Debate on Skateboard Park Grinds On

On July 15, 2008, former Dormont resident Mary Pitcher lost two of her four sons in a drowning incident at a reservoir in the Allegheny National Forest. The young men, Stephen Pitcher, 19, and Vincent Pitcher, 21, who grew up in Dormont, were avid skateboarders. As a memorial to the two lives lost, their mother, now a resident of Scott Township, approached Dormont Council about establishing a skateboard park and raising the money for its construction. Since then, the proposed facility has been fraught with controversy. This three-part series will look at existing skateboard facilities in other municipalities, as well as examine the views of those opposed to the creation of one in Dormont—and those who feel it would be an asset to the borough.

Thomas Bechtel admits his first reaction to creating a skateboard park in Wheeling, WV, was not a positive one.

"I wasn't one of those people in favor when they proposed it," said Bechtel, who is recreation director in Wheeling, about 50 miles from Dormont.

It took five years from the time a 12-year-old approached Wheeling Council with a request to build a skatepark until it came to fruition in October 2007, thanks to $300,000 in grants, contributions and in-kind products.

Though initially opposed to the plan, Bechtel turned into one of the park's biggest fans after opening day, when about 400-500 kids showed up to try out the new concrete bowls and street elements.

"From day one, it's been unbelievable," he said in an interview last week. "I've really been impressed. They actually take care of it themselves. I was shocked."

According to the Public Skatepark Development Guide, there were more than 13 million skateboarders in the United States in 2008, 93.7 percent of whom are younger than 24. With about 80 million people between the ages of 5 and 24 in the U.S., the guide suggests that about one out of every seven young people are skateboarders.

Skateboarding has grown in popularity with sports heroes such as professional skateboarder Tony Hawk and more off-beat icons like Bam Margera of MTV's "Jackass" fame. In fact, skateboarding even has its own fashion style.

"You wouldn't have hired one of them," said Bechtel, referring to the appearances of some of the skateboarders who helped build the park there. "Sometimes, you really misjudge people. I know I did."

He said the volunteers were 10 to 12 of the "hardest workers I've met in my life ... the nicest people. They're a different breed of cat. These are kids who aren't into football, baseball and basketball."

Chris Blackwell, principal planner for Penn Hills for 20 years, agreed with the assessment that skateboarders are often kids who march to a different beat. But unlike Bechtel, who had initial doubts, Blackwell was a proponent of Penn Hills having a skatepark from the get-go, especially because it was a sport his own son enjoyed.

"It's the most successful project I've ever been involved in," he said, without hesitation.

Blackwell, who has visited skateparks across the country, said the Penn Hills project was well thought out. It includes a pavilion that offers kids a place to feel comfortable, long-wearing equipment and rules of conduct that have helped the park maintain a nice facility.

"You have to recognize kids need a place to be," he said. "It's packed."

The Penn Hills skatepark is located in a separate section of the small Duff Park, between a school and a daycare center some distance away. The skatepark in Findlay Township is in a sports/recreation complex and the one in Wheeling in a somewhat isolated area near some ballfields.

The 18-year-old skateboarders there are patient enough to teach the 6 year olds how to skateboard, Bechtel said. In comparison, on Wheeling's basketball courts, he said, those 6 years olds would "not stand a chance."

Gary Klingman, Finlay Township manager, said there is a wide age range of those using the skatepark that opened in 2005 at the Finley Township Recreation and Sports Complex, including parents who accompany their children. Most of the users are in their early teens.

"We actually have people in their 40s using it," Klingman said. "One of the things that helps us is the adults involved."

Vandalism and crime are often two things that concern residents about nearby skateboard parks. But those officials speaking about their municipal skateparks say the problems mostly come from non-skateboarders.

There has been graffiti at facilities, but Blackwell said the kind that has had to be removed was not done by the skateboarders. And graffiti is not limited to skateboard facilities, but is also done in other park locations as well.

Blackwell noted that skateboarders don't do such things as pour cooking oil or paint on the ramps because they don't want to ruin a facility they use. The crime that has occurred at the site is generally against skateboarders, not by them, he said.

"Those incidents are not skateboarder to skateboarder," Blackwell said.

He also said language among the older skateboarders can get rough, but also pointed out that "that's what they do"—meaning youths in general, not just skateboarders.

Since the Findlay Township skatepark opened six years ago, there might have been two times police were called to break up fights—and one of those fights was over a girl, Klingman said. He pointed out that could have as easily happened on the street as in the park.

Another thing people get concerned about is drugs and alcohol—and good police patroling might be keeping that to a minimum in Wheeling, Penn Hills and Findlay.

Blackwell said it has been a "non-issue" in Penn Hills, but acknowledged that it can happen in any public park, not just the skateboarding area. Bechtel said a playground is just as likely an area for such activities to occur.

"If you think your community doesn't have drugs and alcohol, you're crazy," Blackwell said.

What all the municipal officials agree on is that litter is a problem. Klingman said the skatepark was once closed for three days because of the litter left behind.

"That brought them to their senses real quick," he said.

But again, Klingman said, other park activities bring their share of litter, too.

Although the county skateparks at South Park and Boyce Park require helmets, most don't. Klingman said Findlay officials worked out its rules with a liability insurance company, including that children under age 9 must be accompanied by a parent.

The skatepark there has 10-foot fences and motion detectors to alert police if anyone is in the fenced-in area after the park closes. Findlay also offers safety demonstrations in hopes of preventing the injuries that can occur with skateboarding.

Klingman notes that without a skatepark, the youngsters would find other places to skateboard. The less-safe alternatives such as loading docks, decks and stair rails can lead to more injuries than the grind rails, bowls and ramps that skateparks provide—and often end up being in commercial areas, which annoys shop owners.

All three of these parks were up and operating on the day that brothers Stephen and Vincent Pitcher, both skateboarding enthusiasts from Dormont, lost their lives in a tragic drowning incident.

Just a few months later, their mother, Mary Pitcher, came up with an idea to raise money for a skatepark in that would honor their lives. The first solid plans came to Dormont Council in August 2009.

One public meeting was held to present the plan and to get citizen input on the pros and cons of the proposal. A revised plan based on those comments was presented for review at a second meeting.

However, in November 2009, borough council rejected the proposal by a 5-2 vote. After new council members took office in January 2010, the proposal came up again and was approved by a 4-3 vote in April 2010.

Since that vote, the skateboard park has been an issue with sharply divided opinions. It has been the subject of several comment threads on Dormont-Brookline Patch, which led to this series to present all sides of the controversy. Attempts to contact officials in Canonsburg and Pittsburgh's Citiparks, which also have skateparks, were unsuccessful by deadline.

Part II of this series will appear on Patch on Wednesday, Nov. 9. It will examine why some people are opposed to the proposed skateboard park—and why their reasons aren't all about skateboarding.

To view Part II, click

To view Part III,