Good idea!

Totally agree

as a skateboarder(who would NEVER ride a trendy 10 speed bike) i think this is a great idea. as some one who understands the citys fianncial constraints and insurance situation i dont think it is possible. i go to edgewood park occasionally and there is always room to skate around. i think the city would be better served using money elsewhere. but go and skate there anyways. a skatepark is anywhere you want to skate

I'm not sure what your feelings on bikes have to do with the issue--just so you know though, 10 speed bikes haven't been trendy since the 90s or even 80s! All the cool kids now want a dura-ace 11 speed cassette, and most road bikes have 20+ speeds.

On topic though, while the city may not have the money for a park at East Shore now, I think it's worthwhile to start planning and thinking about it. If the area is currently a run-down lot, and the city owns it, it would make sense to get use of it. It's a great time for neighbors and citizens to start thinking about how the space can be best used and look into raising money.

Let's leave the 10 speed-11 speed-fixie whatever debate outta this. :o) Obviously, the city is hurting for money and isn't poised to pony up for this. But I agree with Streever that there is always an alternative approach for funding this project. Edgewood is great, but not always easily accessible for kids on this side of the bridge--and this side IS New Haven--without taking two buses each way. Besides, the space is a completely unused parking lot behind the basketball courts (which could use a paving and some new hoops, but that's another SCF issue). It's not huge space, but it could absolutely work. As for liability, the city is already insured for one skatepark. Securing a bigger policy for two isn't impossible, just a little bit more expensive. If city employees can be given cars to drive, the city can afford to buy a little more insurance for a new skatepark in a section of town that is exploding with families, most of them including skateboarding-toting or BMX-riding kids.

i think this is a great idea! its a really lively park, and the more options there to enjoy it and be active, the better.

i support this idea especially since it is technically illegal to skateboard anywhere in new haven other than in a skate park (which i think is overkill)

This is a capital idea!

I agree to a skate park. My son is always having to go to Edgewood and this park is practically across the street. I get nervous with him going to Edgewood because older kids are always wanting to pick a fight.
As a resident of the area all my life I know that the land was left to the city of new haven to be used only as a park. I even believe there is a trust fund set up for mainenance etc on the land as long as it is used for that purpose.

I would volunteer my time to help build one.

Closing SCF report, but this should really be done! Still an open issue.