The Dripping Springs skate park initiative asked for city council’s active involvement in skate park development after announcing they have raised over $100,000 towards development of the park.
The last time Dennis Baldwin was in front of council, they agreed to donate about an acre of land located behind Founders Park and Baldwin would be responsible for raising money for the park itself.
At last Tuesday’s city council meeting, Baldwin shared how he raised over $100,000 through donations, merchandise sales and a silent auction. He also said the DS Skate Park Initiative has hired a grant writer and is actively seeking grants.
The skate park is expected to cost roughly $500,000, Baldwin said. His ambitious completion date is Summer 2021, but depending on fundraising efforts the skate park won’t be complete until late 2021 or early 2022.
“I feel very strongly that we’re going to do it right. We have the right people involved to make a destination park, hotter than the park in Austin,” Baldwin said. “We’re going to get it done.”
Baldwin has kept skate supporters involved in every step, including the design of the park. Skaters participated in a “dotmocracy”’ that allowed them to vote on what kinds of designs, ramps and bowls they would like to see. The next design meeting date has not been set, but Baldwin first has to get the land surveyed.
Once the land is surveyed, he can find out if a skate park can actually be built on the land donated by the city.
After the presentation, several skater teens shared with the council how valuable a skate park would be in the community.
Many of the supporters attend Baldwin’s weekly “Skate night” sessions, where several ramps, rails, benches and obstacles are brought for skaters.
Skater Stephen Weirzbowski, 16, said a skate park could be a safe space for ambitious skaters like himself.
“Anywhere we skate, we get kicked out pretty fast. It’s not fair that football players have a field, basketball players have a court and skaters have a once a week skate session. Skating is a serious sport and I can’t progress in my driveway,” Wierzbowski said.
City council has said it supports the skate park efforts completely, but clarified that members first need to do their homework on what resources they can provide. After talking to city attorneys, city council will officially announce and detail their support plan at a city council meeting in the near future.
