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Date: 12/19/2023
WESTFIELD — A couple of dozen skateboarders and skatepark advocates from all around Western Mass., a few members of the City Council and Parks & Recreation commissioners came together at City Hall on Dec. 14 to view the initial concept design for a new skatepark to replace the outdated one in Amelia Park that some have called dangerous.
Commissioner Kenneth Magarian opened the meeting, introducing lead skatepark advocate Jeff Burke, who grew up skating in Westfield and attended the opening of the current skatepark in 2001.
Burke, who lives in Westhampton, first reached out to the Parks & Recreation Commission about the need to redo the skatepark in 2019. Since then, the project was adopted by the commission, which took over responsibility for it from the School Committee. They received $25,000 from the Community Preservation Committee for the concept design and site work after approval from the City Council.
The current park is 8,000 square feet. The new one will be 15,000 square feet in the same footprint and also made out of concrete, “This is the second time Westfield will build a skatepark, Burke said, adding that there is now a lot more industry knowledge. He said the new one will be more thoughtfully designed by a skatepark builder, Platform Group, which he called a high end designer that has put in skateparks all over the United States.
Digging into the design elements, which include a long ledge, curb, mini-ramp, broken sidewalk, flat bar, quarter pipes, banks and stairs, Burke said the transitions in the skatepark will be no more than four feet high, with space between elements. “By keeping it open, there will be room to breathe.” He said the first draft doesn’t include plantings, and the concrete could be stained with color. There is also an area for a shade structure and possibly lights in the park.
After the design was met with applause from the skaters in the room, Commissioner Mike Tirrell asked how a 15,000 sq. ft. park compares to others. Burke said the new skatepark in Greenfield, which he called the best in the valley, is 14,000 sq. ft., and a new one about to be built in Springfield will be 20,000 sq. ft. “There are not a lot of comparisons. When we build this, it’s going to be a big draw,” he said.
Dan Dziuban of Westfield, owner of Theory Skate Shop in the Holyoke Mall, said he runs the skate camp every year for Parks & Recreation. A few years ago, he had to move it to a basketball court and bring portable ramps for it, because he couldn’t use the existing skatepark any more.
“We’re lucky to have Jeff working on this. He has a clear vision,” Dziuban said, adding that a new skatepark will help local businesses, because it will draw hundreds of people to Westfield. He said the size of the park doesn’t matter, but it’s what’s inside it that matters.
Westfield roller blader Crysta Ascolillo agreed that it would be a draw. She said she meets friends at the Holyoke skatepark, then has lunch with them there.
Ward 3 Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane asked what ages would be able to use the park.
Burke said the current park is dangerous for anyone under 12, with a 12-foot long bowl that is overhead deep. “People were dropping like flies,” he said, adding that with no features higher than three or four feet, it will be good for beginners and skaters doing highly technical tricks.
“The park we have now is intimidating. People shy away,” said Westfield skateboarder Joseph Lamere.
Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy said it is unusual when a problem is identified by the public and they do something about it. “Look at Pickleball now,” Figy said, adding that the skatepark has his support.
When Councilor Nicholas Morganelli, the Parks & Rec liaison, asked why concrete was going to be used for the park, many of the advocates in the room spoke up.
Burke said a lot of modern skateparks are made out of rebar and concrete, and the ones made out of wood elements don’t last very long. He gave the example of one in Chicopee made out of wooden prefab ramps and metal which is not drawing skateboarders. “It’s not what anyone wants,” he said, adding, “Across the world, everyone is using concrete.”
Nick Mola of Great Barrington said the skatepark there, which is made of wood, has been in dire disrepair for years, with screws coming out of the wood and other problems. He said the only attention it gets is from locals fixing it up themselves. “If it’s made from concrete, it is virtually maintenance free,” he said, adding, “We love the Great Barrington skatepark, despite it all.”
“There is a lot of energy in Greenfield. People 5 to 55 are using the park,” said Barry Scott, who lives in Turners Falls. He said a lot of the newer concrete parks all have smooth transitions between banks. He recommended having places outside of the park with shade for people to sit and watch, water fountains and a solar charger for phones.
“One thing we don’t have is lights. People still need places to go after dark,” Scott said. “Those extras are part of the draw to have people there.”
Alex Maldonado from Holyoke said they have motion lights at their skatepark. “That was one of the worst area parks for drugs. Having people in the park keeps them away. If you go into the skatepark, the lights will turn on,” he said.
Westfield skateboarder Donovan Martin said having somewhere to go after school would be a lot more fun.
Tirrell asked about the cost, and how it might be funded. Burke said money could be raised through fundraising and grants. A recent fundraising concert at Hutghi’s at the Nook in Westfield raised $900 for the skatepark.
“Greenfield got $500,000 of the total cost from the PARC grant,” Burke said, adding that between the PARC grant and other grants, Greenfield got 70 to 80 percent of the cost of the skatepark covered. “The next part of the process is to look at some of these grants.”
Tirrell said when the commission started looking at where to put a skatepark, they came back to the current location. “There is already a park there, adjacent to the rail trail. If the connection to Southampton ever becomes a reality, it will be super well located.”
Burke said the Northampton skatepark is on the bike path, and the two proposed locations in Easthampton are on the bike path. He said he sees an opportunity down the road to get a regional tournament going, with about 10 participating parks.
Jeff Bagg of Easthampton thanked the Parks & Rec commissioners and the city councilors for being there. “There is a lot of data about who uses skate parks, it’s a diverse group. I think it’s great that as a Parks & Rec Commission and Parks Department you are supporting unorganized sports.”
“It’s not like 2001. Skateboarding is now an Olympic sport. They are expensive to build, but it’s important to provide that for kids,” Bagg added.
Vincent Olinski said he has served 40 years on the Parks & Rec Commission, and this is the most enthusiastic group he has seen.
“This board thinks this is significant,” said Magarian. He asked Burke what the next steps are in the process.
Burke said he will take the input from the meeting and bring it back to the designer, He also plans to put out public surveys on the Westfield Skatepark and Theory Instagram accounts. After input, a final design will be produced, and the engineering team will put together a construction manual and documents. After that, there needs to be a conversation about costs and how much the city is willing to spend. “This is a substantial, once in 40 years project,” he said.
“This is our one shot to redo this park. I think it’s really important, and you’ve got to do it right. Jeff has done a really good job,” said Parks Department Deputy Superintendent Scott Hathaway at the end of the meeting.
Afterwards, local skateboarders Lamere, Martin and Brodie Grabiec were asked what they thought of the design for the new park. They were pleased.
“It’s perfect – I will be there every day,” said Grabiec.