$250,000 capital funding request being considered
By: David Campbell
Is a skateboard park in Princeton’s future?
The Recreation Department has formed a committee to explore the feasibility of constructing such a facility for Princeton youth.
The department is seeking to earmark $250,000 in capital funds this year to build a roughly 10,000-square-foot open-air facility at one of Princeton’s recreational sites or parks.
The funding request will be reviewed by Princeton Borough and Princeton Township in budget talks this winter for joint agencies and departments. In joint-budget review last year, the Recreation Department’s request for $10,000 to explore building a skateboard park was denied by the municipalities, said Recreation Director Jack Roberts.
The exploratory committee, which currently has about six members representing parents, the Recreation Department and police in the borough and township, is expected to hold its first meeting Wednesday, Mr. Roberts said.
"We’ve had interested parents and other groups come forward and say why not," he said. "We think we’ve done our homework here, and now we want to sit down with some people and see if we can’t look at locations, explore fund-raising in the community to help offset the cost, and see if in fact this is as high a priority or not so."
The recreation director said his department has always been cautious, particularly given the cost of building a skate park and a perception that skate parks mean high liability risks from injuries that may be more substantial than a municipality is willing to assume.
"But this has not been the case," Mr. Roberts said. "Actually the claims are between slim and none. Skateboard populations take responsibility for their actions, and underwriters have seen that when managed properly, it’s not the kind of claim volume people are concerned about."
The skate park would be open-air and fenced-in. Helmets and protective gear would be required, and there could be an annual membership fee of around $25 to help fund upkeep of the facility, Mr. Roberts said.
The committee would have to resolve whether or not to provide adult supervision at such a park. The trend is to post rules of conduct and have the skaters police themselves, but spot checks would likely be conducted to ensure safe conduct, Mr. Roberts said.
According to Joint Recreation Board Chairman Mike Finkelstein, "There has been a general outcry from the community to have a facility," particularly from Princeton University, he said, which has banned skateboarders due to damages caused to university property.
"I think even the university has positive feelings about doing something like this to get kids out of town and the campus," Mr. Finkelstein said.
There are successful skate parks in Hightstown and Franklin Township, he said. There also are parks in Hillsborough and Hamilton Township.
Pam Hersh, the university’s director of community and state relations, noted at the Princeton Human Services Commission meeting last month that skateboarders have caused damage at the Frist Campus Center and other university buildings over the years.
At that meeting, the Human Services Commission expressed support for such a park. Alta Rex, assistant human services director, said two possible locations are off Bunn Drive and near the Harrison Street park, located southwest of the intersection of Nassau Street and Harrison Street.
Princeton Township Police Captain Peter Savalli said township police also support the idea of a skate park.
"We’re behind it. We think it’s a good idea, as long as it’s a safe, structured and supervised environment," Capt. Savalli said, noting that police have always been concerned about safety risks from young people skateboarding in town or on campus, and about property damage such skateboarding can cause.
Justin Naidoo, owner of the Skater’s Alliance Skateboard Shop at Princeton Shopping Center, said a park is sorely needed in Princeton.
"Yeah, I believe that’s something that’s needed in this community," Mr. Naidoo said. "Kids have no place to go, and people complaining it destroys property."
Mr. Naidoo, recalling an incident at the shopping center in which a skateboarder flew into and broke the window of the Pizza Star restaurant, said shopkeepers would likely support a park as well.
"So many other sports have fields, but not us," Mr. Naidoo continued, noting that while liability is a concern, and may be what’s keeping a park from being built in Princeton, it needn’t be.
Other outdoor parks in the area advise skaters to skate at their own risk, and are usually policed by the municipality to make sure skaters wear helmets and protective gear, he said.

