Sean C. Morgan
The City Council approved the purchase of skate park equipment last week.
The council approved the expenditure during its regular meeting on Oct. 26.
Total, the city will spend about $48,000 on the construction of the new skate park, just east of the School District 55 Central Office.
Of that total, $30,000 was budgeted from city funds. The Kiwanis Club donated an additional $10,000. The city will spend another $8,000 available from donations through water billing. Another $7,000 is available from the water billing donations if necessary.
The city received bids from three companies that manufacture modular skate park equipment.
A committee rated each on the basis of cost, durability, warranty and design and layout. It gave Skatewave the highest mark overall. Skatewave equipment will cost $38,404. The low bidder was Rhino at $34,800. The high bidder was Huna/Woodward at $39,984.
The Kiwanis portion of the project is to construct the concrete pad and related infrastructure.
Ben Dahlenburg’s high school construction trades class will work with Dan Darwood at some point during the school year pouring a 100-foot by 100-foot concrete slab. The slab will be smooth and scored to prevent cracking.
Dahlenburg said the group of construction students he has now don’t skateboard, but social studies teacher Nancy Ellis would be working with him to involve skaters.
The Kiwanis Club has been working on the skate park project for about 10 years, Dahlenburg said. “I remember discussing it in some of my classes years ago.”
In community service classes, he would ask students what could be done to improve Sweet Home. A skate park was always at the top of the list, along with a drive-in theater and a mall.
“I think it’s important to have a place to have kids do this activity because they’re doing it,” Dahlenburg said. Right now, they do it on private property and often cause damage.
The Skatewave park will include 16 pieces in 10 different obstacles. Skatewave will provide volunteer supervision for community installation of the obstacles.