Welland wants skatepark ideas
Matthew Coons grew up riding the ramps at the Welland skatepark, learning the skills and tricks he still enjoys today.
“It’s my passion,” the skateboarder said while riding the old ramps set up behind Welland Arena. “It’s what I like to do.”
But despite fond memories of days spent using the city’s facility, the 26-year-old said he can’t wait to see it replaced with a new one.
“This is kind of garbage,” he said. “It has been for a long time.”
It’s a sentiment shared by most users of the facility, including many of Coons old friends who no longer use it.
“A lot of my friends just gave up after a while,” he said. But that’s changing. In January, Welland city council voted to hire Toronto-based New Line Skateparks Inc. to design and build a new skatepark at a cost of $519,950.
The company that has built skateparks across Canada, the U.S., Sweden and in Niagara — including the Isaac Riehl Memorial Skate Park in Pelham — is asking skatepark users such as Coons to share their ideas about how to make the city’s new facility better.
The city is holding an interactive design workshop Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the arena to give facility users an opportunity to contribute ideas towards its design.
“This time it has to all be made out of concrete. No parks are going with ‘place ramps’ like this anymore. It’s all flowing. It’s all made of concrete.”
Neighbouring communities such as Pelham and Port Colborne have had new skateparks built in the past few years. Coons has ridden his skateboard on several of them, and has is confident Welland’s can be even better.
For instance, he said Fonthill’s skatepark is a “pretty good place for bikes,” but skateboards need smoother surfaces.
Dustin St. Pierre, 24, plans on participating in Wednesday’s planning meeting to share a few of his ideas. “A bowl would be nice, or some different jumps,” he said.
Some off-road terrain would be welcome for BMX bicycles.
“If they’re going to upgrade it, I would definitely want to be part of that. We’ve been talking about it, all of us that come here,” St. Pierre said.
Mayor Frank Campion called the meeting a “great opportunity for people to participate in a public session to share their input.”
“We want it to be what the user wants it to be, not what we think it should be.”
Campion said there seems to be considerable interest in the new facility, adding it was a topic of conversation at a recent Mayor’s Coffee Break discussion at Welland Community Wellness Complex.
Despite his excitement about the new skatepark, Coons is concerned about the facility’s location behind the arena, particularly as it pertains to the safety of younger children. Vandalism is also a concern. “Even if does have to be here, maybe throw a camera up somewhere. I’ve been here so many times and there has been glass just shattered everywhere.”
Ward 3 Coun. John Chiocchio shares Coons’ concerns.
Although the city’s plans call for the new skatepark to be constructed where the existing facility is located, “I don’t think it’s a dead issue,” Chiocchio said.
“If there’s available land we have or some ideas that people may have that would be better suited, I think we should look at it,” he said.
The city’s total budget for the skatepark is about $650,000, including $216,667 in Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program funding, as well as $433,333 the city earmarked for the project in its 2016 budget.
With the potential of money remaining in the budget for the project, Chiocchio said there might be an opportunity for further enhancements to the facility.
“I’m not saying we should spend it all, but we could,” he said, adding Wednesday’s meeting is an opportunity to provide ideas about additional enhancements. ABenner@postmedia.com Twitter: @abenner1