DALTON, Mass. — The prospect of a skatepark was presented to the Open Space and Recreation Committee during its meeting on Thursday night. 

 

Select Board member Dan Esko attended the meeting as a resident and board advocate to gauge the committee's interest.

 

Esko has been collaborating with Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson to explore this idea and determine its feasibility. This is not a Select Board initiative.

 

While serving on the board, Esko has heard from numerous members of the community who expressed an interest in having a skatepark in town. His son is also an avid skateboarder, noting that he utilizes skateparks in Lee, North Adams and Pittsfield.

 

The skatepark idea appeared in a resident survey conducted by the town's ad hoc committee to update the open space recreation plan. 

 

Although it was recommended by residents, there were opportunities that the ad hoc committee felt were more appropriate with firm goals and objectives. 

 

The objective in the updated plan is in "protecting [Dalton's] treasured natural resources and parks and maintaining the scenic beauty of the town." 

 

Following the update of the open space recreation plan, the Open Space and Recreation Committee was established in March 2020.

 

"I think it definitely warrants getting more information. To have it come up time and time again, I think we would be doing a disservice to the community if we were not going down this road because it's clear that there's a need for it because it keeps surfacing," committee Chair Taylor Staubach said. 

 

There are not many places in town for children not interested in field sports, Esko said. 

 

A skatepark provides kids a productive outlet that they can get involved in rather than an unproductive outlet that gets them into trouble, he said. 

 

"We want to make sure that we meet children where they're at, right, than try to force them into a particular path," Esko said. 

 

A skatepark is not just for skateboarders either, it's for scooters, roller skaters, BMX bikes, he said 

 

The development of a skatepark would not only provide the youth an outside outlet but will also bring a little business to the town because it would be an attraction. 

 

Committee member Art Sanders said he joined the committee to champion people being outdoors. 

 

"I think anything that gets people outdoors, especially … kids outdoors, is fantastic. I definitely would be interested in it," Sanders said. 

 

Although a number of committee members expressed liking the idea, there are a lot of unknowns surrounding the project, including cost, interest, maintenance, and its advantages and disadvantages. 

 

Sanders urged the need for a champion of the project whether it's Esko or other community members. 

 

Committee members recommended that Esko establish a subcommittee or a Friends of the Dalton Skatepark group to help gather ideas and knowledge clarifying the unknowns involved in the project. 

 

If the town were to create a skatepark it would be nowhere close to the size of Pittsfield's skatepark. Pittsfield's is the premier park in the area, Esko said. 

 

This is very early in the development of the project but Esko noted that an ideal location for the skatepark would be Chamberlain Park. 

 

Esko will continue to collaborate with Hutcheson and will reach out to some of the residents who have expressed interest so they can have a better idea of what type of skatepark residents want. They will also engage the Community Recreation Association because they manage the Chamberlain grounds. 

 

Esko and Hutcheson will return to the committee to provide updates in a couple months.