Point Boro Skate Park Re-Opens with High Hopes It Will Stay That Way

They flipped, turned, slid and shredded, and then did it all over again, at the re-opening of the skateboard park on Route 88 in Point Pleasant Borough on Sunday afternoon.

"Yes, I'm happy it's open," said Eric Dahl, 11, a student, wearing his helmet and gripping his board, waiting to get back on the rails. "I'll keep coming if it stays open. The ramps aren't broken, and it's fun to ride."

It was hard to tell who was happier that the park on the corner of Maplewood Avenue, next to McKennan Lake Field, was : the kids or the parents.

"It's great to see it open again, isn't it?" said Lisa Hannah, walking over to Augie Schumatti, as they watched their sons, and about 30 other skaters, shred the rails.

Hannah, a lifelong Point Borough resident, has three sons, two of whom, Jeff Youmans, 15, and Matthew Youmans, 13, love to skate.

Hannah said Jeff isn't into traditional team sports.

"But he loves to skate," she said. "He's kept his grades up  and is looking at colleges out west that view skating as an organized sport.

"Were there issues here? Absolutely," Hannah acknowledged. "But I'm glad it's open again."

Schumatti, who was snapping photos, couldn't agree more. He said he was happy to see that his son, Will, 12, a sixth-grader, and other kids have a local place to skate again.

"It's good to see we can work together and get this re-opened," said Schumatti, who lives with his wife, Sarah, and two sons on Thomas and South streets in the borough.

"I had been driving Will to skate parks in Jackson, Long Branch, Moorestown, Philadelphia and to Incline, the indoor park in the Lakewood Industrial Park," he said.

He said they even chose a spot for a family vacation in Florida, partly because it was near a large skate park.

Schumatti said he credits Borough Councilman Chris Goss for pushing for the re-opening of the park.

Goss was manning the entrance on Sunday, making sure each skater filled out a release form, just to be used for the day.

"That's our release form just for special events," said Goss, wearing his Point Pleasant Skate Club T-shirt. "But they'll have to go to the Recreation Department and sign release forms to get permits to skate here every other day."

Goss has said he and the council consider this initial period as a trial run. The decision of whether to keep the park open will hinge on how well skaters abide by rules, he said.

"Hey, no smoking buddy," Goss said to one tall skater about to enter the park. The boy dropped the butt outside the fence before hitting the rails.

Goss and Diena ten Broeke, club secretary, were also calling parents to get their permission for kids younger than 18 to use the park.

All skaters younger than 18 have to wear helmets, according to state law, said Goss. He said skaters not wearing them are subject to summonses.

Police have the right to confiscate skateboards from those who aren't complying with the rules and also have the right to close the park if necessary.

Councilman Mitch Remig said on March 15 that the borough's insurance carrier will not allow the borough to supervise the park.

There are plans to add more foam insulation to the ramps, install benches outside the fence, have a new sign listing all rules and contact phone numbers for the recreation and police departments, install surveillance cameras with a live feed to the recreation department website and install a portable toilet.

There are bathrooms in the concession stand next to McKennan Lake Field, but apparently those are open only during scheduled, organized sporting events on the field.

Those bathrooms were open for much of Sunday afternoon because there were organized sporting events taking place on the field.

Skaters also will have use of the park under rules and regulations designed to avoid some of the problems that have plagued the park in the past. The park initially opened in 2006 but was shuttered last year amid complaints of noise, vandalism and urinating in public.

Borough Council initially had introduced an ordinance enumerating rules and regulations earlier this month but had to re-introduce the legislation after changes were made to the ordinance. 

Goss said at the April 19 council meeting that the area skaters who always played by the rules were ill-served by the few who created problems at the facility.

"The vast majority of the kids that used that park deserve it and really benefit from it," he said on Sunday.

The councilman said troublemakers will not be tolerated.

"Enforcement hinges on permits," Goss said. 

All those who use the skate park, an unsupervised facility, must acquire a free permit from the Recreation Department which they must display when using the park.

Permits will be issued to residents and non-residents alike, and those who lose it face a $5 replacement fee. Prior permits are still usable, Goss said, but those in need of a permit can stop by the Recreation Department, 1001 River Ave., to fill out a necessary risk management form.

Rules, Penalties

The governing body has designed the regulations to ensure kids are not merely hanging around the park; spectators are banned. Additionally, the park will re-open on a limited basis, usable from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays during the school year. Kids will have extended hours during the summer, when the park will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays.

Among the rules:

• Helmets are required at all times;
• Those younger than 10 must be accompanied by a "responsible adult;"
• Bicycles and scooters are banned, as are personal ramps or any other modifications to skate park facilities;
• Food and beverages are banned;
• Smoking, drugs and alcohol are banned, as is profanity;
• Radios and headphones are banned;
• Vandalism, graffiti and the placement of "unauthorized stickers" is prohibited.

Goss said "kids causing problems" will have their permits revoked. However, violators could find themselves in more trouble, depending on their transgression.

The ordinance notes that enforcement rests with the Police Department, and those who violate any provisions of the rules can be fined $50 on a first offense and up to $300 on subsequent offenses, in addition to being expelled from the park. 

The rules and regulations will be posted on-site.

Tutoring Sessions

Goss hopes the skate park can be a fun outlet for older and younger kids alike and has helped organize various tutoring sessions designed for beginning skaters.

The council has authorized sessions from 9 to 10 a.m. May 7, 14, 21, 28 and June 4, 11, 18, and 25 to be run by the Point Pleasant Skate Club.

Goss said the sessions are open to kids 12 and younger who can take advantage of older skaters' knowledge without feeling like they have to compete for space with the more experienced teens.

"They can work on their tricks and skills" without embarrassment or pressure, Goss said.

"It's a good chance to have the place for themselves and benefit from the older kids," the councilman said.

"We will be looking into a timer on the gate so the park can open on its own without having to wait for an available police officer. This will alleviate phone calls to the police and reduce the amount of aggravated patrons waiting for the park to be opened," said Remig in a recent interview.

For more information on permits, contact the Recreation Department at 732-892-5813 or visit the borough's website.