Little-used skatepark is losing big bucks
Options include cutting staff and hours or privatizing
14 comments below
Town officials are considering leasing the town skateboard park at Stotzky Park, citing $20,000 in losses last year alone.
But interest in skateboarding appears to be waning, which means the park can't generate any revenue from fees.
The skatepark lost nearly $20,000 last year, according to town recreation department superintendent Ray Coyne.
Even the roller-hockey rink next to it has also seen little use, despite the fact it's free. Mr. Coyne said he's even been contacted by New York Islander Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, who's eager to bring a program to the rink to get more kids interested in deck hockey.
"It definitely was a fad," Mr. Coyne said of the skateboarding craze that existed when the town built the skatepark. "But we still see kids in there. If it continues to lose money, we might want to have somebody lease it from the town."
Mr. Coyne said he had read about skateparks in other parts of the state that have closed recently, although Brookhaven and Smithtown have recently built or proposed new ones.
Mr. Coyne said one fear with leasing the skatepark is that a private company would jack up the usage fees, which would hurt local residents who paid to have it built.
The town issues season passes and one-day session passes to the skatepark for both residents and nonresidents, Mr. Coyne said. The one-day fee was $5 for residents and $10 for nonresidents but last summer, the town changed that to $7 for residents and $15 for nonresidents in hopes of plugging the deficit.
"That didn't work, so we're changing it back," Mr. Coyne said.
Nonresidents account for 75 percent of the daily session passes issued, Mr. Coyne said. But nonresident daily pass purchases dropped from 1,120 in 2008 to 643 in 2009.
The annual skatepark pass costs $30 for residents and $100 for nonresidents. Last year, 183 annual passes were issued to residents and 29 to nonresidents.
Mr. Coyne said he will try to bring skateboard competitions to the park and, if usage doesn't increase, may also reduce the number of staff members.
And the hockey rink?
"Since I've been here, nobody has ever really used the hockey rink," Mr. Coyne said. "I've tried hiring independent consultants, we've had NHL Skate, Stick and Shoot Camps there. Nothing has worked."
He said former New York Islander great Bryan Trottier recently contacted him about establishing a program at the site to build up interest in roller hockey.
Though use of the rink is free during the day, there is a fee for nighttime use.
Councilman George Gabrielsen said there still is interest in hockey, noting that his son plays hockey with friends from Riverhead on a rink in Moriches.
He said they had difficulty getting access to the Riverhead rink a few years back, and have since played on the South Shore.
tgannon@timesreview.com
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14 comments found
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I'm lnoivg this site. Are you still trying to take care of it and keep it updated? I'm an old, fat Dad that's about to attempt to make his return(slowly and safely) to the skating scene.PopsRox
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Ya learn soemtihng new everyday. It's true I guess!
: 12/16/2011
Seriously? skateboarding craze dying off? haha, its exploded and bigger than ever, which goes to show the mis-management of this park. I understand safety obligation, but you just cant impose too many restrictions on such a free spirited sport. I'm 30 years old and went there. I have nom problem giving them money to show my support for the park, but the guy told me I had to wear full pads, including wrist guards. Are you serious???? Look at all these town run parks that are skate at your own risk style. They succeed, cause the only money needed is routine maintenance. I never went back after they told me full pads or no skating at all. You have to work with the people who are gonna support your cause, or it just won't work at all.
phewee... : 12/16/2011
Is there an admission charge for the local playgrounds? Ball fields? I doubt it... simple fact is that skateboarding isn't a fad but hopefully the implementation of sub-standard parks with pay-to-play missions is.
The hockey rink next to it is free (why is it free?) and has similar issues with attendance but they're going to try and generate new interest by attaching the name of an NHL player, why are the two facilities suffering similar fates but one is a fad and one is in need of support?
I'm glad you asked- planned obsolescence. Most communities don't want skateparks to begin with so when they take the easy way out and build crap, and charge for it to boot, they can have articles like this written and close the park citing poor attendance.
Too bad, skating is exploding everywhere else in the country, must be something in the water in Riverhead.
poor governance : 1/14/2010
The comments seem to show that this article isn't fooling too many.
Charging admission to a skatepark comprised of prefab elements and claiming loss of revenue is evidence of poor due diligence at best.
At worst, it's complete ignorance of an important issue or willful exploitation of a certain population. No charge for the hockey rink but pay to skate something inauthentic of the skateboarding experience? Doesn't take the superior intelligence of an elected official to do that math.
Ask the people tasked with keeping skaters out of 'non-skate' areas if it's a fad. They'll probably explode.
Skate Park : 1/14/2010
Two people get elected to public office because of the Skate Park ! Robert K and Rose S.
It was all about the kids ( which was a good tactic used during the election ) but, not well thought out !
Should have started out on a smaller scale in a different location and not charge to use the park.
: 1/14/2010
"invest in what our kids do today, not what "you" did yesterday" -ME
The fact is that the parks and recreations department is way off in its assumptions, citing that skateboarding is a fad to cover their mistakes in assuming that they made the right decisions in selecting a skateboard facility, when in fact they made a wrong decision.
This is a prefab park that limits the challenges of any skater. so basically the facility and its limited offerings do not pose a challenge to the end user.
So naturally they stop going.
A properly designed and built skate park by a reputable skate park entity would have provided such challenges for the long term to the end user.
So please do not blame in on a fad because you look ridiculous to the people that know.
Participation in skateboarding alone, more than doubles that of little league, I could bet that your investment in little league is much more involved than your investment in skate parks.
At end, using Golf as a comparative, you thought you bought a PGA golf course, and instead you got a mini put put course instead...
Go to your local skate shop, ask the skaters (the older ones not the 10 year old's that don't know better), do your homework next time...
: 1/14/2010
My kids say the problem with the skatepark is it doesn't mirror their free time schedule. How come the place doesn't open regularly right after the high school lets out for the day. Why can't their be a co-op bus transport from the schools to the park? Skating is not a dying fad. Ask the kids in the know how active some of the off-the-radar skate locations around town are.
Skate Park : 1/14/2010
The problem with the skate park in Riverhead is the location. The skate park in Greenport is always packed with kids on skateboards and bikes. Its all about location: who would pay money to hang out in Stotsky Park? Too far from everything else, not safe,nobody around.
Skatepark : 1/14/2010
Skateboarding continues not to be a fad in most places that I'm aware of. Isn't it the intent of Parks Departments to provide recreation facilities for the public and not predicated on generating revenue?
Paid too much for what you got. Eliminate the fee to start.
Fad? : 1/14/2010
Skateboarding was never a fad. You're charging admittance to a Pre Fab skatepark? No wonder it's getting rejected by the skaters. Don't blame the skaters for this, blame the designers and those who approved a prefab skatepark. You should've gone with concrete. Spohn Ranch parks are never fun or creative.
