerating about how much it's going to cost.
cinnabar7071
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:05 a.m.
Good to know the Gov't has so much money. Now we wont have to worry about raising taxes, or how to rebuild bridges that are falling down.
Jim Reische
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:05 a.m.
I also want to recognize Play It Again Sports http://playitagainsportsannarbor.com/ which made a substantial contribution to support this Saturday's event. Thank you to Red Belly, Play It Again, and ALL the local businesses and organizations that have come together to benefit the community!
Jim Reische
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 9:02 a.m.
BornNRaised, I urge you to look at the article in yesterday's A2 Chronicle: http://annarborchronicle.com/2010/03/10/county-offers-400k-match-for-skatepark/. As you'll see there, the cost of maintaining the Skatepark will NOT come out of the General Fund. Our fundraising campaign includes creation of a permanent $100,000 endowment at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation that will pay for the park's maintenance. This is an example of private philanthropy paying to maintain a public park for the whole community.
BornNRaised
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 8:26 a.m.
Another park that will be built with 'bucket' money, but then completely maintained with General Fund dollars. Brilliant.
tdw
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 7:38 a.m.
Ok I missed a few things its early.It still seems to be a waste of money on something that only a select age group will use.If however they charge a fee and it can make money or break even it seems it would be worthwile
emu2009
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 7:32 a.m.
We have school districts closing schools and cutting funding but there is money for a skate park? I think there is a time and a place and right now is not the time. EVERY child NEEDS an education. Not every child needs a skate park. Priorities people!
skigrl50
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 7:28 a.m.
What ever happened to the skate park that was at Vets years ago?? It seems like it was used for a few years and just disappeared.
voiceofreason
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 7:14 a.m.
Is skateboarding even popular anymore?
lmworks
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 7:09 a.m.
To TDW: The article says: "The matching funding will come from part of the county parks millage for capital developments." Not from the budgets you mentioned. The article linked right above your comment explains in detail about how the funding will work.
Trevor Staples
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 6:56 a.m.
@tdw, I encourage you to read the article I mentioned above. It gives those important details that annarbor.com left out.
tdw
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 6:49 a.m.
$400,000 good thing they aren't wasting the money on police,fire and other basic services
Trevor Staples
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 6:46 a.m.
If you want detailed information about this news, please read Dave Aksins' article from yesterday. The piece gives important details about how this funding will work: http://annarborchronicle.com/2010/03/10/county-offers-400k-match-for-skatepark/