The Reformer is reporting that the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation has “unofficially rejected” the (lower) Living Memorial Park location for a possible Brattleboro skatepark.
The story says the town might still face rejection even if the Act 250 permit for the Living Memorial Park was revised and accepted and the Whetstone Brook banks were stabilized, and hints that the project has returned to the stage of evaluating other possible sites. Elm Street may also face similar state obstacles as a location, according to the story.
LMP
There are still two other possible sites at Living Memorial Park to consider, let’s not hastily exit the park all together quite yet!
The seeds of this current
The seeds of this current situation were planted when the select board chose a site that was not even considered by its own site selection committee. Siting for this project needs to happen with full public participation, clear process and transparency. The site selection process continues. Time to look at other sites that were prioritized by the site selection committee.
Andy
Upon hearing the news
“Oh, crud!” said absolutely everyone.
Upper Memorial Park
I think any site near a brook/water body needs to be tossed, which means in light of the Memorial Park unofficial decision, Elm Street is pointless to look at too because the juxtaposition with the brook is the same.
As for top sites from the site selection committee, that really leaves Upper Memorial Park. (if you take out Elm because of the brook and Crowell because of it being controversial).
I think Upper Memorial Park would be a great site and hopefully it can be pursued.
Never quitting, never giving up,
Spencer.
100% Skateboarder for life.
Sounds good.
Probably the best next location to consider for a fast track to a skate park.
It is rather close to clouds and the upper atmosphere, though. Hopefully we can avoid NOAA and FAA concerns. : )
Senior Area
I think it is a good thing the designated Senior Section did not pan out for a skate park location, a lot of nice shade trees would have had to be removed (Sycamore) and again, an existing use would have to be displaced or unnecessarily crowded at that corner of the park confining and concentrating many recreational sport uses to that one area of the park when having 68 acres provides more available options to space out various sports. ULMP is an outstanding site and has plenty of room for expansion and is close enough to bathrooms. Deja vu
Compliment
I admire your ‘never give up’ attitude, Spencer. I hope this latest bump simply propels the project, airborne, to a smooth landing at an even better location. I truly want to help get the fund raising rolling once a site is finalized.
Andy
Elm Street
It might be too early to rule out the Elm Street location.I went on the site visits and I don’t recall Rod Francis expressing the environmental concerns for Elm Street, that he did when looking at the Senior area at LMP. I drove by the park today and I realized how close the area at LMP is to the brook. It seems as though there would be a greater distance between the structure and the river bank at Elm Street. Also there’s a lumber yard and commercial buildings all along the brook. The new Co-op was built? I have to agree with Mr. Davis, I was shocked when the Select Board approved a site that hadn’t not even been evaluated by the site selection commit
ee. Carol Lalotte said that very night, that it was a long shot. With that said I am baffled why the site was approved. So here we are again? Upper Living Memorial Park as well as Elm are great locations.
Elm and the environment
I would wait for a professional to weigh in on the environmental implications of Elm Street – the siting committee’s highest rated location. Building a skatepark at Elm Street would simply retain it’s current status as a paved surface. Landscaping would probably result in the planting of appropriately scaled trees. Parking could possibly be along the brook side with the skating surface toward Frost/Flat Streets. I am not an environmental planner, but this site bears no resemblance to the grassy, tree covered site at the senior area where the brook is winding around the park.
If the town is really considering a parcel on Putney Road for the Police/Fire Station why not designate a portion of that parcel for a skatepark? Putney Road is easily reached by car and bus. Proximity to Police/Fire would insure that parents would be comfortable dropping off children when they went grocery shopping in the neighborhood. Community policing would be enhanced by having a skatepark located where families, youth and police would be informally in contact from time to time.
Putney Rd seems to have the most parcels of flat undeveloped land in town. An 8,000 square foot skatepark takes the place of about 40 parking spaces. If we combined the Police/Fire project with the skateboard project the Town of Brattleboro could accomplish two elusive goals at once, developing excitement and support for both projercts. Am I dreaming?
Since you're dreamstorming
Might as well throw in public funding for the park, that everyone’s good with!!
MERDE !
MERDE ! MERDE ! MERDE !
That was my first reaction.
Elm Street Works
Elm street would not be subject to statewide river corridor regulation because it is not an Act 250 property. It would be subject to local zoning flood regulation, which would allow a non inhabited structure in the floodplain. It could even reduce impervious surface with rain gardens, trees and plantings.
Elm Street is a good, viable location. Preferable to the remote location of upper living memorial park, in my opinion.
Re: Adam / Elm St
The way the meeting went the other night, it seemed pretty clear that Elm St was going to present the same roadblocks that lower memorial park did given the brook. But you know more about the zoning regs and Act 250 stuff than I do so it could possibly work.
However, just my 2 cents, I have never liked that Elm St location.
1) There is no shade. Shade is really, really nice when you’re skating in the summer.
2) Safety concerns. Unlike Union Hill which no skateboarder would ever attempt to bomb down because it means certain death, that Elm St Hill is a hill that could be attempted. I can see skaters doing it. That presents a legitimate danger with that site due to the hill and traffic.
3) Memorial Park has tons of usable acreage that is currently undeveloped and already zoned for recreation. It is just logical for a skate park to be at a recreational park amongst other recreation. It makes sense to consolidate our recreational areas in town and not splice them up and scatter them about. I do not like the way Elm St would isolate skateboarders from other recreation. I do not like the feel of that. Why attempt to develop a parking lot that has absolutely no connection to recreation or sports use in town when Memorial Park is sitting right there explicitly for that purpose?
I'll have to Anti up for 3 cents worth
Your points are well taken, appreciated and I personally mostly agree but consider these;
Union Hill has been skated down countless times as I live on the corner and bear witness, if skaters wanted to skate down Elm St they would have already been doing so, but yes the likelihood will be more apt to occur with a skate park the destination unless somehow obstructed w/ a series of speed bumps or other strict enforcement measures on route to prevent the temptation.
The Boys and Girls Club provides limited skate boarding, this has not been a problem as far as I know for representing a separate recreational sport close to town with amenities (rather in town), many skate parks successfully exist by themselves in urban areas which they benefit.
I agree shade is nice during the heat spells but the lack thereof does not deter common sports such a baseball, tennis, soccer, ect. from completing a game and being in the sun is great as long as there is a drinkable water source nearby or brought along, some protective shade could be provided by means a dug out type construction worked into the design for those taking a break or more mature tree plantings of fast growing varieties, maybe even lush vines could be part of the overall design. A water cooled circulation system throughout concrete forms pumped from Whetstone and back may solve some of the problems and may be the first of it’s design, but a pipe dream and completely unaffordable I’m sure. (forget that can’t return warm effluent to brook)
The ULMP location does provide partial shade during certain day light hours, shaded picnic areas and a pool down below to cool off. If it was designed to follow existing contours I think it would be more sympathetic to the nice natural setting up there ie, earth tones, terraced and within the large natural earthen depression as well as skate trails that were non obtrusive and could be skied over in the winter time. I still think there should be a season pass and /or minimal daytime charge that is scaled accordingly to help maintain site costs and it’s continuous upkeep.
Has anyone ever considered
Has anyone ever considered the possible skate park location at Elm to be and extension of or somehow affiliated with the Boys and Girls club so both facilities could be managed and shared under one entity?
"Well, the one thing that we
“Well, the one thing that we all know for sure is that the Selectboard will do everything in it’s power; move heaven and earth, if necessary to make sure that the town gets it’s long, long awaited skateboard park”, said no one ever
SKATEPARK ON THE AGENDA FOR 1/20 SELECT BOARD MEETING
Discussion relating to the latest turn of events is on the agenda for tomorrow Select Board Meeting. I imagine people will be pitching their ideas about the next possible site for it to be built.
New Site
Finally it appears as though the saga has ended. Last night the Select Board named the Upper Living Memorial Park as the site for the new skatepark. I believe this site will work it doesn’t have any of the obstacles as the others do. Looking forward to helping out with the fund raising.
I'm not sure the saga has
I’m not sure the saga has ended, by any means. The ULM site still has to go through many trials and tribulations before any fundraising or construction can begin. So, while it’s good news that there is some forward movement I don’t think it’s time to break out the party hats yet. Lots more discussion, appraising and hoops to jump through before the first board hits that ground.
PARTY HATS
Well, it certainly doesn’t have the environmental concerns or controversy from neighbors which is a big step forward. I am optimistic that this site will work. What trials and tribulations, it doesn’t require special permitting.
" investigating the
” investigating the feasibility of a skate park in ULM park”…trial and tribulation # 1. More to follow, I’m sure. As I said no party hats yet.
The greatest Nation is DO-NATION
I am psyched about the prospect of Upper Living Memorial Park being the spot.
The most important thing that our community can do right now to get behind the skate park effort is DONATE.
Please donate, largely and generously 😉
All you do is drop off a check at Gibson Aiken Center (Rec and Parks) and put “Skatepark donation” in the memo section of the check. Or mail the check to Rec and Parks.
Or you can donate through http://www.brattleboroskatepark.com
Donating is easy and only takes a few minutes.
If Abraham Lincoln can lose elections, fail and struggle for many years before eventually succeeding and becoming President, then Brattleboro can eventually get our Skatepark!!
Web Site
Just a heads up, the web site you have posted doesn’t have the newest location (ULMP) just approved by SB described or mentioned, so this may be somewhat confusing for those who have not been updated, maybe a picture of terrain could be posted of general area. Was up there the other day to look at bowl area and noticed just a few ski tracks down into bowl itself, so I’m hoping 6,500 sq. ft. there will not be too much of an imposition to skiers when they have the whole rest of the downhill slope to enjoy and possibly a trail around the future skate park on access road loop could be worked out in the overall design.