WILMINGTON — There continues to be concern that a planned skate park is lacking in size.
A number of skaters and advocates met with Clinton County commissioners Monday, as did the Wilmington Parks & Recreation director and the mayor. Though the planned concrete skate park will be located in a city park, the Board of Clinton County Commissioners has provided funds for the David R. Williams Memorial Park completion project that consists of both the skate park and a planned splash park.
Plans presently call for a 3,750-square-foot phase 1 concrete skate park, with plans to keep fundraising for a phase 2.
Skateboarding advocate Lewis Ross told commissioners, “We do have a logistical problem. A functioning skate park of value to a community — it is necessary that it be properly sized both for effectiveness and safety.”
But Wilmington Parks & Recreation Director Lori Kersey Williams said a grant-spending deadline runs up against the wish to build a larger concrete skate park at this time.
“I think all of us feel like it’s not as large as we want it to be. I don’t think there’s ever been any doubt about that. And the question really does come down to, do we move forward with building what we have the funds to do, and continue to fund-raise so then we can do a second phase?” said Williams.
At one point in the meeting, Ross and skateboarding supporter Mark Noland suggested Williams had used old data in thinking $150,000 could build a skate park that was adequate in size.
In response to a question about the planned splash park, Williams said dimensions for it are about 3,000 square feet.
In respect to the anticipated measurements of the planned concrete skate park, Williams said, “It’s really about dollars at this point.”
She also said, “If we had said we can’t live with less than $400,000 for a skate park, or $300,000 — [then] there wasn’t a way forward for us.”
Ross said the skate park plans are “far too small a design. Too small.”
At one juncture, Williams said, “I’m sorry if we’ve had some missteps and people feel slighted, but the intention has always been to do the best we can with what we have.”
In a separate appointment with the commissioners, Clinton County Job and Family Services Director Kathi Spirk introduced them to Maggie Henry, the county’s new Family & Children First Council coordinator. Henry succeeds Sue Giga, who has retired.
Henry already served as the Child Intervention Team (CIT) coordinator for the local Family & Children First Council. The CIT was created to provide service coordination and planning for families with children in crisis needing services from more than one county agency. CIT encourages early intervention in an effort to prevent children from out-of-home placements or from entering the juvenile justice system, states the website.
Every county in Ohio has a Family & Children First Council. Each council includes public and private agencies, as well as parents.
The Clinton County Family & Children First Council supports and oversees CIT, the Help Me Grow program, and the Preschool Basic Parenting Program, the website added.
“Council members work collaboratively to enhance the well-being of their county’s children and families by building community capacity, coordinating systems and services, and engaging families,” according to the website.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
