Ortonville- A 10-foot concrete wall, a 10-12 foot chainlink fence and a few motion detectors will be the suggested solution to problems that have plagued the Skate Park and caused it to be closed for much of the summer.
The Skate Park Committee, formed to seek a resolution to problems at the park that include indecent exposure, smoking, drugs, foul language and more, decided by a 7-2 vote at their Aug. 21 meeting that as the least expensive option, the wall, fence, and detectors should be the route presented to the village council. The plan has an estimated cost of nearly $20,000.
‘We’re confident this will take care of some of the issues,? said Skate Park Committee Chair Kay Green, who is also a council trustee. ‘It has minimal costs compared to other plans.?
The council will meet at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 27, at the Old Town Hall.
Moving the park, which would cost more than $40,000 without benches or landscaping, is not being considered, said Green.
Surveillance cameras, which could cost up to $15,000, have also been abandoned as a solution for the time being.
On recommendation from the committee, Green will also propose opening the skate park daily from 7 p.m.-9 p.m., beginning Aug. 28, with volunteers manning it.
Glennis Hubbard was one of the two dissenting votes on the recommendation.
‘I think it should be moved,? she said. ‘My concern is that we are going to be right back where we are now after spending the money… You’re investing $20,000 into a wall and we have problems partly because the parents aren’t watching their kids. There’s no enforcement of the rules. Who will be there to enforce the ordinances??