18 Illinois Parks and Recreation

SPECIAL FOCUS

By Todd Reese, ASLA

Skate Park?
Not in my backyard!

Why site selection and a very public planning process are key to developing a skate park in your community

The youth in your community have come forward with a petition asking for the dreaded skate park. They have no place to skate except on city streets, driveways and in the downtown area. They are, in effect, fugitives banned from the business district, city parks and other public spaces. But these kids are organized, enthusiastic and looking for your help.

Data from American Sports Data Inc. reveals that skating-related activities (in-line skating, roller-skating, in-line hockey and skateboarding combined) represent the largest all-age sports participation group of any single sport. That makes skating larger than basketball, softball, baseball and even soccer. National statistics indicate that at least half of the children ages eight years and older own in-line skates.

No longer can skating be shrugged off as a passing fad. In fact, participants show as much and more focus, agility and strength as other athletes in many other sports. This legitimate sport turns out true athletes.

As a park professional, the petition from the skaters has helped you establish a definite interest and a legitimate program need. The kids are excited, you're excited, and you want to help; after all, "it's for the kids." All you need now is a half-acre or so of land to build one. Your agency has more than a dozen park sites and hundreds of acres. How tough could it be? you ask yourself.

The Skate Park Site Dilemma

It is said that the three most important factors in real estate are location, location and location. For skate parks, location is everything. Unfortunately, park districts and skaters throughout the nation are learning that the wrong initial location can result in no skate park at all. Not on the first site selected, the back-up site or even the last site in town. Never! Just ask some of your fellow park professionals.

At TD&A, we refer to this challenge as "The New Slippery Slope." To avoid slipping down a slope that leads to no skate park, planning consultants and park officials should initiate a process that evaluates all currently owned, leased and potentially available (non-owned) properties for feasibility as a skate park site. This should be done before a specific site is approved. Of course, it is entirely possible that there are no feasible outdoor sites in your community. Your alternatives include indoor sites and cooperative development outside your boundaries through an intergovernmental agreement.

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A site analysis for the McHenry Zone Skate Park site shows the impact on surrounding land uses and nearby residents. ©TD&A

Attributes of the Best Site

From a general park and recreation planning perspective, the best site offers high visibility and good accessibility. A "community park" site that is larger in size and central to the agency's service area is desirable. Evaluate and consider proximity to the central business district, public transportation, site circulation, parking and available support facilities.

From the standpoint of the skater and designer, a good site features the right terrain, space for a minimum 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot "skateable" surface, spectator area, buffering, and potential future expansion. A minimum half-acre site is recommended. As the skating surface characteristics are critical to proper skate park design, a well drained, stable soil structure is a requirement to ensure surface integrity.

Hoffman Estates Park District executive director Dean Bostrom attributes the success of Willow Skate Park site to easy access by residents. Whether it's via bicycle, car, walking or skating, access is easy. The adjacent recreation center provides support facilities, which include restrooms, concessions and a pay phone.

Bostrom says: "A critical factor in the site selection process was to have no adverse impact on our neighbors and residents. The skate park is in a low part of the site, six feet below grade with the recreation center serving as buffer on the north and woodland area serving as a natural buffer to the west.

"We are currently renovating our Willow Rec Center to include a teen center to further build on the momentum gained from outdoor teen activities associated with Willow Skate Park."

About the city of McHenry's "McHenry Zone Skate Park," Pete Merkel, director of parks and recreation says: "This site is easily accessible to our residents and has all the support facilities to be found in a large community park, including shelter, drinking fountain, large parking lot, emergency phone and security lighting.

"Dropping in" at Burnhom Skate Park on Chicago's lakeshore. ©TD&A

"Also, safety was one of the major concerns of our city council and Parents Volunteer Committee. The police department and parks and recreation offices are located in the Municipal Center Complex immediately adjacent to our McHenry Zone Skate Park. This allows us the ability to keep a close eye on activities."

The Planning Process

Whether you have planning staff or enlist the assistance of a consultant, it is important to outline a planning process that is open to everyone and involves education, awareness, communication, honesty and an open mind. We have learned through experience that the best first step is to educate the public by sharing what is known about the proposed uses of the site. Getting everyone, including the general public, started on the same page will be helpful in avoiding misunderstandings and misperceptions.

Planning consultants can assist park and recreation professionals in drafting successful alternative strategies, providing expert testimony and facilitating the public process. This process also allows the client to be removed from the direct line of fire.

In planning the Burnham Skate Park, the Chicago Park District Department of Planning and Development initiated a multi-tiered planning process.

"The first step was inclusion of a skate park as one of many potential elements in the Burnham Park

The acronym SKATES has emerged to help when discussing the various siting issues for skate parks.

S - Sites are considered from throughout the community (outdoor and indoor)

K - Knowledge is built to identify each site's constraints and opportunities

A - A comprehensive strategy is developed by the agency

T - Time schedule is adopted and refined (budget for delays)

E - Experts should assist and help manage the process

S - Stakeholders are included in a public process every step of the way

by Todd Reese, ASLA

20 Illinois Parks and Recreation

SPECIAL FOCUS

Chicago Park District general superintendent David Doig opens Chicago's first skate park in October of 2000. At 22,000 square feet, the facility is Illinois' largest and serves hundreds of skaters daily. ©TD&A

Framework Plan, a long-range comprehensive planning document resulting from a thorough and inclusive public process," says Mitch Glass, project manager for the Chicago Park District.

"The Framework Plan identified activity nodes, like the 31st Street location which provided support facilities including restrooms, pay phones, playgrounds and parking."

After further interest, a team of park officials, skate interest groups and consultants was commissioned to develop concepts and explore multiple site alternatives at the 31st Street location.

Says Glass: "The park district went back to the public again with multiple locations and designs for public review and input, including advisory council, alderman and ward review processes.

"The success of our Burnham Skate Park facility can be attributed to the public process, design team and high profile site. It is exciting to see this unique and popular park district facility when passing by on Lake Shore Drive. Burnham Skate Park's proximity to Lake Shore Drive, major expressways, public transportation and the lakefront bike path system provides of the city's residents."

To address future facility needs, the Chicago Park District facilitated a joint agency report tided "Extreme Sports Chicago 2001," bringing together various city and Cook County government agencies for the purpose of assessing needs and outlining recommendations for developing future skate park and other extreme sports facilities.

National statistics indicate that at least half of the children ages eight years and older own in-line Skates.

A Different Angle Other than community playgrounds, dollar for dollar, skate park facilities can provide some of the highest use-play value return on your initial investment. Many communities do not hesitate spending $200,000 on a community playground that may average 25 children on a nice day. Think of a skate park as a playground for pre-teens, teens and young adults. That same group that hasn't attended a program in your system for five years. Skate parks respond to a program need in an under-served age segment. But more than that, it is a facility that is responsive to this age group's needs and desires. The city of Countryside recently concluded a comprehensive, open space master plan. Subsequently, the city developed a skate park in its one and only community park. Says Sue Wilson, director of recreation for Countryside: "We never thought our skate park facility would be such a huge success. At any given time there will be anywhere from 15 to 45 inline skaters or skateboarders. "The skate park is located near the middle of our 11 -acre site, adjacent to volleyball courts, basketball courts, in-line hockey rink. All are unsupervised and we have not experienced any problems or complaints from neighbors." The skate park component of the development cost $ 165,000 and serves an impressive number of young adults. Its play-value return to the city is strong and is likely to be stronger than the $120,000 playground component. by Todd Reese, ASLA

January/February 2002 21

Proposed skate park facilities have, in many communities, rekindled the NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) spirit and sense of purpose.

Bowls provide the intermediate and advanced skaters hours of challenge. Some bowls in the United States now reach 10 feet in depth. © TD&A

Expect NIMBYs and BANANAs

Most park officials have been challenged by neighbors or special interest groups over the siting of new park improvements. Proposed skate park facilities have, in many communities, rekindled the NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) spirit and sense of purpose. Even the BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) has become involved. It is important to realize that, with respect to skate park site selection, if these two opposition groups are left unchecked or pull out of the public process, it is entirely possible that they will convince adjacent residents that a skate park is a bad idea. For skate parks, it's recommended to allow twice as much time as you would estimate for a typical community approval process.

While unspoken and hidden agendas abound, the NIMBY's public agenda generally includes concerns such as traffic, parking, noise, lighting, hours of operation, safety and security. Specific to skate park development, a NIMBY's trump card of choice is to voice heavy concerns over security-related issues. Suggestions by opponents of baggy pants, purple hair, body art, body piercing, loud music, drugs and alcohol as being commonplace generally stir some emotion and negative reaction. In our office, we facetiously say, "everyone knows teenage boys are bad." In public meetings, we have heard these countless criticisms of teenage boys and their behavior. In response, our clients have worked hard to position these facilities as critical elements in their facility and programming strategy: to better serve a difficult-to-reach segment of their community.

Some level of resistance should be anticipated and planned for accordingly. NIMBY or not, residents will have concerns that need to be addressed through the public planning process. This will educate constituents, help them better understand the sport, dispel rumors and myths, increase comfort levels, diminish opposition and build support.

If you have not yet had the opportunity to work on a skate park project in your community, you are truly missing out on one of the most enjoyable design processes possible. You will find this group of children, pre-teens, teen and adults to be the most interesting, diverse, dedicated and enthusiastic planning team members you have worked with.

One final conclusion, teenage boys are not bad. Go for it.

The sociol aspects of the skate park must be considered in any design. Skaters spend time talking, watching fellow athletes and waiting their turn. © TD&A

Todd Reese, ASLA is a Registered Landscape Architect and project manager with Thompson Dyke & Associates (TD&A), a 22-member planning and landscape architecture firm specializing in park planning, park development, municipal planning and zoning. Reese served as project manager and design director on skate parks for the Chicago Park District, City of McHenry Parks & Recreation Department, City of Countryside Recreation Department, the Hoffman Estates and Naperville park districts. He has more than 18 years experience as a park administrator serving as director of planning for the Northbrook Park District and assistant director for the Hoffman Estates Park District. Reese was a speaker at the 2001 American Planning Association Conference, "Skate Park Sites: The New Slippery Slope" and the 2001 IAPD/IPRA Annual Conference, "Skate Parks: Build It and They Will Come."

22 Illinois Parks and Recreation