SALISURY, Md.- Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton on Thursday announced that the city has been approved for a grant in the amount of $262,000 through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources/Community Parks & Playgrounds Program for Phase 1 of the Salisbury Skatepark.
According to city officials, the award represents the "culmination of five years of dedication, hard work and perseverance on the part of city staff and the members of the Salisbury Skatepark Committee."
In FY 2007 Wicomico County Recreation, Parks and Tourism conducted a series of five community forums designed to determine the recreational needs of the area. City officials noted that in every one of these forums, the need for skateboarding facilities was the dominant subject of the discussion.
Accordingly, in April of 2007 the county held a planning session to further refine the type of skateboarding facility that was desired, and those members of the public that would be interested in serving on a committee to further this goal. The Salisbury Skatepark Committee was formed from this session, and committee members began working on this project with the assistance of both the city and the county. The location that was eventually selected for the skatepark was a site within the Salisbury City Park, so the city took the lead on the project.
Salisbury officials noted that over the last five years the city has submitted several applications for Program Open Space and Community Parks & Playgrounds funds for the skatepark project. Officials noted that initial applications were unsuccessful due to a number of factors, including the reduced availability of funding at the state level, and the method used by the state to score the types of projects that were requesting funds.
The location proposed for the sSkatepark is on the edge of the City Park in the 900 block of South Park Drive. Officials said that by locating the skatepark in a central area of Salisbury, it will maximize the number of youth who can utilize the facility, even if they do not have transportation.
A public hearing on this project will be scheduled in the near future.
"I am thrilled that the city is finally going to be able to move forward with this project." said Deborah Stam, the city's director of community development. "So many people have worked long and hard to make this happen. It is very gratifying to see the dedication and tenacity of all those individuals rewarded as we move towards the completion of this goal
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