Montclair Skaters Will Use Sayreville's Skate Park As A Model

When and if Montclair does get its own skate park, the inspiration will come from Sayreville, where skaters claim you can take a run in a bowl that lasts as long as your legs can.

Patch visited Sayreville's skate park with some Montclair skaters this week and was duly impressed. The 17-square-mile borough boasts 26 public parks, the largest of which is the 85-acre Kennedy Park off Washington Avenue. And Kennedy Park is home to a lake, a walking track, baseball and cricket fields, basketball courts and, most importantly, a concrete and greatly used skateboarding area.

Located about a 40-minute drive from Montclair, Sayreville's 11,000-square-foot skate park was designed in 2003 by Wally Hollyday, whose California-based design firm has been building skate parks across the country for three decades.

Sayreville has a population of about 42,000 people, similar to Montclair's. The skate park cost the borough about $290,000, an amount largely covered by grant money.

The skate park not only serves a street-skating constituency, but also boasts a large clover-shaped bowl so that all levels of skaters can hone their skills. Skaters can hurtle down and across any number of ramps and pools, and the skate park is also used by roller bladers, BMX riders, and those on scooters.

Surrounded by grass and trees, it's also an aesthetically pleasing public space. No permit is required for use of the skate park and visitors skate at their own risk. The facility is open to the public free of charge and closes at dusk.

"Of all the skateparks in New Jersey, it's the nicest," said Jon Segal, 15, one of the Montclair young people behind the movement to build a skate park in Montclair. "I love all the trees put here. They've done what we want to do."

Segal pointed out that there's no fence or attendants, which generally increase a town's liability. Helmets, though, are mandatory.

In short, Sayreville's skate park is exactly what Montclair skaters are hoping for.

Skatepark in Montclair NJ! -- which formed about a year ago -- recently asked the Montclair Town Council for its support as they seek private funds to build a skate park in Montclair.

It's not clear when the Montclair Town Council will vote on a resolution stating its support for a skate park although most council members seem to consider the idea one worth pursuing, especially if they don't have to pay for it.

"We'd be happy if [the council] just did it by fall so that we could get started on our fundraising efforts," said Andy Day, 49, who is spearheading the effort along with Angel Kenney and a large and growing group of young Montclair skateboarding enthusiasts. "We just want the council's support because then we feel we can go forward with our fundraising."

The students have their own Facebook page with an impressive list of 417 members. They've also won the support of Montclair High School Principal James Earle.

Day agreed with the young skaters that Sayreville would be the model for Montclair's skate park. He said there's a skate park in Bloomfield, but that it boasts a fence and attendant, which increases the town's liability. Another one in Livingston burdens users with a long list of rules and regulations.

Kenney has estimated that the skate park in Montclair would be about 10,000 square feet in size and would cost approximately $350,000 to $400,000 to build. She hopes that the town will agree to set aside part of a municipal park for the skateboarders.

"Montclair prides itself on being such a cool and groovy place with a diverse population," Day said. "And skateboarding is enjoyed by all races and all socioeconomic groups."

To visit the Sayreville skate park:

Sayreville Skatepark
Exit 124 off Garden State Parkway,
left off ramp to a right onto Washington Road
in Kennedy Park (across from the high school)
Sayreville, New Jersey USA