Wow its really starting to shape up nicely. Lookin' good! :)

It's about time something was done with this eyesore. Thank you Pitcher Park and Mt Lebanon UP Church volunteers!

who is running for council that is opposed to the building of the skate park? i want them to have my full support.

a skate park will not improve my neighborhood. a skate park will reduce the quality of life in my neighborhood.

The skate park is not in your neighborhood, it is down by the pool. Years ago the area across from Memorial Drive was designated as a multi purpose park, which included skate boarding and your lovely neighbor Dee Krugh was on that committee and she didn't argue the purpose of the area.. So had the comprehensive plan been put in place, you would have skateboarders across from your house. WHen the Castle playground was built the arrogant people who used to live across from the park said the same ignorant things that the anti skateboarders are saying. Once it was built we did not have the problems everyone said we would. Believe it or not there were other communities that came to Dormont asking how the park was built.

lol, please do not tell me what constitutes as my neighborhood. the quality of life in my neighborhood will be directly impacted if this skate park becomes a reality. are you implying that parents of the skateboarders will be accompanying the skaters as the parents do with the younger children do at the castle playground? because i do not see any parents hanging with the kids that skateboard in the pnc parking lot.

Gee Daniele, all those you listed are in good condition! They were in disrepair but one of our former borough managers who was worth their salary got grants to get all that taken care of!

Ed
2:21pm on Thursday, September 29, 2011

"What facts are you basing this on?"

more traffic, both automobiles and pedestrian traffic will come to the park. more traffic equals more garbage.

right now as it is i already have to pick up garbage (fast-food bags/wrappers and soda bottles/cups) that passerby's dump on my street. will my duties to keep my neighborhood nice will be reduced with influx of more people (basically kids) coming to the area? i think not.

plus these pictures someone took are fact enough for me
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40956383@N02

yeah i did my own study when i was picking up garbage off the street last week. want me to call you so you can see it first hand next time? castle park was built (almost a decade) before I decided to make dormont my home and i love how it attracts responsible parents and children. will parents be accompanying their kids to the skate park? because I do see any parents with the skaters who hang out in the pnc parking lot.

* because I do NOT see any parents with the skaters who hang out in the pnc parking lot.

Some people need to chill. I don't like when people get angry and hostile towards Council, the Manager etc., so lighten up on the skate park. If you really want to have an impact walk around Dormont and collect signatures on a petition and make it specific- (As a Dormont resident are you opposed to removing existing recreation facilities, replacing them with inferior facilities and adding a skatepark to the area where the tennis courts are currently located) Get involved, not angry.

I have to say, I had misconceptions about the kids who use skateboard parks myself. But my daughter (13 year old) has been very into the pop/punk music scene in the last year or so and I have accompanied her to multiple conerts. These kids who attend the concert or are the performers at the concert are the same kids that you see frequenting the skate parks, and I was blown away by their kindness to each other, their polite manner to each other and adults that they come into contact with. Yes, they have multiple piercings, tattoos, wear odd clothes and have strange haircuts. But they are for the most part, very decent kids who I would rather see my daughter pal around with than the kids who wander aimlessly around Potomac all evening long, sitting on the corner of the street and making fun of other kids who walk by.

why is the skate park not being proposed to be built at the beggs snyder park near your house then? heck i might even support that.

the garbage dumping by non-residents has been a problem, I noticed, when I moved in before the skate park was even an idea.

so few, to no parents, will be accompanying the 13 year old kids to the skate park and the kids will act as primary management to self-govern their own behavior? if the 13 year old kid's self-managing skills fail, who is going to step in and take responsibility to make sure kids aren't are not misbehaving?

the garbage dumping is a problem, regardless of residential status to the person committing the act. if you increase traffic in an area then the frequency of litter will increase.

who takes responsibility for the age group now? I don't know because, again, the kids who skateboard in the pnc parking lot are without parental supervision.

For your last request, invest in a dictionary.

or they could build the skate park out your way and then i will not have to hear empty promises about the garbage issue if this skate park becomes a reality.

like i said before the youth at the park are governed by their parents.

this is the reality of skate parks and what pitcher park will look like in 5 years
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40956383@N02

Begg Snyder Park is in Mt. Lebanon, as is much of the property at the old Kelton School site. Are there any adults supervising the kids who currently use the basketball courts or play football in the park? If there is a trash problem you should contact the borough building. I love how people stereotype skateboarders as drug addicts, alcoholics, tattoo wearing body piercing smoking deadbeat litters. I have been involved in youth sports for years and I can tell you for a fact that kids who play baseball, basketball, football, cheerlead and softball are all doing the same thing but because of their athletic status in schools, no one points these things out.

Actually, Jeff the old Kelton school site is in Dormont.

Sounds like the empty promises are coming from the perceived notions you have no_skate_park2. And I thought, according to your previous post, the garbage problem was from non-residents.

Excellent points Jeff.

Mr. Fabus,
I hear that certain residents along Memorial Drive opposed the batting cages and the castle playground. Is this true? If so, then it appears these residents just do not want any recreation on or around this street. The park belongs to the borough and to not update recreation with changing times does not show how we are a progressive community which will attract new homeowners.

Got the post made by Heatherwv thank you!

dormont backdoor, the residents across from the park have opposed the castle playground and the batting cages. I am not sure if the residents along Memorial have opposed them.

The following was sent to Council, the Mayor, the Manager, the Rec Director today:
FYI
Wheeling Skatepark was built 4-5 years ago. It was donated by a Mother from the area with a son who skateboards, simply so he could have a place to skate.

Grindline designed their skatepark as well.

I urge you to contact: Mr. Thomas Bechtel Head of Parks & Recreation in Wheeling
304-234-3641

He had been the head of recreation in Wheeling for over 30 years and stated he is willing to talk to any government official who would like to ask him questions or hear about the skatepark and how it has effected their city.

He stated he would gladly come up to speak at a council meeting

Sincerely,
Mary Pitcher
Pitcher Park Memorial Skatepark

Also: You can contact John Steibrick who is the Manager of South Park and ask him about litter or other problems within the skatepark area. His phone no is: (412) 835-4810, 4809, 5710

Also: For information on the city of Pittsburgh Skateparks i.e McKinley please see:
http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/parks/skateboarding.htm for a number listed to call.

The city of Zeilienople has approved a skatepark in their park as well. Contact Mary Hess Councilwoman (724) 493-7522 or the Boro Mgr there Don Pepe 724-452-6610 x 223 and ask them why they think building a skatepark is a good idea.

Also: Call Erie... Jill Chiccarino Beck 814/870-1204 about their skatepark and see what they say.

We will be donating a full size basketball court to replace the half basketball court which is not very safe to play on at all due to a curved slope in the surface.... but it has been used for years that way. I am sure the new full sized basketball court will be appreciated and heavily used as well.

Daniele and Mary, I'd suggest that someone call Howard Davidson or Chris Blackwell in the Penn Hills municipal planning department. They replaced an aging tennis court with a skateboard park in a small park next to a school. They can probably speak to how it worked there.

Actually Danielle, a while back (2 yrs ago & I would have to look at an old notebook) I talked to a community (and I am not suggesting this but you asked) who tore out an aging pool and put in a sprinkler park and a skatepark. They told me it was the best thing they ever did!

I have a question regarding the skatepark. Not sure if this has been discussed or not, so I apologize in advance if this has been answered. Will Pitcher Park be a free skatepark, or will it be generating some kind of revenue? I am also curious as to where the money will come from when repairs will need to done to the skatepark. I assume it will need to be repaired frequently to keep the park safe for all skaters. I'm not thrilled about the placement of Pitcher Park, I do think there are a host of problems with that choice. I only hope this works out, and doesn't become something that all involved end up regretting.

Christi Anderson

Hello Christi,
Pitcher Park will be a free facility for all that will be completely donated to the Borough. It is a cement skatepark & repairs are minimal to this type of skatepark. Quite honestly, the third site location is great as it is very visible and on a site already designated as recreation.
If you would like to, please call the Wheeling Parks Director (number above) and ask him if they have ever regretted building their skatepark.
Thanks for asking!

Dormont had a huge eyesore in the old tennis courts until this project came up. Now the courts are being revamped and made usable again.

And you can Google "skatepark successes" and you get about 1,600,000 hits!

Nice cheap shot Daniele. By putting the money in escrow shows good faith. It really helps if you know what you are talking about, Daniele.