Imagining a fresh skate park

The skate park on Uinta is one of the most used recreational parks in Green River. When at the park, you can definitely tell it has had its fair share of wear and tear. After seeing how in need of some renovations the skate park was, I contacted Brad Raney. Raney, being the parks and recreation administrator, I believed he could share some insight.

The first thing I asked Raney was if there had been any discussion or suggestions to renovate the park. To which he replied yes, and that it was on a long list of amenities to be done. Along with the skate park, the administration would also like to renovate the Recreational center, the Splash Pad and the Green Belt. However the funds for projects like these are very hard to come by.

“The funding for these types of projects are virtually zero,” Raney said.

The skate park was built 14 years ago during a renovations project lead by a group of Green River students. Before these students started the initiative to fix the park, it was nothing more hat a wooden ramp. While the park has done a great amount of service to the skater kids in the Green River area, after 14 year it is time for some updates.

The main problem skaters at the park face is the crakes in the cement. Wheels on skateboards, scooters and roller skates and blades are not meant for harsh concrete conditions. The cracks also leave tiny pebbles and small rocks which are definitely not fun for any kind of skate wheels. Some of the ramps and benches have had their fair share of weathering as well.

However as much as members of the city would like to redo the park, the lack of funding creates a major blockade in the project plans. According to Raney the main source of funding for parks comes from pursuing and obtaining grants. Raney also said that if renovations were to happen in the near future, that it would be beneficial to have experienced users of the park to spearhead the efforts. By having kids who utilize the park, lead the project in terms of what equipment is needed and how to achieve funding, the longitivtiy of the project is increased.

“There are grant and fundraising opportunities out there,” Raney said in an interview. “And a group of passionate young people is much more convincing than a city official.”

According to Raney an estimated budget would depend on the type of renovations and the desired equipment. An in ground concrete skate park can cost several hundred dollars. The above ground features and concrete pad that is currently in place cost $110,000, 14 years ago. However 14 years ago, Green River was in an economic boom and was not suffering from budget shortfalls.

With the biggest obstacle being the lack of funds and now the addition of a pandemic, it is understandable as to why the park has not been renovated. However, it is my hope that once the slump the pandemic has caused is repaired, that a group of passionate skaters from the community work to ensure that the skate park gets a bit of a facelift.

 

Reader Comments(0)