Edgerton skatepark to stay in limbo
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The metal ramps and tables of that once outfitted the Edgerton skate park now sits neglected in a field behind the city's DPW. The city removed the equipment because of complaints levied against the users.
EDGERTON — Edgerton’s skatepark will stay in limbo—or as it is, stored in pieces behind the city garage—unless residents show interest in re-establishing a skate park committee to chaperone the youths who would use it, officials said Wednesday.
The Edgerton Parks and Recreation Committee had put the skatepark on its agenda for discussion because two Edgerton youths had recently asked the city consider reinstalling it.
The committee tabled discussion because neither of the youths nor anyone else interested in the skatepark showed up to the meeting Wednesday, even though the city sent letters to the youths notifying them of the meeting, said City Administrator Ramona Flanigan.
The Edgerton City Council had decided to remove the skatepark’s three metal ramps and mothball them at the city garage in May 2010 after a rash of vandalism incidents at Central Park. The move also came amid complaints by neighbors about noise, vulgar language and bad behavior at the park.
Some neighbors complained the skatepark was attracting youths who used profanity. Others said they didn’t like the loud noise from the skatepark’s metal ramps, city officials said.
The problems came after the city spent about $2,500 in tax revenue and $17,500 pulled from city developer’s fees to pay for the $37,000 skatepark, which was completed in 2009.
The park also was paid for through fundraising by the Edgerton Skate Park Committee, a citizen group that pushed for the park. It had assured the city it would work to chaperone youths there.
But the group dissolved in 2010, shortly before the city removed the skatepark. Former members told the Gazette last year that the group fizzled under the strain of complaints from neighbors near the park.
Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Brent Harry said vandalism and bad behavior at Central Park subsided after the skatepark was removed.
He told the Gazette Wednesday that he would not recommend reinstalling the skatepark unless the community re-established a volunteer skate park committee that would agree to monitor activity at the park.
“Just leaving the ramps out there to be self-regulated has not shown to be an effective thing in the past,” said Harry.
Harry said it’s unlikely the city could afford to add police patrols to monitor a skatepark. He said residents would have to step up and form a committee. If that happened, he said he would be willing to talk about making the park work again.
“If we actually have interest that pops up in six months to a year—if we had the same kind of outpouring from the community as we did earlier, I can’t see us looking the other way at that,” he said.
Grant Mahr, 16, was one of the youths who asked the city to reinstall the skatepark. Mahr was one of the youths originally involved in the skate park project.
The Gazette reached Jeanne Purnell, Mahr’s mother, by phone Wednesday night. Purnell said she was aware her son had talked to the city but was unaware the city slated a discussion on the skatepark. She said she never received a letter from the city.
Purnell, an original member of the defunct skate park committee, said she’s not interested in forming a new committee herself because her sons will soon be past prime skateboarding age.
But she said she hopes other parents who see the merit in having a skatepark will get involved.
“It was such a nice feature for the city,” Purnell said. “It really was.”
Jun 1, 2012 at 6:14 a.m.
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Profane language IS all too common. Does not have to be tolerated in public venues. Let the young folks have fun..they’re kids, and they deserve it! Let ‘em be boisterous and “full of it”, as the saying goes. But not rude, disruptive, and offensive to the public common good!
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Like racist jokes, sexist jokes, and so on, the collective “we” in the grownup world do NOT have to tolerate it. Within one’s circle of friends, if it’s the norm, O.K. But not among the public who don’t care for it. “We” can confront it and help stifle its nasty presence in public areas. We should.
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Once upon a time a terrific man named Doug Boughton ran “Skatin’ Place” in Janesville. Highly popular place for youth of all ages and skill levels. Grownups included in that. Why so popular? High expectations for good behavior, including intolerance for foul language and rowdy behavior. Doug’s business model needs to be emulated in schools and public recreation areas.
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That said, is it easy to “step up” and tell a group to knock it off? No. A young parent with child in tow understandably is intimidated. Whip out that cell phone and film your polite “request” of the group... “just for the record”, so police can view it, should the situation become ugly. Surprising how “cooperative” kids can be when dealt with in a calm, assertive manner. Esp. when filmed.
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Stand up to it, folks. Your school teachers and most coaches do it. We can, too! Take back your city, folks! Man up! Woman up! Take back our community.
Sep 16, 2011 at 3:47 p.m.
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Sigma -
Judging by your sentence structure, punctuation and lack of thought process, I highly doubt that you deal with CEOs of multi million dollar companies unless you consider Montgomery Burns as an actual business contact.
Sep 16, 2011 at 11:09 a.m.
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Next stop Purgatory,
then Hell!
Sep 16, 2011 at 11:02 a.m.
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Bring back the skate park!! You're only hurting the kids. If you have a problem - find out the names of the problem kids & get them banned. Eliminating the park all together is not the answer.
Sep 16, 2011 at 9:09 a.m.
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cherubgirl72 - welcome to 2011, its not 1945 anymore. Profanity is the new language used by all. I deal with on a daily basis; salespeople, CEO's of multi million dollar companies, service people, workers, customer service people all over the country.. And guess what? They all use profanity in a casual conversation. Have you watched cartoons lately? South Park, Family guy??? Sorry folks but if you dont accept profanity you are fighting no one but yourself. Its here to stay.
Sep 16, 2011 at 7:49 a.m.
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I don't understand why the neighbors are targeting the skate park and not the rest of the toys in the park for teenagers to hang around and make loud noises as they claim the skate park did. Also why did they go with metal ramps which is very noisy. If the right equipment would have been placed there in the first place the skate park would have been used by all. Not just 5 teenagers who can not find a life and just hangs around the park and creating problems.
Sep 16, 2011 at 6:24 a.m.
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The skatepark in Edgerton is not the problem. The basketball courts are. I refuse to bring my children to Central Park because of the language and behaviors of the teenagers at the basketball hoops. They have vandalized the playground equipment repeatedly. My son would have loved to go to the skatepark, but I would not allow it because of the other teenagers that hang out there.
Sep 16, 2011 at 5:51 a.m.
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Simple fact- the city purchased temporary equipment intended for very young, inexperienced users yet they expect it to hold the attention of teenagers... you know that neighbor that has the 7' b-ball hoop for his 6 year old and all the teenagers go there and goof off practicing goofy dunks? Same thing here, the older kids don't take it seriously because, frankly, it's a joke to give serious skaters this type of equipment to skate... don't blame the kids, blame the equipment and the salesman who pushed it on you... had they build a real skatepark it would be busy and self-policed with skaters of all ages and not sitting behind a shed rusting...
Sep 15, 2011 at 10:35 p.m.
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What a waste of taxpayers money - again.
Sep 15, 2011 at 8:56 p.m.
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It's sad that the youth of Edgerton require chaperones where other successful skate parks in other communities do not.
Sep 15, 2011 at 8:05 p.m.
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So currently its a sitting waste of money. Let people complain about profanity... its called freedom of speech. Why do you need a chaperone? Wow! I thought the city of Janesville was dumb sometimes. Put it up and leave it alone. If people dont like city noise tell them to move to the country.
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