City officials hope shaded seating and a drinking fountain will draw more families and Animas River Trail users to Schneider Skate Park in west Durango.
Construction on the $126,600 improvements started in September and are expected to extend into the spring. It is the culmination of years of advocacy by State of the Skate, a group that organizes competitions at the park.
The group raised $9,000 for the project by collecting “nickels and dimes” at the skate park and raising donations from community partners, such as La Plata Electric Association and Bank of the San Juans, said Karen Rowan, founder of State of the Skate.
“Community leaders without hesitation supported this,” she said.
The improvements, which include a drinking fountain and place for families and passers-by to watch skaters and BMX riders, should help promote a safe, drug-free environment, Rowan said.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board supported the improvements, saying it saw a need to create a positive atmosphere for families, and members were impressed that advocates raised money to help pay for construction, said Cathy Metz, director of Parks and Recreation.
Construction of the drinking fountain, seating area and footers for the shade structures are expected to be completed this fall, she said. The landscaping around the new seating will be completed in the spring, Metz said.
The project, near the north end of the skate park along Roosa Avenue, was previously slated to be completed in 2017, but it was delayed while the parks and rec staff worked on other priority projects, such as Lake Nighthorse, she said.
Rowan started advocating for the drinking fountain about four years ago because her grandson, Pat Rowan, is a skateboarder. He was 12 when he gave his first presentation about the drinking fountain and shade structure; he is now 16. Karen Rowan also founded the summer competitions at the skate park, known as Thrasher Thursdays.
“It’s been a great learning experience for him,” she said of the advocacy.
Before State of the Skate, skaters didn’t have an association run by a parent group similar to those for youth soccer or baseball.
“It was necessary for the safety of our kids to make sure there was an advocate for the skate park,” Rowan said.
During the last four years, Thrasher Thursdays have drawn an average of 20 to 25 competitors, including skaters in elementary school. The events have also encouraged skaters and bike riders to take more ownership of the park, she said.
“It has evolved in a really positive direction,” she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
