Is This the End? (of the waterfront skate park debate).

For more than three years the debate over what to do with the waterfront park has been simmering seemingly futilely, specifically; what will become of the skate park?  On one hand there is a quickly growing culture of skateboarders kick-pushing for redevelopment, and on the other is the bureaucracy that is being dissuaded by money shortages, wealthy waterfront homeowners, and the judicial system.  The skate park on the waterfront offers features that have been painted over more times than once, patched up and rusted over then painted some more.  Some people are aching from the wait and others are straining them out.  Skateboarding in Burlington is becoming more and more popular and the population of skaters is calling for a bigger, better park like they have been waiting on for years. 

            The waterfront skatepark was built in the year two thousand.  Since its construction thirteen years ago, the park has lasted through many harsh Vermont winters suffering through twelve seasons of ice and snow.  The park has had some renovations-new metal sheeting on the ramps due to rust.  The fun-box in the middle of the park has been changed around, and the mini ramp that used to sit on the corner has been removed.  Most likely because the masonite top sheets used for the ramp cannot withstand the elements as metal and eventually the quality deteriorated over time.  The motion to get some sort of ball rolling for a new skate park came in two thousand eight when sixty-five percent majority vote ruled for the need of a new skatepark. 

Peter Owens, the president of the Community and Economic Development Office said that the park is going to cost a couple hundred dollars more than it was originally thought to cost which was between four hundred and nine hundred thousand dollars.  In 2010 multiple grants have been requested.  In December of 2010 the Tony Hawk Foundation donated ten thousand dollars to the project.  There have been a few fundraisers as well.  For instance the Buy a Brick campaign raised five thousand two hundred fifty dollars.  Burlington also started celebrating go skateboarding day, a holiday on June twenty-first encouraging skateboarders of all ages to just get out, skate and have a great time.  Events and fundraisers are held at the existing waterfront skate park and spill out into the concrete hockey rink sitting on the other side of the skate parks fence just off the bike path on the same side. 

            Early on, when the skate park was first being constructed- the current one-there was a lot of debate over the noise that it would produce and the pollution to the silence that the condominium owners down there hold onto so dearly.  When the park was built it included the half pipe, that has been removed, and a sound barrier wall to protect the condo’s noise levels.  John Hazinga of Ridin High has said the sound wall alone cost fifty thousand dollars to put up and has really not been too much of a benefit.  People were also concerned about the park being next to the bike path without a fence.  The argument was that flying skateboards are dangerous to pedestrians.  Hazinga argues that the unfenced hockey rink directly next to the park poses more of a threat.  “what do you think is more dangerous, a flying hockey puck or a runaway skateboard.”  He makes a good point.  Hockey pucks fly faster than skateboards. 

            Many skateboarders have had their hopes lifted up and dropped back down more than once during the three years that this project has been a topic of debate.  A member of the coalition formed to start the creation of a new park Justin Keskin said the he was not surprised the postponement had been stretched.  “I’m used the city making promises and not fulfilling them”.  Another local skater named Tommy Vrielynk says “If they don’t build it, Burlington is going to get lamer.”  These two testimonials were given to Kevin Kelley in lieu of the decision made in august to wait until the spring of 2014 to start developing.  The decision was based on the fact that concrete would be easier to control and work with if it were not the wonter time.

            If the city of Burlington can pull off the development this spring and make the world class skatepark that has been designed and implanted in the skateboard community’s mind, a lot of people would be very happy.  Almost five years after the idea was thrown on the table, after many many months of planning and budgeting, dealing with many legal statutes, it seems that the dream park will finally be erected for a place to enjoy skateboarding for people of all skill levels.  Only time will tell if the city will follow through. 

Behind a Progressive Facade; Prejudiced Procrastination Towards Burlington's Skateboarders

        Of course we are all aware of the glorious city of Burlington.  It’s leftist tendencies, progressive attitudes, and overall acceptance of most things human.  However; underneath this cozy blanket of patchworks stitched together by clean energy consumers, localvores, and smiling faces, sleeps the democracy that serves exactly these types of people.  The people who the city, if the city were one mind, would want to be revered for letting exist, as if it is The City who make’s the people. 

For any skateboarder in Burlington, it is clear that something must be done about the waterfront skate park, something progressive. A beautiful brand new skate park nestled in a completely revamped waterfront park would at the very least give skaters a safe environment to skate away from traffic and pedestrians. According to John Van Hazinga of Ridin High the park was built as a temporary park to give skaters a place to ride while a much better one was constructed; the park is still there in the same place thirteen years later rusting away underneath the countless layers of bright paint redux, and the holes in the wood structures continue to face onslaughts of runaway board-bombs. 

            It seems that the city of Burlington, for how progressive they seem to be, is actually just as apt to procrastinate.  Seven Days published an article, May 2011, written by Ken Picard, which I assume gave the skateboard community and project supporters a lot of hope.  The article makes it known that plans and propositions had been a topic of bureaucratic conversation for more than a year before any bid was made—three years ago.  As of now on the Projects and Initiatives webpage for the City of Burlington, there is no project titled Waterfront Redevelopment, Skate Park Redevelopment, or anything involving the Moran Plant, where the new park is proposed to be.  There are thirty-six projects listed under the Facility and Parks and Open Spaces Projects.

             Picard wrote that the new park will be the best park in New England and will surely attract skaters, bikers, and extreme sporters from all around.  How could it not?  If Burlington had the best skatepark in New England it would become a tourist hotspot from that aspect alone.

I remember as a younger kid I would pile in the back of my friend’s van and his dad would take us across the lake from New York to skate at Talent Skatepark in South Burlington.  Talent is a quality skatepark built indoors so it does not get the same wear and tear from the weather that the waterfront receives.  However,  Talent is packed, and Talent costs money to skate for a three hour session.  What if I don’t want to skate for three hours?  I still have to pay.  The point is; people travel for a good skate park, even if they have to pay and be inside with fifty other skateboarders.  With a brand new twenty-thousand square foot concrete park, imagine the flood of talent and up and coming skill that would wash into its concrete waves.

A park like the one being proposed would not only serve the already flourishing skateboard community, but it would ensure healthy prosperity among the growing culture.  A park that can cater to all abilities, expert to first day on a board, is crucial.  Kids get scared when they get hurt at a young age. For some, one bad crash can mean a lifetime without a board.   The waterfront park as it sits is almost unusable for any beginner.  Anna, who works with John at Ridin High, says she doesn’t like to skate it because she doesn’t have the skills yet to make the features fun.  Being able to have fun on features and not feel scared or unsafe is important for anyone to stick with the sport.  With a park that allowed skaters of all abilities to do that, the community would be a better place, and kids would be happier. 

Kids are attracted to skateboarding, at least a lot of them are.  When I was a little kid I was immediately drawn to it but I had no place to skate except my driveway.  Eventually that got pretty old.  I lived in a town of two hundred however; there was not much opportunity for trouble.  Kids here who are turned off of skateboarding don’t have a lot of options.  There aren’t rivers everywhere and big backyards, it is easy to find trouble and easy for kids to get stuck inside.  A beautiful skatepark would give kids the opportunity to become the professional skateboarder they dream to be while keeping them happy and healthy. 

Instead of working with and catering to the rising skateboarding scene in Burlington, the city has, since the decay of the current skate park, taken features out.  There wasa mini half pipe in the corner of the skate park where now at least fifty square feet remain as flat open concrete.   From certain points of view, the city has it out for skaters. 

At the closing end of the 2011 year in November Seven Days published an article by Kevin Kelley that dropped the spirits Picard’s raised up.  Kelley interviews some of the skateboarders like Picard and of course it was more of the same responses, just a bit more disheartened.  They metal is rusting, the integrity is deteriorating, and the park is becoming an increased liability. “Skater’s get pushed to the side…” says an intern at Ridin High in reference to the cities redevelopment projects.  Another Kevin Kelly article, summer 2013, drops us even lower.    

Faith in the system has been diminished, a lot of skaters are wary the project happening at all.  One thing is clear however; the city of Burlington needs to more evenly cater to all of its citizens.  I think Burlington, if it were a single mind, pretends to care a lot more than it does.  After all, It is The People, all of them, who make a city.   

Everett Renderer

On Monday Sept. 23rd I went in to Ridin' High at the corner of Pearl Street and Battery Street and asked them (John and Anna) a few questions about the skateboard scene in the city of Burlington.

This is roughly the conversation that transpired.     

Q. Is there a problem with skateboarders being where the police/city does not want them? 

           

           A.  Not for the city.  We would like more bike/skate lanes around.  It is safer for the pedestrians, the drivers, and the skaters.  There’s not biking or skateboarding allowed on the sidewalks downtown so you gotta ride in the road.  There are some lanes, but what about pearl street?

Q. Since the development of the of the skatepark being postponed have you noticed any resentment from the skate community to the city? 

           

            A. That park was built as a temporary park for three years thirteen years ago.  I mean If I wanna skate, and what they have isn’t good enough for me, I’m gonna build something.  Look behind my shop I have a cement mixer and some concrete.  If you don’t got it, build it. 

Q. Do you know of any problems on Depot street involving pedestrians or the police? 

           

            A. Depot street is dangerous just because of the pavement.  The top half is good, the bottom ten yards if good, but there’s that middle section that is just deadly.  I saw they put some patches in but they should really just repave the whole thing.  It would give boarders a place to ride off of the main roads and away from traffic. 

Q. Have you known anyone to get arrested for skateboarding in the city?

           

            A. In Winooski for riding on the sidewalk.  Skateboarding is illegal in Winooski but he argued that his skateboard was transportation-which it is.  He showed up to court with his skateboard and was like look are we really gonna waste everybodys time over this?  My skateboard is my transportation.  In Burlington the city is very understanding of the skate community since it’s college town and so many kids ride skateboards.  

Q. How much impact do you think a brand new skatepark would have on the community as a whole?

           

            A. A lot, not everyone can ride street and is intimidated, like for me (Anna) I can’t really do street stuff and that park down there at the waterfront is tough because there’s not really a variety of stuff there. It would also give a place for kids to go to keep them off the streets and in shape.  There should be a skatepark with no fence around it and lights.  If kids had a place to go like a skatepark where they could meet up and hang out and skate whenever they wanted, they wouldn’t have to meet in some alley, or hang out in bad places.   It would get more kids outside and not playing video games.  It doesn’t make sense that Burlington with all its skaters, and being the home of Burton snowboards doesn’t have a quality skatepark within the city. 

Q. Does your shop receive negative attention from the community?

           

            A. OH YEAH.  We were on seeclickfix.com and people would complain about the shop being messy, stuff hanging from the ceiling, the “graffiti” on the outside. First of all it’s a mural okay.  People would just complain and nitpick about the stupidest stuff until eventually we complained and had them removed from the site.  We get no complaints from good people.  A little while ago we had a party here and everyone got together and painted the building.  And we’ll do it again when we want something fresh.  Whats awesome about this shop is it’s always evolving

Q. Where is your favorite place to skate?

 A. John- the Johnson skatepark in Johnson VT.

             

    Anna – the Essex skatepark in Essex VT or the Burton factory in Burlington VT.