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Stewardship
Saturday, 24 March 2007 22:49

Skatepark Stewardship

The term “park steward” is generally used to denote an officially recognized volunteer within the parks department. Bona fide park stewards register with the parks department and record their projects diligently. Though there are undoubtedly many official skatepark stewards in the nation, the regimented obligation of park maintenance doesn’t appeal to most skateboarding youth. That is not to suggest that your skatepark cannot be the focus of energetic and dedicated individuals who voluntarily conduct regular light maintenance. In fact, many skateparks are well-known among skateboarders by their degree of “skater ownership.”

Portland, Oregon, is the home of the Burnside skatepark. This park is truly the pinnacle of stewardship as the entire complex of bowls and transitions were built and protected by the very skaters who use them every day. Many other parks share varying degrees of this spirit. Shortly after Milton, Washington, opened their skatepark, city council members were surprised to see skaters themselves regularly sweeping and picking up litter from the sidewalks surrounding the park.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STEWARDS & MAINTENANCE
All public skateparks should have a maintenance budget and schedule. This plan should address inspections, garbage removal, restroom cleaning, general grounds keeping, and occasional graffiti cleanup. Regardless of the level of ownership maintained by the park’s users, this official maintenance will always be necessary.

Stewards will often clear a skatepark of litter, but more importantly they will carefully inspect the surfaces of the structures. Areas of uncommon wear will be noticed by these individuals and, if communication is open, repairs can be made before the damage becomes too serious. For a town that has invested no small amount of energy getting a skatepark built, having experienced eyes at the park is a valuable asset. Most groundskeepers won’t be sensitive to the significance of a small concrete chip at the bottom of a bowl, but for an experienced skateboarder that chip represents a number of serious concerns. Open communication between the parks maintenance department and the park stewards (whether recognized officially or not) is healthy and will increase the popularity and longevity of the skatepark.

OFFICIAL STEWARDS
Skateboarders can work directly with the parks department to outline an inspection and maintenance schedule if desired. This arrangement generally requires that the stewards agree not to make capital improvements to the facility (such as “reconfiguring” an obstacle). Stewards will also usually be asked to document work performed. The primary benefit to the skaters is that the park receives parks department support promptly and can prevent small problems from becoming dangerous situations. The benefit to the parks department is a popular, clean facility that is beloved by its users. Ultimately, a professional collaborative relationship between the stewards and a parks department will relieve budgets and fosters a sense of respect between the two parties.

Official stewards’ inspections are generally done under a specific schedule. Recommendations for repairs are usually submitted in writing. Most heavy tools and materials are procured by the parks’ maintenance department, though much of the work can be performed by the volunteers as allowed by parks department policy. For repairs that involve safety or security issues, such as fencing, signage, and lighting, the parks department will usually elect to perform that work themselves. Cosmetic and routine issues are the domain of the official steward.

UNOFFICIAL STEWARDS
The unofficial steward is certainly the most critical for a skatepark’s success and the most difficult to conspicuously recruit. These are skaters who don’t seek official recognition or support from the parks department but instead seek only to maintain an environment that is positive, clean, and safe.

maintenance
Light skatepark maintenance can often
be managed by volunteers.
Unofficial stewards are the sign of a healthy skatepark community where individuals have accepted responsibility and ownership of the facility. These stewards will sweep the park as a matter of principle, clear debris, and take measures to ensure that behavior is regulated in a positive, low-key manner. They know that the skatepark is the skaters’ responsibility and, through leadership, instill this attitude in others. These benefits aren’t enjoyed to the same degree by the official stewardship arrangements.

In a perfect world every skatepark would profit from a collaboration of both programs: official stewardship inspection and recommendation program, and a strong community-driven stewardship spirit among the regular park users.

CREATING A SKATEPARK COMMUNITY
The best place to recruit unofficial skatepark stewards (that is, individuals with a strong sense of park ownership) is at the genesis of skatepark planning. Involving skaters from the beginning will foster a sense of contribution and shared ownership that will translate later to maintenance and community support. If the skatepark proposal is initiated by skateboarding advocates (rather than the city or county government) these individuals will ultimately become the most influential members of the skatepark community. City planners must encourage a meaningful dialog that leads to collaborative tasks by the city government, parks planners, and skateboarding community to ensure a sense of trust and mutual respect that is necessary for long-term skatepark health.

Concrete parks in particular, with their reputation for quality, tend to foster a stronger sense of park community than other materials. By and large, concrete parks attract an older, more mature generation of skateboarder. These “elder statesmen” of skateboarding are often respected amongst the larger skateboarding community and tend to demonstrate leadership in regard to casual park cleanup. Ironically, the concrete facilities that attract more mature skaters require the least amount of day-to-day maintenance. (Recreation Safety Institute)

Any skatepark planning committee can promote this kind of responsibility with the proper planning. Park stewards, whether they are officially recognized or not, are the first and last link in the plan for a successful, popular skatepark that the entire community will appreciate.


Sources:
Recreational Resources Center
www.natural-resources.ncsu.edu/rrs/

New York State Recreation Safety Institute
www.nysrps.org/
Last Updated on Saturday, 27 October 2007 09:20
 
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