Council OKs skate park design proposal

After more than three years of study and planning, there is an approved design proposal for a skate park to be located at Rhinelander’s Hodag Park.

On Monday, the Rhinelander Common Council voted unanimously to accept the proposal submitted by Hunger Skateparks at a base cost of $50,000.

“Our approach to park design and building involves a high level of collaboration to develop projects unique to the users it will serve,” Hunger Skateparks said in its written submission. “Hunger Skateparks highest aim is to create balanced and creative parks that inspire a large audience. A successful park is a well-used park. We will work with the community throughout the design process, taking into accounts local skaters’ input as well as our design think tank of seasoned skateboarder designers.”

 The end result will be a balanced and creative park suitable for the many styles of skateboarding, according to the submission.

The site dictates much about the design possibilities, and that is where the process begins, Hunger Skateparks noted.

“We visit the site, take grades and establish restrictions. Information gathered through a site survey will add to the background knowledge prior to starting the layout,” the submission states. “We generally have 2-3 public meetings during the process, along with consistent communication with the owners and advocates to provide a completely transparent process. In the first meeting we will present a range of designs that encourage brainstorming in order to create a wish list of features and an idea of how the park can be segmented for a proper balance of represented riders and styles. The second meeting (we) will present our conceptual designs, and get feedback on specific features and layout. The third meeting (we) will present the final design and animation, while still taking feedback focused on heights, spacing and edging (steel types, texture, and pool coping). Throughout the process, we create an open channel of communication through email, social media and the use of hashtags so that all users can contribute ideas easily.”

Prior to the vote. city administrator Patrick Reagan recapped the history of the project up to the city sending out a request for qualifications for design and engineering and the ad hoc skate park committee recommending Hunger Skateparks.

“Hunger Skateparks is the one that we thought was most able to do this,” Reagan advised. “As Mr. Berghammer kind of said, they are a professional outfit that does this all over the country and they do quality buildings.”

During public comment, city building inspector Ryan Berghammer spoke in support of the proposal. 

“I think it’s very important that we go with a design professional and have a credible builder in mind to build this because it’s going to be an asset to the community.” Rhinelander is “on the map in several ways,” he noted, and a well-built skate park would be another attractive feature.

The alders approved.

Outgoing city council president Eileen Daniel answered with an “enthusiastic aye” when her name was called while alderman Tom Barnett, a longtime proponent of the project, responded “big aye”.

The skate park project has been percolating since early 2021 when representatives of the Over It coalition reached out to the council seeking support for the idea of constructing a new park. The teens explained that skateboarding is becoming increasingly popular among local youth and a skate park would be an open, safe space for them to get together.

The teens noted that they are aware Rhinelander once had a skate park located behind the fire department and that plans for adding a skateboarding area to Hodag Park were removed when the final park plan was approved by the council.

After a second presentation was made in April 2021, members of the council expressed support for the skate park idea and advised the group to keep working toward their goal.

On Dec. 27, 2021, two weeks after representatives of Over It spoke to the alderpersons regarding an update on the project, the council passed a resolution specifically pledging to “commit staff resources to assist with preplanning” and, later in the process, meet with the Over It coalition to discuss the funding, construction, ownership, operation, and liability for the park.”

In February 2022, the council approved a proposal from ArtStart, a local nonprofit focused on the arts and cultural engagement, to facilitate a feasibility study. That study, including recommendations, was presented to the council in late July 2022.

Since that time, discussions related to potential locations took place and the council voted to pledge $75,000 to be used for the design and engineering of the skate park.

More information about Hunger Skateparks can be found at www.hungerskateparks.com.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].