It’s Representative Town Meeting Day in Brattleboro.
Representatives are filing in and getting settled, as are those of us who plan on covering today’s event. I have to say, I’m pretty tired from all the work on the new site, so I especially apologize in advance for spelling errors and such.
Usually, however, as they get into the more interesting debates of the day, this becomes less of a chore and more fun. I’m counting on it today.
I urge support for Article 13, Skatepark funding. The emotional arguments against a skatepark are reminiscent of arguments against dance halls in the 30’s, pool tables in the 40’s and bowling alleys in the 50’s. Kids are going to hang out somewhere. In my neighborhood, it was a 6′ plywood pool table in our basement; mom and dad upstairs; not exactly supervised, but ever-present. A skatepark is a relatively contained area more easily supervised than a dead-end dirt road in the woods.
The Living Memorial Skatepark has its ACT 250 permit and is ready to hopefully break ground in 2017. We just need more contributions. Please donate to this important cause for recreation and youth in Brattleboro. A skate park would be a tremendous asset to our town and region!!
Here is the link to watch the new video and DONATE!
The Brattleboro Skatepark committee is having a fundraiser on Tuesday, December 6th at 5pm at Elliot Street Fish & Chips. We are busy working to push us over the top so we can put the shovel in the ground and get kids skating in Brattleboro at Living Memorial Park. Please tell your family, friends, etc…to come out and support the skatepark. Fun times!
60% of the evenings proceeds will go toward the construction of the Brattleboro Skatepark.
www.brattleboroskatepark.com
Our local skatepark project got a boost with approval of a $230,000 grant application by the Brattleboro Selectboard at Tuesday’s meeting. If granted, the money will be used for design and construction of the skatepark at Living Memorial Park.
Emergency plans for Vermont Yankee are set to change as the storage situation in Vernon evolves. Maybe. The board also delat with annual approvals of liquor licenses, a Grand List certification, parade permits, and the adoption of a new ordinance for pets.
The Brattleboro Selectboard had several important decisions and announcements at their regular Tuesday meeting. A new Town Manager will soon be hired, a new Police Chief has been sworn in, a skatepark site has been selected, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be henceforth recognized in Brattleboro.
The police will also get new equipment, and Brattleboro is being recognized for energy efficiency achievements. Read on for all the important details, and then some.
Because we can never discuss skateparks enough, and reaching over 100 comments can be hard on readers, here is a new story to continue the conversation.
To review, Brattleboro is in search of a site (or sites) for a skatepark. There are four official sites chosen by the selection committee, and a fifth potential site discussed at Living Memorial Park during Selectboard visits. There is also a possibility that no site will be selected, as well as suggestions that more than one site be allowed.
As no decision has been made yet, discussion and debate continues…
I gotta tell ya, as someone who graduated a recording engineering program many years ago, sound is very complicated! I have lived next to, used, and helped build skateparks since I was a little prepube, and I have always been a huge supporter of the skatepark at Crowell or Living Memorial Park. I never thought skateparks were as loud as oppositional neighbors across the country always made it seem, however I was pretty surprised to see how similar or even quieter they are to noise levels produced by Baseball fields, basketball, playgrounds, and traffic. Unless someone can refute this data I think it’s time that noise levels stop being used as an argument against a skatepark in mixed recreational parks near neighbors.
Brattleboro’s recognition of MLK, Jr. Day remains unresolved, with the Selectboard asking for more information to compare the options of adding and swapping holidays for employees.
The board had a long conversation about the future of the Melrose property, and specifically whether it would or could become a burden on the town. The Brattleboro Housing Authority said they didn’t want it to be a burden, but the board wanted further clarification before approving the PUD for Red Clover Commons.
The Entergy Funds committee is looking at their options, the skatepark visits nearly led to fisticuffs, town finances are preliminarily good, and the Selectboard approved goals. All this and more below.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Selectboard officially heard the official recommendations of the official Skatepark Site Selection Committee at their Tuesday meeting, but questions from the board and the public remain, and second-guessing of the results began almost immediately. An official Selectboard decision should come by the end of August.
The Selectboard also set the FY15 tax rate, agreed to go forward with improvements at Union Hill and Western Ave, discussed upcoming funding options using money form VY, learned about the potential threat to our ash trees, bought fuel, and more in a long meeting for returning board member David Gartenstein.
My friend, Josh Werner, who passed away several years ago, used to go to Turning Point, when it was on Elm Street, before it moved out to Putney Road.
I shared with him that I had seen people, wating across the street from Turning Point, calling out to clients and members of Turning Point such quaint lines as, “Hey Jimmy, wanna party ? Come on over to my place”.
The committee rating process has concluded after many meetings and site visits, and the Elm Street location was top-rated for a location of the new Brattleboro Skatepark, according to the draft minutes of the Skatepark Selection Committee.
Here are their draft results:
The Skatepark Site Selection Committee has the last on site visits TODAY Tuesday April 29 (rain or shine). Here’s the agenda; come to part or all.
1. 5:15 P.M. Site Visit – Living Memorial Park (61 Guilford St)
2. Recess
3. 6:10 P.M. Site Visit – Crowell Lot (Intersection of Western Ave & Union St/Cedar St)
4. Recess
The Skatepark Site Selection Committee is starting site visits this Thursday (rain or shine). Here’s the agenda; come to part or all.
Thursday April 10, 2014
1. 5:15 P.M. Site Visit Elliot St. Park–190 Elliot St.
2. Recess
3. 5:45 P.M. Site Visit Elm Street Park Lot–At the Corner of Elm St & Flat St
4. Recess
5. 6:15 P.M. Meeting Gibson Aiken Center–207 Main St.
6. Public Input via E-Mail – skateparkideas@brattleboro.org
7. Report on Act250 Properties (Cedar St.)
8. Review Site Visits
9. Next Meeting Wednesday April 16, at 5:15 P.M.
10.Other business
Meeting called to order: at 5:20 PM
Members present: Joe Bushey, Marty Fitzgerald, Betsy Gentile, Elizabeth McLouglin, Jacob Roberts, Andrea Watkins. Others present: Jeff Clark, Francine Vallario, Howard Weiss-‐Tisman, Linda Whelihan, Patty Fitzgerald
Agenda:
Public Participation
Jeff Clark, the chair of BASIC informed the SSSC members that there might be vacancies coming up on their committee. He thought some members from SSSC might be interested in seeing the skate park project through to completion (possibly a new design, fund raising and building) and would be welcome to serve on BASIC as members or consultants. Chair, Betsy Gentile, replied that it would be a very good idea and a logical step for members to consider when their work on the site selection committee was completed.
Skatepark Site Selection Committee Minutes Draft
Thursday February 20, 2014 Meeting called to order: at 5:16 PM by Betsy Gentile
Members present: Joe Bushey, Marty Fitzgerald, Betsy Gentile, Elizabeth McLoughlin, Jacob Roberts, Andre Watkins. Others present: Carol Lolatte, Rod Francis, Jeff Clark, Les Montgomery, Howard Weiss-Tisman, Francine Vallario, Patty Fitzgerald.
Agenda:
1. Public Participation
None
