Hailey Oks temporary skate park

Hailey youth are anxious to have a permanent place to skateboard and inline skate. Until a location is found, the Hailey City Council has offered the city parking lot at Bullion and Rivers streets as the spot for a temporary skate park.

Prior to the decision, more than 50 supporters for a local skate park flooded the Hailey meeting room Monday night to persuade the city council to support them in their plight.

The council voted to allow a temporary park to be built on 50 percent of the city parking lot, contingent upon acceptable liability and insurance cost to the city. Council members will pursue the issue of a permanent place for the park.

Hours of the temporary park will be 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

County Commissioner Mary Ann Mix said the county is reviewing the parcels of land it owns and looking at a possible donation for the skate park. Locations include near areas the Aquatic Center, Lion’s Park, Blaine County land, or the Rodeo Grounds.

Representing the Hailey Skate Park Committee/T.C Andrews Memorial Foundation, high school students Holly Olson and Shuana Dittmer presented the council with the committee’s goals and skateboarding statistics, and addressed liability and insurance issues.

The Hailey Skate Park Committee/T.C Andrews Memorial Foundation comprises concerned adults and youth dedicated to providing the south county with a safe and appropriate place for youth to skateboard and inline skate.

"Our mission is to ultimately build a skate Park made of concrete, approximately 10,000 square feet in size, with terrain challenging to all levels of skaters," states the mission statement of the committee.

"There are many kids here tonight who support a park, and your diligence is needed to make a place for them," Olson said.

Olson said that although there is a skate park in Ketchum, which should be viewed as an example of a positive place for youth, many kids have a difficult time finding transportation to the park. She also noted that twice as many youth live in the south valley compared to the north valley, with 720 students in Ketchum and 2,067 students in Hailey and Bellevue.

The committee plans to raise funds through personal and business donations, fund-raising events, bond referendums and government grants, sponsorship from the skating industry, material and labor donations and funding from the Park and Recreation District. Dittmer said 350 letters have been sent to businesses asking for support for the project.

City administrator Daryl James said liability would be a minimal issue if signs in the park delegated liability and risk onto the participants, and did not require enforcement on the city’s part for things such as helmet requirements.

"If we had a sign that said helmets and knee pads required, we may be held liable for not enforcing that if something did happen and the skater was not wearing either," he said as an example.

The public spoke in full support of the project.

Hailey resident Cindy Ward asked the council to be open to a skate park in the community.

"A park can bring a sense of community, and I’d like to see it on Main Street," she said. "It’s nice to have these kids visible in the community."

The council was also supportive of the effort, although aware of concerns of nearby neighbors about the future park.

"Once we pinpoint the area, you’ll see the other side of the coin, and chances are that people will step forward and voice their concern or objection," Mayor Brad Siemer warned.