chefd - I hope your kids never play high school football either, because they will have to go to "that 4th ward" area. BTW, if and when the park is built, your kids will be going down there regardless if you take them or ban them from there. Don't be so igonrant...

dalegribble: How do you know that the Beloit skate park only serves 100 kids?

Again, janesvillean, you hit it right on the head! What is wrong with that area? That park at night is lit up like a xmas tree! Of course there would be open and close hours, right? The city could go as far as to hire a couple people to watch your precious children from the east side. JMO

If the Westphal site were available right now, I would consider it a viable option, but as is Traxler is cramped and has public events that take place there regularly that would conflict with placement of a skatepark. I really think the Jackson site is the optimal with Monterey the second. As for safety, it's a principle of urban design that bringing activities to a location brings people and people generate safety. Areas that are isolated and unused are less safe. So putting the skatepark in either location would enhance the safety of the area.

There's no bread, let them go skate, there's no end in what they'll take.

Businesses are reluctant to donate to a site that has yet to be determined, I would guess because, depending on the site they may not want to be involved...I know if it is in any of the three locations around Monterey, my kids are not going. Traxler is PERFECT. I would have no worries letting them ride there on their own, spending time in that area. Palmer has enough to brag on, and there is getting to be too much traffic around there. Not going to bash on 4th ward, but, it is what it is, and my kids wont be hanging around there. Settle on Traxler as the location, and watch the support pour in!

Gazette...do you forward these "Poll" results to anyone on the council? Just in case they aren't following? just wondering. I would also like to see a poll on who would or would not let their kids around 4th ward area if that is where the park is located.

let them skate,i wonder how many truly have studied the monterey (goose island) site,does the city report how many times a week they clean up after the fowl,of course truly seeing geese on boards would be a astonishing.let them eat crow,in monterey

counting 2005 as year one, streich has had five + years to raise his cash ($300,000).
instead he has raised $26,000.
i am a product of the public school system so forgive my math skills but if say the goal was 300k over five years -- that's $60,000 annually.
instead, he has raised a paltry $5,200 a year (most of that by the way is his own donation).
could it be me or is it only streich who believes this city needs a skate park?
if people wanted it, they would pony up.
in an age where local, state and federal budgets are running huge deficits, do we really need to blow much needed cash on this project?

I think Monterey is a great idea. That area of Janesville could certainly use some positive aspects. The "4th Ward" has always gotten a bad rap, and it's not that big of a deal. Janesville is one of the only towns in the entire area that does not have a skate park of some kind. I would like to see it designed for bikes as well though.

I think some of you are just plain (Jerks for lack of a better term since its a local paper) some of you say They should pay for it themselves... Hello these are kids! And that place behind the old Walmart is a joke not to mention the other complaints about that place. Lets all be honest 4th ward really... We all know that its not a place for kids. Skateboarders are not bad people. Yes some like every class are bad eggs. But look at the world who doesnt have those any more? Give us a good spot and the help it deserves! Or let them skate in town like they always have!

As some posters refer to the "4th ward" so negatively, do you wonder why it is that way? I would love to see it put at Monterey. They already took away fishing down there with the trail so why not add some more entertainment for our future generations? There is frisbee golf at Lustig Park and then they could walk to Monterey and skate. I see this spot as a win win situation. Maybe the 4th ward wouldn't be so bad if people actually had something to do to improve the neighborgood besides the 4th ward park where nothing but drug deals go on. Chefd, wake up and smell the coffee! You are just rude, plain and simple! The 4th ward is what we all make it and have made it, not just it's current residents!!! I have lived on every side of town and I favor the south or the west. Friendlier people and more cheap things to do. Chefd, you must live on the eastside. Lets give the rest of the city of Janesville some business! JMO

I hope that everyone who is so afraid of the (gasp) Fouth Ward doesn't have children who will ever participate in sports or in the City Wide track me, becuase you will have to venture to that oh so scary neighborhood. Why dont you take a trip down there and then decide what you are afraid of. Could it be diversity?

I tried to point out to the advisory committee Tuesday night, the fact when talking to many families around the city, if the park is placed in 4th ward they will not bring there kids to the park. There fore if the advisory committee wants it in the 4th ward, the park will get very little use and is a waste of every ones money. Maybe the project should be scrapped and spend the money on a ice skating rink and that will make every one happy.

Raising money seems to be a problem. There is a negative perception of skateboarders due to the attitudes exhibited by some participants of the sport.
PBR summed it up perfectly, "Skateboarders are a fringe group with an attached stigma...".

As for location, the Jackson St. site is the best. It's near Monterey Park, on the bike trail, and a stones throw from the Lions beach portion of Palmer Park.

I would not bring my kids to the 4th ward or anywhere near there...leave it where it is...Palmer

Choosing central sites is the first step in correcing this long overdue project. Palmer Park was a poor choice for a variety of reasons. All of the communities I travel thru have their skating facilities accessable in a central location. The fact that the group has raised less than one tenth of the funds after five years should tell you it's time for a change in direction.

Traxler is no longer an option because of current and future plans have the site already spoken for. READ THE STORY. Also, Roger probably would have received more support for his "suggestions" if he was more cordial about his mission. Quite frankly, nobody can really quantify how much of this park kids will really use. Skateboarders are a fringe group with an attached stigma, so my opinion is the city should take baby steps in money spent on this. If there is plenty of support and use, expansion or additional funds can be diverted when the economy is better.

wahoo_35: I don't think the City Council approved a specific date for the ice rink fund-raising.

I've donated to the cause because there is not a lot for young people to do in Janesville. Granted when I grew up there wasn't either, but we found things to do! An Indoor skate park would be a good thing, but wait, there is one out by the old Walmart. (if it's still open) No matter where it goes, if it even does, people will still gripe! There will be trouble of some kind! Kids are going to be kids. The Delavan skate park, as well as the one in Beloit have very few problems!

Monteray has enough problems. Put it at Traxler, gets more attention from Police and Fire. And its a central location.

Traxler would be great, patrolable with ease. A distance that riffraff would have to go further to and won't because of the distance. Unlike Monterey where we know that most of the trouble comes from that area (not saying all people in the 4th ward are bad but is higher rate of problems). Traxler is also away from residential area and close to the hospital and clinic where lots of kids will need their assistance. Problem I can see is the off high traffic business's down there having problems. Kids will be kids and walking and kids do mischief. I see a few windows getting broke when the park closes for the evening and kids are walking that street and see fun targets in their eyes.

Traxler Park is more centrally located, and in a better neighborhood than the other choices.

If this group can not raise the money by the deadline, will it get extended like they did for the ice rink people? What is that new due date anyway?

This awesome skate park in Asheville, NC is on an otherwise unusable strip of land between a freeway and a neighborhood, on a hill. There is no off street parking lot, since most of the kids ride their skateboards to and from the site.

http://www.foodlionskatepark.com/index.h...

It was paid for by the largest local food store, Food Lion, and is run by the City's Leisure Services Dept. Helmets and wrist/knee guards are required. There is a nominal fee to enter. Rentals are available.

There are a lot of unusable-for-anything-else sites, and since this is an area that will simply be paved over completely, are there any suggestions for properties that could be reutilized, instead of taking up green space? The old Robinson's Cleaners?

The design of this park is cool, since it uses the hill - areas get more difficult the further down you go! Really cool!

I still say if they want a skate park do what we did years ago for our BMX track, PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES! No tax dollars were spent for that so why should they be spent now? If there is a big enough group and that big a need they shouldn't have any problem raising the cash.... There are lots of things I would like but hey, I have to raise the cash to get them....

4th Ward area is not a real safe area yet. Traxler is ideal and central as someone said. Also if this would happen, then the city could clean up the rest of the park and we would again have a beautiful Traxler Park.

wtp, Bill Truman is the City Council President, not the "manager", and City Councilors are not elected by district, but represent the entire city. Finally, the Palmer Park location was returned to the committee for review when the President was Amy Loasching.
http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/jul/26/...
.
Both then as now reconsideration seems worthwhile since there are new sites available. Palmer Park neighbors are already frustrated with the number of activities that take place there and it can get quite busy at peak times. Meanwhile, other neighborhoods and parks get little attention.

I think Traxler park is a good idea. Central.

I believe the city council manager Bill Truman pushed it through to not have it in Palmer park. He wanted it in his own district which is the 4th ward. That is why the two favored sites where Jackson street and Monterey Park. Monterey has the best possibilities of the two sites. Lets hope this is the last move and lets get the park built after 7 yrs of going back and forth for having a skate and bike park in Janesville.

what was wrong with Palmer Park in the first place,