New Skate Parks Coming to Arlington

City Council announces plans to design a citywide skate venue at Vandergriff Park

City Council recently announced plans to designed a citywide skate park at Vandergriff Park in Arlington. The new skate facility is part of a plan to improve the park system and provide a safe venue for the city's 18,000 skaters.

In addition to the park at Vandergriff, the City will incorporate smaller skate facilities into existing parks.

The new skate parks are a response citizen request at public meetings. Currently, there are no safe skating venues within the city.

Matt Young, assistant director of Park Operations and Planning, says the City will be reaching out to the public for feedback on park improvement by hosting multiple meetings and providing a website for each project.

"We're trying to do everything we can to reach the public. We want people to feel comfortable contacting us directly," Young told myarlingtontx.com.

The parks department isn't the only organization pushing for safe and clean skate facilities. Cody Rocamontes, Inc. (CRI), a non-profit started by Kim Grobe, has been raising awareness about the need for safe, legal skate parks since Grobe's son died in a skating accident in 2009.

CRI volunteer Christine Davis told myarlingtontx.com that CRI will continue to maintain the skate parks after they're built.

Citizens interested in participating in the planning process are encouraged to attend the upcoming planning meetings:

Meeting for Burl Wilkes Park
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, at 6 p.m.
Hugh Smith Recreation Center, 1815 New York Avenue

Meeting for Randol Mill Park
Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, at 6 p.m.
Wimbish Elementary School, 1601 Wright Street

Meeting for Vandergriff Park
Thursday, March 8, 2012, at 7 p.m.
Bob Duncan Center – Vandergriff Park, 2800 S. Center Street

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