It’s not quite Skating with the Stars, but with the help of the Trillium Foundation, residents here may soon have a chance to skateboard with future stars.
On April 3, Erin Mayor Lou Maieron announced the town’s success in its Trillium grant application for equipment for the proposed skate park “for a total sum of $60,000.”
The announcement was followed by a round of applause – much of it coming from the park proponents who were at the meeting advocating a specific location for that park.
Maieron said they should thank soon-to-be-outgoing town manager Lisa Hass and park proponent Bill Dinwoody.
Alternate location approved
Earlier in March, Dinwoody and Miki Ackerman came to council asking that Triton Engineering review two sites and return with an analysis of their pros and cons.
The analysis indicated there was a potential $12,000 difference in choosing one over the other. The original selection by council was to build over an old volleyball court, while a recent one suggested building over a little used ball diamond on the same property at Centre 2000.
Dinwoody said it made sense to investigate using a small portion of the ball diamond site.
He cited OPP comments that the volleyball court site might be too remote for monitoring. In addition, Dinwoody said the volleyball site did not have potential for expansion, if required.
“The ball diamond location could accommodate such expansion,” he said.
He said park proponents believe the combination of a skate park and expanded parking area over the ball diamond site would benefit skateboarders and patrons of Centre 2000.
Dinwoody said it would be more visible for the OPP.
He asked council to decide that night so proponents can proceed to get the skate park rolling this year.
“The skate park needs to be built this year because of the strong community interest shown and the fundraising efforts, which have already happened.”
He asked council to consider the long term ramifications of developing a site that would be regarded with pride for many years.
Councillor John Brennan said in an ideal world, he would like to have his cake and eat it too. In this case, it would be keeping the ball diamond and having a skate park.
Brennan said he gave the issue a lot of thought, and his concern is not the cost difference, but the visibility.
While he agreed the OPP had talked about vandalism; Brennan’s concern is safety.
“If the area is regularly observed by people coming into Centre 2000, God forbid anything should happen, but if it does there is a much better chance someone can get help much quicker.”
Because of that, he supported the ball diamond site.
Councillor Deb Callaghan took an opposite view.
She is concerned with tying up a ball diamond for a single project. “We don’t know what is coming up in the future.”
She compared the skate park to being “the hole in the donut.”
The skatepark would be surrounded by a much larger area, but create restrictions on how that could be used.
She said there has been talk of future expansion of the skate park but countered the town does not know what the property may be needed for in the future.
“I just feel we are tying up a lot of area for this one project.”
She supports the skate park as a whole, but not at the ball diamond.
Maieron said, “I wish I was Soloman and I wish I had a perfect location, but I am going to speak against changing the location.”
He said there was already a lengthy consultative process to meet the needs of the neighbours.
Maieron pointed out that he had been very supportive of the project and assisted in fundraising. “I believe they need a place for skateboards and BMX bikes.”
And while he understood the OPP’s comments, Maieron suggested future growth “will truly make Centre 2000 the hub it was intended to be.”
He anticipates if the town’s size doubles, there will be additional recreation needs.
“I hate to say it, but the land around Centre 2000 has not been the most economically used.”
He added there really is not a lot of usable land at the site.
Maieron said, “I’m looking at the long term – not just at the end of my nose.”
He said providing recreation is a balancing act.
He wondered if sacrificing part of the ball diamond means there may not be a walkable, easily reachable diamond in Erin as compared to driving to Barbour Field in Hillsburgh.
Councillor Josie Wintersinger said she had mixed feelings.
The former volleyball court seemed like a good location for the skate park, but she saw potential in the other site.
She agreed parking is at a premium.
Wintersinger also believes the visibility of a skate park might curtail vandalism.
Councillor Barb Tocher stated her support of centralizing recreational facilities. “I think it’s a great idea to have the ball diamonds all in one spot, or soccer fields all in one spot.”
She believes that can provide a better quality of service.
She believes there is more than adequate room at Barbour Field to accommodate any ball teams that had used the diamond at Centre 2000.
In addition, baseball has been in decline, not only in Erin, but throughout Ontario, said Tocher.
“I think this is a perfect redevelopment of the land, putting the skateboard park there, and then addressing our parking issue.”
She said parking at Centre 2000 was an issue since Day One.
“It is now 12 years old and nothing has been addressed. It is high time that we did.”
She added, “I think council has done a lot of lip service to addressing vandalism, it is high time we did something pro-active.”
“The more visible this is, the better. It will encourage more people to use it.”
In a recorded vote, council voted 3-2 in favour of locating the skate park at the ball diamond.
Those in favour were Wintersinger, Tocher, and Brennan, with Maieron and Callaghan opposed.
