3 Sites Identified For Framingham Skate Park

FRAMINGHAM, MA - The Framingham Skatepark Advisory Committee identified three sites for a potential future Framingham Skate Park.

The 11-member committee voted on potential sites last week; and the top three were:

• Butterworth Park
• Mary Dennison Playground
• Farm Pond Park

All three sites are located south of Route 9, which is what Town Meeting member Judith Grove had wanted when she brought the need for a skate park to the town’s leaders and Town Meeting.

In May, Town Meeting voted to move forward with plans to build a skate park in the Town of Framingham.

Town Meeting voted 124-4 to spend $50,000 to design a concrete skate park.

Estimated costs to build the concrete skate park is between $250,000 to $450,000.

The Committee is still on track to submit design plans with a site to Town Meeting in 2016.

Last month, the Committee voted 7-2-1 to award a design contract to Pillar Design Studios over Spohn Ranch.

The Committee interviewed Spohn Ranch on October 26 and interviewed Pillar Design Studios on November 4.

The Town of Framingham recently concluded contract negotiations with Pillar Design Studios for site analysis and selection, public engagement design workshops, design services from concept through design development, project cost estimate, and estimated reimbursables at $24,999.

A public meeting with skateboarders is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. in Nevins Hall at the Memorial Building. At that meeting skateboarders are to talk with the consultant/designer on what they would like to see in the town’s first-ever skate park.

Members of the Committee include its chair Selectman Jason Smith, Selectman Cheryl Tully Stoll, Grove, Finance Committee member Betty Funk, Town Meeting member Michael Cannon, Assistant Town Manager Jim Duane, Park Commissioner Kathy Hauck, Conservation Agent Rob McArthur, Park Commission Joan Rastani, James McCarthy and Thomas Bubier.

The Committee and Pillar Design Studios is expected to host additional public meetings over the course of the next few months.

The goals and objectives of these meetings are to engage the community in design workshops, determine the final location of the skatepark, finalize the design plans, and create a project budget estimate.