Village of New Paltz trustees continue to hear feedback from residents about the idea of building a “skate garden” where the old playground once stood in Hasbrouck Park. Thus far, support is coming from people with children interested in skateboarding and skating, while a number of close neighbors are expressing misgivings about the project. As is sometimes the case, Mayor Tim Rogers responded to some of the latest feedback.
Rita Ross spoke about how the value of park is in its empty space, which can be used for a variety of activities and fears that creating specialized structures will eat away at that flexibility. Rogers pointed out that even if this skate garden is constructed, there would be more “green space” than when there was a baseball field taking up much of the land area. Allen Ross, a local architect, questioned whether that’s a false equivalency: people can certainly use a ball field for other activities when there’s not a game, but there are far fewer alternative ways to use concrete ramps when skaters are not present.
Ross told trustees that having a concrete structure at the end of the tree-lined Elting Avenue would be “aesthetically at odds.” Other locations might be more suitable from that standpoint.
Rogers invited the Rosses to have a longer discussion about this project, emphasizing the amount of time that it’s been in the works.
On the other hand, Linda Delaguerra is “thrilled” by the idea. Delaguerra’s two children have been watching skateboarders since before they had an interest in the sport, and from those observations have learned how persistent practice is how one achieves goals, such as landing a more complicated trick. The New Paltz resident also spoke about the supportive climate at the Gardiner skate park, where teenagers have coached Delaguerra’s five-year-old child, bolstering confidence along the way. Trustees also heard that one person circulating a petition opposing this project made claims that most of the park would be taken up, but later admitted not to have seen the plans yet. A search of the village website turned up no plans or other documents using the search term “skate garden.”
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