Skateboarders may yet get parks in Ashland, area towns

The Board of Selectmen has scheduled a hearing Wednesday at 8 p.m. for residents interested in creating a new skating area after the previous one in Stone Park closed last year.

“The Police Department says kids are all over the place, and there have been people saying they would like to see some sort of facility for kids,’’ said Paul Monaco, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

Skateboard parks are under discussion elsewhere in the region as well. Last week, selectmen in Southborough signed off on the creation of a skate park in Choate Field, while in Medfield, plans for a new park are on hold as donations have been difficult to come by this year.

Ashland’s selectmen decided to close the town’s skate park after neighbors complained about excessive noise, both from the sound of skateboard wheels grinding against the park’s metal ramps and from youths hanging out and using foul language.

A skate park committee was charged with assessing where the town should site the facility, and selected a middle school parking lot as its preferred location.

However, Town Meeting turned down a $291,500 appropriation of Community Preservation Act funds to build the park, amid lingering concerns about safety and the use of school-adjacent space.

At Wednesday’s meeting, “the board will look at who comes in, what feedback we get and then have a discussion,’’ Monaco said. “If we do decide to form a committee, they’ll have to reexamine the old proposal, what elements did or didn’t work, and figure out how to proceed.’’

In Southborough, the selection of Choate Field reflects officials’ concerns about safety, said recreation director Doreen Ferguson.

“There are kids skating in parking lots and by the train station - it’s not safe at all,’’ she said.

It’s also an issue of fairness, as Ferguson pointed out that other athletes have dedicated places in towns, such as tennis courts and soccer fields, whereas skateboarders do not. Other towns, including Hudson, have had success with skateboard parks.

Selectmen considered a location on Central Street close to Fayville Park, but were concerned about high traffic volumes on the road. Choate Field, located near Woodward Elementary School on Cordaville Road, is already home to athletic fields, Ferguson said.

Moreover, “the location we chose is very exposed, flat, and easy to get to,’’ she said. “My concern was if someone fell and nobody were around, but it’s on a major road and hopefully someone would see [a skateboarder] who was hurt.’’

It’s also near the town center and many businesses, which Ferguson expects would benefit from youth skaters buying snacks and drinks.

Now, the search for money to build the park begins, and Ferguson acknowledges that it could cost $100,000 or more to complete the facility.

“Fund-raising is going to be difficult,’’ Ferguson said. “Because of the economic times, we didn’t feel the town would see it as a priority for spending money - we’re sensitive to that.’’

Similar problems exist in Medfield, where “there is no movement on the skate park at this point due to the economy,’’ said Jim Snyder, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

Last fall, the town offered up a parcel in Metacomet Park, pending funding.

“Right now, the people who want to build the skate park are actively trying to do some fund-raising so they can be in a position to purchase that equipment, but until we get to that point, which we have not, we’re sort of in limbo as far as that project goes,’’ Snyder said.

Jean Bourdon, a Medfield resident whose 12-year-old son skateboards, is leading the citizen effort to build the skate park but acknowledged that “this has been a very slow year for fund-raising.’’

On the upside, Bourdon estimates that her group will need less money than originally expected, perhaps around $15,000, to pour the concrete slab. Many of the skating ramps and obstacles are still available from a previous skateboard park in town and are in good condition, she said.

“I’m hopeful we’ll be able to get this off the ground soon,’’ Bourdon said.