Youngster’s plea to council: Give us a place to skate
Milltown to
look into possibility of a skate park
Nine-year-old Ricky Snell appeared before the Milltown Borough Council members on Monday evening, stating his case why the borough needs a skate park.
"There are a lot of us who like to skate, and we need a safe place to do it," Ricky told the council.
And although he said only a few words, it proved enough for council members to make a formal commitment to further investigate the possibility of a park in town.
"Ricky’s coming forward was both commendable and endearing," said Councilman Mike Skarzynski. "And we’re doing all that we can to see if there is any way to get these kids what they want."
Resident Bob Gillespie, owner of the Gillespie Group, a commercial and residential carpeting company, volunteered a few weeks ago to gather information on the construction and insurance costs associated with building a small park.
He presented his preliminary findings during Monday night’s meeting.
"I went in search of figures based on a $40,000 budget, which I determined to be a reasonable amount for the borough," said Gillespie.
Of that amount, Gillespie proposed that the borough’s recreation department could feasibly supply $10,000, and fund-raising efforts another $10,000.
"The remaining $20,000 could come from a variety of other sources," said Gillespie. "After all, there has got to be some leftover money in other community funds."
Over the last few weeks, Gillespie has made a point of contacting and visiting nearby skate parks, inquiring about various costs.
Insurance costs are Milltown officials’ primary concern.
"As it turns out, most of the parks I visited found they already had insurance coverage in place, under existing recreation policies," said Gillespie.
"For example, if their park is built upon what was previously a basketball court, the insurance costs would already be included under that policy," he added.
Gillespie also told council members that he has already found an ideal location for the park, that of an abandoned tennis court near the borough’s pool.
"There are already lights and bathrooms in place there," he said. "Plus, it is a well patrolled area by borough police."
While it certainly appears that Gillespie’s preliminary work on the matter is organized, borough officials maintain there is still more information needed before they can make a final decision.
Time, may not be on the borough’s side, as school officials have recently started to ban all skaters from school property.
"I received a flier from my son’s school saying there was to be no more skating allowed there," said Gillespie. "And as more of these types of rules are enforced, more children will revert to busy streets (such as Main Street) and old factories to skate."
"This is certainly not a safe alternative," he added.
Gillespie admitted to having two small children, both of whom love to skate, that he would like to see have a place to go.
"Rather than have their safety compromised, I drive my kids to other parks," he said. "Their favorite is down in Barnegat, where we have a summer home."
"Still, there is no reason why our borough can’t accommodate these kids. We are not asking for a grandiose park, but just a small and contained one."
Gillespie concluded by saying that he believes skating will eventually become as popular as little league and that is should be looked at with as much importance as other recreational sports.
"Skating is something anyone can participate in," said Gillespie. "It is not a sport reserved for jocks, like so many others."
"I predict that within 1-2 years, this sport will be unstoppable," he added. "Perhaps even townships will compete against one another."
"Why wait for East Brunswick, South Brunswick, or another of our neighboring towns to move on this before we do?"
Gillespie did say that there are a number of logistics that still need figuring out before the council can make an informed decision.
These include matters such as who will open and lock up the park, what the skaters will be required to wear (be it helmets, pads, etc.), and basic rules of courtesy.
"Kids will be kids and, right now, they have no place to go," added Councilman Skarzynski. "If schools are banning skaters, then they will certainly find somewhere else."
"Keeping our children safe is this council’s number one priority and we are more than willing to compromise on any way to ensure that," he concluded. "If a skate park is the best solution, we are not opposed to trying to make it happen."
Once all the facts are gathered, borough officials will conduct a public hearing during a regularly scheduled meeting.