Skate Park Approved in Fanwood

The Fanwood Borough Council unanimously approved a motion Monday to allow the Recreation Commission to proceed with the design and construction of a skate park at Forest Road Park. 

The estimated cost of the skate park is $124,000, which would be half paid for by a Union County grant the department has already been awarded and half from money the department has collected in revenue. The new park will replace the roller hockey rink. Read more about the park, here.

Commission members went over the proposed plan again and addressed some of the concerns residents have raised previously regarding liability, maintenance and policing. They also recounted the praise the proposal received for providing a safe and controlled environment for skateboarders and reaching a group they feel is currently under-serviced by the department, 12- to 17-year olds.

They also noted statistics they found that show skateboarding causes far fewer injuries than more traditional park sports like basketball or baseball. 
 
Before opening the meeting for comments from the public, Mayor Colleen Mahr voiced her support for the proposal, saying she had done her homework and also visited the skate park in Clark's Esposito Park. 

"I also learned that in Clark, they had done things to integrate it into community, holding summer clinics where older skateboarders teach younger skateboarders how to do it properly," Mahr said. "They have found nothing but success there. I was pleasantly surprised."

Chief Trigo echoed Mahr's comments, saying when he called other police departments with skate parks for input on what issues the parks had caused, their response was, "Are you calling to jinx us? Because there is no problem."

About 20 residents were in attendance at the meeting and several came to the mic to voice their support or opposition to the plan. Some questioned if the park would cause increased liability for the borough. 

Mahr and other officials explained that the Joint Insurance Fund the borough is a part of has been fully briefed on the project, has covered other towns with skate parks, and will not go up in cost because of the park. Borough attorney Dennis Estis also noted that those using the park and their parents will have to sign a waiver.

One resident asked if repairing the tennis courts at Forest Road Park should take priority over building a skate park. 

Recreation Director Bob Budiansky responded, saying that the tennis courts are on the department's five-year plan.

"They are in phase 3 of the plan and we are at end of phase 2 with this," said Budiansky. "They will probably be the next thing the commission addresses." 

Several local teens also expressed support for the project and tried to dispel the bad rap skateboarders sometimes get. 

"No matter what sport, stereotypes are always out there," said SPFHS sophomore Zach Miller. "Football players are supposedly brutish and obnoxious and skateboarders are rowdy and destroy property. I'm not saying there aren’t a few people who do that, but really most skateboarders just want to have a good time, learn new stuff and have fun."

READ MORE:

Should Fanwood Build a Skate Park?

Fanwood Skate Park Idea Draws Praise and Criticism from Residents

Fanwood Skate Park Questions Remain Unanswered, Resident Says