Amenia Town Board examines proposal for a skatepark in Wassaic

AMENIA — Considering the regional issue of attracting young people to settle down roots locally, the Amenia Town Board lent Christopher May its full attention as he proposed installing a skatepark in the hamlet of Wassaic during its meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3.

The board met via videoconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic and live streamed the meeting to the “AmeniaTV” YouTube channel, where it can now be watched in full. 

“This is something I’ve been thinking about for a very long time and I think it could be a huge benefit to Wassaic,” May said.

A little history

Introducing himself to the board, May said he’s been skateboarding for 25 years and that, at the age of 13, he and his friends advocated for the first skatepark in their hometown of Riverton, Wyo. Defining a skatepark as “a purpose-built recreational environment made of skateboarding, BMX, scooter, wheelchair and inline skating,” he said a skatepark creates “a safe space that’s an alternative to team sports that encourages fulfilling physical activity out of doors.”

Looking at the health benefits in terms of mental, physical and social health, May said of all the things that make skateboarding fun — such as focus, self-education, determination and self-discipline — “is the enormous challenge and tremendous reward that comes from skateboarding.” 

The benefits of a skatepark

Along with the physical benefits of aerobic exercise, strength-building and stamina-building, May said achieving a trick is one of the greatest intrinsic rewards. Meanwhile, the social benefits a skatepark include community involvement, a sense of belonging, inclusion, a social support network and building friendships.

May said a skatepark would keep young people in town and provide a social gathering place in the community. He explained that a professionally designed skatepark acts as an extension of that community’s specific needs, adding that there’s a sense of ownership in having skateboarders participate in the design conversation. 

After talking with some local youth who showed an interest in having a skatepark, May told the board that he’s planning to have a design meeting to discuss with local skaters what they want the park to look like.

From an economic perspective, May said having a skatepark creates a need for quality skateboard shops in town; he mentioned that he’s already talked with some people who are interested in opening a business to sell and repair skateboards. 

A well-designed skatepark would also attract visitors from other communities — even other states and countries, and would prove the town’s investment in its youth. 

How to make it possible

In addition to reaching out to the local youth and area residents, May shared that he’s had several meetings with the Tony Hawk Foundation, a nonprofit organization geared toward building skateparks in small communities. 

Responding to Councilman Damien Gutierrez’s question about funding through grants, May shared that, based on his conversations with the Tony Hawk Foundation, on average 85% of funding for successfully completed skateparks is through grant money while about 5% is done through grassroots funding and about 10% is funded through private donations.

Believing his proposal has a good chance of qualifying for grants, May said, “It’s not much, but you get a lot of international attention for it, which then can help your chances of raising more.”

He later suggested that having the town grant writer involved would help move the project along.

The liability issue

Since one of the most common questions people ask about skateparks focuses on skatepark liability, May explained that New York State recognizes skateparks as “ordinary recreational facilities just like any other” and that state insurance views these facilities in the same way it does basketball courts. If anything, he said, a skatepark would be a healthy gathering place for local youth. 

Answering Councilwoman Michele Somogyi’s questions about liability and supervision later that evening, May said the skatepark would be lit, open and visible to the public, and that if the town were to hire someone to watch the skatepark, then it would be liable for anything that goes on at the park, though it is covered by New York State Recreation. The skatepark would also be free and open to the public, and May noted that typical hours of operation for skateparks would run from dawn to dusk.

To give the board a sense of how a skatepark would work in the hamlet of Wassaic, May projected a community comparison to demonstrate how skateparks have benefitted communities similar to Wassaic, such as Riverton; Alberton, Mont.; and Middletown, N.Y. 

Community feedback, participation

Having reached out to many community members, May’s proposal has so far been received with excitement and encouragement from local residents, with people showing a willingness to donate their time and money just so their children will have a safe place to gather. 

Regarding the skatepark’s installation, May recommended a concrete skatepark as they require nearly zero maintenance; once the concrete is poured, he said the only maintenance would be the occasional mowing and weeding around the perimeter as well as collecting trash. 

Outlining one of his future goals, May said he’d like to enlist a small group of volunteers for a Skatepark Advisory Committee to meet about fundraising, raising community awareness and other similar tasks pertaining to the skatepark.

“This is a wonderful new opportunity for recreation,” said town Supervisor Victoria Perotti, who said she was impressed with May’s proposal.