Middleboro lobbies for new skate park

MIDDLEBORO — As evidenced by the vegetation-filled cracks in its surface, the portions of collapsed fencing and its rusted ramps, Middleboro’s skate park is due for an upgrade— and the town is well aware. 

Middleboro has applied for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Parkland Acquisition and Renovation for Communities grant to renovate the skate park located next to the recently refurbished Peirce Playground.

The grant, which the town applied for in July, would fund a two-year project to design and construct a new skate park at its existing location, according to Grant Writer Stephanie Hall.  

Since 2020, a group of residents whose parents were involved in the development of the existing facility, has been pushing to renovate it, Hall said. 

Tim Warren joined the group of advocates for the new facility in 2022. He remembers how the friends he made at the skate park helped him navigate the daunting middle school halls as a new sixth grader. 

His vision is to create “an all inclusive place for everyone to be able to come to,” no matter their age or skill range, he said. 

The skatepark was built on old tennis courts over 20 years ago with components borrowed from another town facility and hasn’t been renovated since, said Hall. 

The proposal for the new facility features a fully-integrated design with concrete components that would mirror what other towns in the region have constructed in recent years. 

This design would make the park accessible not only to skateboarders but also rollerbladers, BMX riders or people on scooters.

Thirteen-year-old Sam America, who’s come to the skatepark since she was four years old, would like to have a not-so-bumpy surface to cruise around with her scooter on. 

Her other wishes for the project are safer jumps and the installation of a no-smoking sign, she said. 

Safety is a top priority for Sam’s father, Donald McLellan, who described the conditions of the current facility as “very dangerous.”

The number of kids “flying through” the park on electric bikes makes it even more unsafe, he said. “I’ve almost seen multiple accidents and many kids get hurt.” 

McLellan recommended the new park have one-way lanes to avoid collisions. 

Kason Curry, who frequents the skate park, remembered when he almost went home with a chipped tooth after the wheel of his scooter got stuck in a crack and he ended up face down on the ground. 

Fixing the cracks, new ramps and a bigger facility were his recommendations for the upgrade. 

The grant would provide $495,000 in funding towards the project, but the renovation would cost an estimated $750,000 in total, according to Hall. 

The hope is to cover the remaining $255,000 through additional grants as the project is not within this year’s budget, said Town Manager Jay McGrail.

The town will likely find out whether it has been approved for the grant by the fall, said Hall, who noted “it’s a very competitive process.” 

If the town’s application is denied, “we’ll try and get creative with funding options,” said McGrail. 

“We’re really excited about the project and the town is invested in trying to see it through,” he said.  

His goal is to make the recreational complex that includes the skate park and updated playground “a destination for all ages and residents of the town,” he said. 

For Warren, the most important element a new skate park will bring is a sense of community. You’ll see adults teaching kids they’ve never met new tricks, he said. 

“The community reaches beyond the park, it extends through the whole town.”