by JEN BIUNDO
As Hays County doles out the last $1.8 million left over from a $30 million parks and open spaces bond election in 2007, Buda is hoping to get a slice of the pie to build a skate park where local kids can practice their sport.
The council has talked before about the need for a skate park, and put the concept on the long-term parks master plan. But the idea got a shot of life from a group of local teenaged skateboarders who organized and went before the council to plead their case Tuesday night.
“Skaters all around the world skate for two reasons: passion and love,” said Hays High School Student Manuel Garcia. “I believe all of us can come together, put our heads together and build a park that can allow kids to enjoy skateboarding.”
The kids told councilmembers that by not having a legitimate place to skate, they and their sport became criminalized by default. Hays High School student Caleb Cleaver, 17, said local kids skate in whatever parking lot or ditch they can find, but are often told to move along.
“Everywhere I go, I pretty much get kicked out,” Cleaver said. “They basically shun skaters in Buda. I would just like a place to skate in Buda without getting into trouble.”
Jesse Crouse, 14, the son of councilmember Tom Crouse, said he and his friends have been talking about the need for a skate park for more than a year. When they learned that the county funds might be available, they approached city Parks Director Jack Jones.
“The idea got out and the kids rallied themselves,” Jones said. “Having community support is vital for any project, particularly for a skate park. Hopefully the kids will follow me to the county.”
Councilmembers said they supported the idea.
“I think any time you provide places for youth to recreate, you’ll have a much healthier community,” said Councilmember Cathy Chilcote.
The park would go into land the city already owns just south of Main Street at the elevated water tower on FM 967 (formerly called South Loop 4). The fenced-in, quarter-acre concrete plaza would have jumps, ramps and rails for skateboarders to practice their tricks.
“The kids could actually help design the park,” Jones said. “They know what designs they like. I think they’ll be a big part of the project from start to finish.”
Bringing local skaters in to help plan the park could have the added benefit of giving them a sense of ownership, Jones noted.
“If they help design the park, they have an interest to help keep it safe and clean,” he added.
Jones said the $150,000 price tag may include a restroom and lights, but the city could tweak the scope of the project depending on the final target price tag.
The city would offer a one-to-one match on the county bond funds, meaning it could pay $75,000 for the skate park. Buda has about $300,000 banked in the Parks Capital Improvements Fund.
Almost all concrete, the park would require little in the way of watering or maintenance like other city-owned open spaces, Jones said. State law limits the liability the city could face if a skateboarder had an accident in the park.
Councilmembers expressed some concern about kids jumping the fence and skating in the park after it closed for the night. But Buda Mayor Bobby Lane said that, in addition to local police running patrols by the park, he believed the local skaters would take care of the park.
“If they’re as sincere about it as they present to us tonight, I think they would self-police it,” Lane said.
Buda Police Chief Bo Kidd, who skateboarded as a teenager and recalled watching an unknown Tony Hawk in competition, said he supported the idea of a skate park.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Kidd said. “Hopefully they’ll get it and have a place to hang out and do what they love.”
Cities have until Oct. 1 to submit their projects to the county’s Parks and Open Space Advisory Board, where the proposals will be scored, ranked and turned over to commissioners.
The city will ask for the skate park as its top priority. Councilmembers also voted to ask the county for $300,000 in funding, with an equal city match, to build a trail system in Bradfield Park connecting to Stagecoach Park, City Park and downtown Buda, and $50,000 to go towards the creation of off-leash areas for dogs in Whispering Hollow Park and Green Meadows Park.
The council opted not to ask for county funds to install $400,000 worth of lights for nighttime game play at Sportsplex Park.
So far, Buda has received $775,000 from the bond funds for the construction of Stagecoach Park.
