A group of local skateboard, BMX and inline-skate enthusiasts gathered in the Horace Mann Elementary School's multipurpose room to discuss plans for a recreational park. The Thursday night meeting was essentially a design session for future patrons to voice their equipment-based wants and needs for J. S. Mack Community Center.
Jonathan Mack, trustee of the J.S. Mack Foundation, spoke about how he is excited for the skate park and thinks it will greatly benefit the area's young skaters.
"While skateboarding's not something a lot of us (adults) did as kids, it's something a lot of kids now do as recreational activity," he said.
He also encouraged the community to donate money for the project. Half of the funds must be raised by the community, which could be matched by state grants.
The floor was open for suggestions of what specific equipment skaters and bikers would want at the park. The predominantly school-age audience suggested such features as half-pipes, stair sets, fun boxes and stairs with ledges and a rail down the middle.
Brad Milford, a project coordinator from Jeffrey Associates, presented options for the skatepark and answered questions from the audience. His company has been furnishing, installing and servicing recreational products for 30 years.
"When it comes to recreation, we do everything," he said.
Milford ensured everyone that Jeffrey Associates uses Woodward products, which are certified for BMX biking, inline skating and skateboarding.
He also stressed that he would take care of the flow and design of the park and maintain a distance between obstacles. The biggest concern with design, he said, as a crisscross of paths could cause collisions.
Milford assured those in attendance that the design would cater to both park and street skaters. Street skaters, he said, would want features that appear in urban settings, like benches, curbs and handrails.
Those in attendance suggested specific street features they would like incorporated into the scheme of the park, which Milford will take into account when designing.
"Your input is key to this project," he said.
Some audience members asked questions about cost versus quality and what types of materials would be used for the ground surface and obstacles. "The transition between the ramp and the ground is very, very, very important," Milford said.
He guaranteed that the transition would be seamless and skaters would not notice the change in surface.
While the plan to create a recreational park began in 2004 with a group of sixth-grade boys, it took until now for all the planning to come together. Leann Chaney, chief planner from the Indiana County Office of Planning and Development, said she's excited for a professional, safe facility for local youths and students.
Chaney said that a skatepark is needed for Indiana's young people because right now, there's no safe place for them to bike and skate.
"In my mind, it's a playground for bigger kids," she said.
The next step is to obtain an artist's rendering of what the 197-foot by 111-foot space in Mack Park will look like when completed. A public kickoff meeting will be held sometime in October, and fundraising efforts will push the project toward completion.
Chaney said that the group hopes to raise between $100,000 and $250,000, though the exact amount is still up in the air.
Once the project is finished, "I'm hopeful that an IUP Skate Club would get resurrected," Chaney said.
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