Skateboard Park
SummaryThe Brookfield Jaycees Skate Park opened on November 1, 2003.
Rules for the park:
- Open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm or dark, whichever is earlier.
- Open 7 days/week, except during winter (December 1 - mid-March) and bad weather.
- Protective equipment (helmet, pads, etc.) is required at all times.
- The park is free and open to everyone, resident or not.
- Wirth Park also has nearby bathroom facilities and picnic areas.
There is no supervision of the skate park.
There are many optional features that may be added to the skatepark, including a half pipe. If you are interested in contributing to the fund, contact:
John Kelliher, Recreation Superintendent
City of Brookfield
Department of Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department
2000 N. Calhoun Road
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-796-6675
Fax: 262-796-6671
The skate park was opened on Saturday, November 1, 2003. Holding the ribbon is Jaycees member Al Nosbusch and Skate Advocacy Group member JoAnne Reilly-Lamb.
All skaters are required to wear safety equipment.
The site is orderly, even with a wide range of skill levels.
Alderman Berg supports the construction of the skate park in Wirth Park. The reasons are as follows:
- Skateboarding and rollerblading are legitimate recreational activities and fall within the charter of the government's role to support recreation. They are no different from soccer or softball or basketball.
- The analysis and planning for this park were done in a highly public way with extensive community involvement. There was no "smoke filled room".
- Skateboarding is at least as safe as other recreational activities. Wearing safety equipment such as helmets, pads, etc. will be required. See: Safety
- The park will not generate an undue amount of noise or disruption to the community. See: Noise
- The cost of the park is reasonable for what is being built and is in line with the city's long standing commitment to be a leader in providing high quality recreation.
- The park has the support of many resident's and members of the business community. See: Comments from Business Community
- The primary objections of the immediate neighbors to the north have been addressed by moving the skate park. The details of this move are being worked out by the city staff and have delayed construction until the spring of 2003.
Endorsement by the Mayor
To: All Alderman
From: Jeff Speaker, Mayor
Date: August 15, 2002
The Common Council approved the skate park project last year. The city had been approached numerous times during the last ten years for just such a facility. The city staff did and extensive study, which encompassed all aspects of this project. I am satisfied that issues of concern, such as noise, safety, traffic, maintenance and location have been diligently researched and answered by our city staff.
This skate facility will provide an area where kids can pursue skating in a safe setting and parents need not worry where their kids are. Showing their support for this project, a number of parents have organized and pledged to raise fifty thousand dollars to give to the city to off set the cost of building the skate park facility. I thank them for this generous offer and applaud them for their efforts to see this facility come to be not only for their kids, but also for all the kids of our community.
It is for these reasons that I choose to support the skate park and urge you, the Common Council members, to continue your support for the project.
The medical references constantly state that the chance of injury is significantly lessened by wearing proper safety equipment (helmets, pads, etc.) and avoiding certain dangerous maneuveurs.
Alderman Berg will insist on stringent standards for safety and the mandatory use of safety equipment at the Brookfield park.
According to the federal Center for Disease Control (CDC), the number of injuries for various sports are as shown in the table below.
Notice that:
- All sports related injuries combined account for 22% of all emergency room visits. Vigorous physical activity has an inherent risk of physical injury.
- Ice skating, roller skating and skate boarding COMBINED account for 150,000 injuries or 1.3% of all injuries. Other sources state that skateboarding specifically accounts for 40,000 injuries which would be about 0.35% (one third of one percent) of all injuries.
- Group sports (basketball, soccer, etc.) tend to have a much higher number of injuries than individual sports (skateboarding, bicycling, etc.) That's despite the fact that group sports are generally coached and refereed.
- There is no differentiation on type of injury. A bruise counts as much as a broken leg counts as much as a brain concussion. There is no way to know how many minor cuts, bruises, sprains, etc. went untreated and unreported.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) compiles data on emergency room visits. They issued this report:
"Nonfatal Sports- and Recreation Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments United States, July 2000–June 2001 ", Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, Volumne 51,number 33, August 23, 2002, pages 736-740. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5133a2.htm or Click here for a copy (PDF, 236k)
The following page 739 is from that report. So, for example, for boys ages 15-19, skateboarding accounted for only 3.6% of sports and recreation related injuries seen in hospital emergency rooms. In comparison, basketball accounted for 25.9% of the visits in that group.
The city does have a standard for noise - 40 decibels. Scientific measurements taken by the consultant have demonstrated that the skate park will be below this threshold.
Also interesting is the fact that the neighboring residents own literature acknowledge that the railroad sends at least 16 trains per day past that location and that even more trains per day are expected. Those trains come at all times during the day. The skate park will operate only in daylight hours and only during seasonable weather.
Comments from Business Community
Several alderman have talked to local business leaders about the skate park. Many businessmen noted that kids are now skating in parking lots, steps, loading docks, and other locations near the businesses. Alderman Berg has fielded phone calls from businessmen located in the Old Village area of Brookfield Road complaining of skateboarders. That is one of the few areas of the city that has sidewalks and hills and is a natural magnet for skateboarding.
This activity is unsafe and gets in the way of the intended use of that property. If the city provides a reasonably accessible skateboard park, the kids will have no excuses like, "Where should be be skateboarding?"
References
Local News
MJS - June 10,2004 - Skateboarders may Soon be Soaring in Eagle
MJS - May 19 ,2004 - New Site Proposed for Falls Skate Park
MJS - July 2, 2003 - Group Wants to Collect More Funds for Skate Park
MJS - May 24, 2004 - Skateboarders Must Wait a Bit Longer
MJS - May 5, 2003 - Falls Committed to Skate park
MJS - April 15, 2003 - Brookfield Hiring Company to Build Skateboard Park
MJS - December 18, 2002 - Brookfield approves facility for skateboarders
MJS - December 15, 2002 - Time to Approve Skateboard Park
There is a great editorial cartoon on this topic in the MJS of December 15, 2002
MJS - December 2, 2002 - New Site Found for Skateboard Facility
MJS - August 22, 2002 - Skateboard Site gets Speaker's Support
MJS - August 13, 2002 - Skateboard Park Isn't Safe
MJS - August 12, 2002 - Cedarburg Skateboard Park Off-limits for a Day
MJS - August 11, 2002 - Railway Averse to Skate Facility at Wirth Park
MJS - August 7, 2002 - Jaycees to Donate to Skate Park
MJS - July 30, 2002 - Muskego to Conduct Survey on Skate Park
MJS - July 16, 2002 - '11th Hour' Debate Opens Over Skate Park
This article has a very interesting quote:
"Kevin Markey, a skate park supporter and Cathy Markey's husband, didn't ease opponents' noise concerns. "There will be a lot more noise," he said. "When you live near a park . . . that's what you expect."
A more complete quote, as recalled by Alderman Berg is:
There will be a lot more noise. When you live near a park you will hear kids laughing and having fun. You will hear parents cheering their kids on. That's what you expect.
MJS - July 12, 2002 - Planned Skate Park Sees More Opposition
MJS - April 24, 2002 - Proposed Skateboard Park Moves Forward (Oconomowoc)
MJS - April 18, 2002 - Oconomowoc Mayor Favors Skateboard Park
Some people complain that skateboarding attracts "the wrong element." These articles show other mainstream sports have problems as well, even when they are coached, umpired, policed and have every other type of supervision. None of this behavior is acceptable, but we shouldn't claim that it's limited to skateboarding.
MJS - October 29, 2002 - Tire Deflated on Soccer Dad's SUV; Fire Chief Accused
MJS - September 24, 2002 - Brookfield Father Accused of Pushing Little League Coach
MJS - April 2, 2003 - Brookfield Man Fined in Baseball Altercation