Skate park expansion on hold
A tightening of the budget put the squeeze on several Lawrence Parks projects, including a $50,000 expansion to the skate park that was slated to being this year. Enlarge video
Faron Cotten slides a backside boardslide down the handrail at Centennial Park. After four years of pushing to expand the city's skate park, local skaters will have to continue to wait as city officials put the skatepark addition on hold.
After four years of pushing to expand Lawrence's skate park, a group of skateboarders has hit another wall.
Despite the City Commission last year approving a $50,000 skate park expansion at Centennial Park, city budget woes likely will delay the project until 2008.
"That was one of the projects we were hoping to fund with sales tax, and basically sales tax revenues are down. So we've had to put three or four projects on hold, and that was one of them, unfortunately," said Mark Hecker, parks and maintenance superintendent for the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department.
Skaters hoped the city would add new obstacles to the park, including a bowl, like an empty, in-ground swimming pool with rounded edges.
"A huge thing would be something that you don't have to push to skate around, something you could just get in and ride and not be pushing yourself around the whole time," said Justin Shiney, 26, a member of the Lawrence Skate Association.
Shiney said he doesn't come to the Lawrence park very often anymore. Instead, he goes to Topeka and Kansas City area parks that have bigger and better features.
City officials recognize that not much has changed at the skate park since it opened in 1998.
"You've got to have something new and different, that's OK," Hecker said. "We like to keep changing as we can. Unfortunately, it costs a lot of money."
Construction on the expansion was scheduled to begin this year. When city leaders realized sales tax revenue was not growing as much as projected, Hecker said the department decided to delay projects not already started. Those included construction of the Burroughs Creek Trail in East Lawrence, a playground at DeVictor Park in West Lawrence and the skate park.
"We're extremely disappointed," said Shiney. "But it happens. We can't control the taxes coming in and the budget."
Shiney said local skaters have raised almost $3,000 to help fund the park. He plans to continue working with Parks and Recreation until he sees some concrete results.
"If we can't get it done this year, I don't see any reason we can't get it done next year," said City Commissioner Boog Highberger.
Comments
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merrill (anonymous) says…
This new commission is making it hard on the community. Four scrooges. Let's stop taking on all brand new infrastructure out north, south,southeast, west , northwest and northeast until Lawrence is fiscally capable of meeting existing demands in existing parts of town. Show up August 7 and tell them to stop!
Some keep saying new this and that will create new revenue. Prove it! Lawrence has had 25 years of expanding yet we still cannot afford what we have. Isn't there something wrong with this approach? I'd say many commissions of the past 25 years made some terribly wrong decisions and this one wants to return to the old ways of zero economic impact studies of any sort. Guessing is costing this community a small fortune.
This commission claims Placemaker/Smartcode consultants do not know what they are talking about. I'd say it is time to heed their warning.
"How about getting something done about more baseball/softball facilities in this town?"
Our exisiting park space could provide such!
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
I hear Gene Myer is going to donate enough to make up for the short fall.
SettingTheRecordStraight (anonymous) says…
Where does government derive the right to expend tax dollars on skateboard parks?
leftlawrenceafter30years (anonymous) says…
Lawrence has one skatepark and how many tennis courts, baseball, soccer and basketball facilities?
I think it is a disgrace that the skaters have to take a back seat. This is for the kids who do not want to do traditional sports. If some of the more prosperous folks would get together and help fund this privately, it would be a great thing.
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
Crossfire - why don't you either make a relevant comment or not make a comment at all ? Unless, of course, that was an attempt at humor, in which case it was a poor one.
It would seem that a primary focus of the commission, at this time, would be to bring the streets up to snuff, which have been neglected for too long. Once that is done, then we can look at expanding recreational opportunities.
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
SettingTheRecordStraight
From the people...
SettingTheRecordStraight (anonymous) says…
Stuck,
That power is not in the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights.
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
SettingTheRecordStraight
Are you talking about a "power" or a "right"? Hmmm... maybe there isn't any difference...
Anyway... in a constitutional democracy the people can give the government any "right" or "power" that they wants as long as it is not prohibited by the constitution...
I don't believe that anywhere in the Constitution... or in any of it's Amendments does it say that the government may not build a skate park...
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
cb,
Sometimes the best jokes are the ones that nobody gets.
When one already highly paid public servant receives a 33% pay increase while the rest of the employees are only getting 3-5% increases, the joke is not funny.
When part of the justification for his large pay increase is the profit of the hospital and that most of that profit can be attributed to donations, the joke is not funny.
Claiming he moved to Cedar Creek to cut down on commuter time might be the worst joke of all.
I don't know who's laughing but it's not me.
...any way slamming Creekers is fun.
SK8Rs Rule. Golfers drool.
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
Crossfire - OK, we get that you hate Gene Meyer. Is there any relevant point you would care to make?
What you don't seem to understand is that when a person proves themselves as an effective leader and valuable asset to the organization, an organization will likely pay that person a salary that will keep them in that position. We see that all the time in athletics, coaching, CEO's, etc. Meyer is no different. Perhaps you are a bit jealous of someone who is worth what they are paid. And by the way, tell those people who are 'only getting 3-5% raises' that there are many people who would be thrilled with a 3-5% boost in salary !
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
Anybody out there who is thrilled with a 3% pay increase, please step forward,
Jump back CB, here comes a stampede of happy workers about to knock us all down.
If the practices of the business and sports worlds is your model to live by....
...'nough said.
Maybe you don't get it.
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
Crossfire - I do get it; I get that many people did not even receive a 3% raise this year, so those that did, while possibly not thrilled, did better than many people who did not receive any raise or one less than 3%, due to the economy, tough times, etc. Now surely you have heard of the concept of supply and demand. Why is it that you think someone isn't entitled to a higher salary due to their relative worth to society? Sounds like you might be stuck in an entry-level job and desire to be paid like a CEO - is that it?
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
The statements in this latest post are the best argument yet for my opinion.
First...many people did not even receive a 3% raise this year.
As the head of any organization where the is not enough money to fairly compensate the workers accepting a big raise is just greed.
And yes...I do believe some workers deserve higher compensation due to their relative worth to society.
The person who climbs the power pole in a storm so that your lights stay on deserves higher compensation.
The ER nurse who is on duty Christmas Eve deserves higher compensation.
All the emergency workers who risk their lives every day deserve higher compensation.
Singers and artist who put it all on the line to make us think deserve higher compensation.
The CEO's will take the big money off the top while the workers get the left overs do not deserve higher compensation.
The CEO's who are criminals and are allowed to bargin or buy their way out of jail do not deserve higher compensation.
The sports heros who are a disgrace due to cheating and other criminal activity do not deserve higher compensation.
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
Oh and BTW...
The young people who skate deserve a skate park.
That was supposed to be the point anyway.
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
Crossfire - I actually agree with SOME of what you said, but I must ask - are you considering Gene Meyer a 'skimmer' or a 'criminal'? Wouldn't you agree that he has taken LMH to new heights? Wouldn't you agree that LMH is now a more well-rounded hospital than before? Wouldn't you agree that LMH is now able to do more things in-house? Wouldn't you agree that the facilities at LMH are expanding and improving? Seems like a guy who's doing all these things deserves additional compensation! I'm not saying you didn't deserve a raise, but I disagree with your premise that Gene should get nothing and you should get it all!
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
CB,
I see where you are coming from.
My initial comment was more to address the irony that one man can receive such a high pay raise when so many other projects in Lawrence hit the scrap pile.
I still believe that one man taking a one hundred thousand dollar raise when many employees who serve the same people that he serves only get a one or two thousand dollar bump.
Two grand is not enough to pay the annual fuel bill on a 30 mile commute.
I don't think GM is a skimmer or a criminal.
He obviously is doing his job.
I still do believe he is greedy.
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
CFIT
I still believe that one man taking a one hundred thousand dollar raise when many employees who serve the same people that he serves only get a one or two thousand dollar bump is wrong.