Skate park slides ahead

Hailey City Council moved forward with a temporary skate park Monday night, despite concerns voiced by neighbors.

During the regular council meeting, neighbors voiced concern and dissatisfaction over the temporary park planned for the city’s parking lot on the corner of Bullion and River streets.

The council waived fees for a conditional use permit required to build the temporary park and spoke in support of the project. Council members did, however, vow to revisit neighbors’ concerns when the skate park is completed.

The Hailey Skate Park Committee/T.C Andrews Memorial Foundation, comprised of concerned adults and youth, brought the issue of a temporary park before the council at its Oct. 19 meeting. The council approved the use of 50 percent of the city’s parking lot, contingent upon acceptable liability and insurance cost to the city.

The committee is working to raise funds to build a permanent park.

Hailey resident Penfield Stroh shared neighbors’ concerns with the council.

"This is not the best choice for a temporary location, and we as neighbors need to know how long it is going to be there," she said. "Is it going to be two weeks, two months, or two years?"

Stroh also objected to the hours of operation, which were set from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

"On weekdays it could be earlier, because UPS wakes us up anyway, but we don’t want a party zone at night," she said. "Even if I can’t hear the skateboards, the dogs will and it may drive them absolutely nuts."

Council members felt the overriding concern was a temporary location for Hailey kids.

"The main concern of the council is to get the temporary into the permanent location as soon as possible," said Councilwoman Martha Burke.

Councilwoman Susan McBryant agreed.

"We would do a disservice to the people involved by stopping this. This thing has energy. I am a proponent of the parking lot as a temporary location," she said.

The decision about the location of the temporary park and the ultimately the permanent one will be decided by the Hailey Planning and Zoning Commission.

A proponent of the temporary park, Councilwoman Jennifer Hazzard Davis preferred to pass the neighbors’ concerns on to the P&Z.

"It’s not in our hands right now; lets send it to the P&Z," she said.

Councilman Scott Basolo was sympathetic toward the neighbors’ concerns, but was still in favor of the skate park project. He suggested the operating hours be decreased, and limit the use on weekends.

On the whole, the council suggested that neighbors’ concerns may be a bit premature.

Basolo said, because the skate park committee is going through the conditional use permit process, the park may not be fully functional until spring.

Hailey city planner Carl Hjelm agreed, and said the temporary park would not even be partially ready until December.