be T.U.F.

The Skateboard Park is not only a waste of taxpayers money to build but also will be a burden to maintain.

The following is based on the Skate Park Report (business Plan) submitted on Dec 17, 2002 to Township Manager Kenneth W. Daly from Alice M. Osipowitz Director of Parks and Recreation. People in favor of the park prepared this report. It is their own words. We also make comments from a visit TUF made to the Somerville skateboard park on Nov 23, 2003. The $200,000 to $250,000 Skateboard Park will use $150,000 of Township funds plus $25,000 of open space funds and another $15,000 of county funds ($180,000 of public funds). The report, on page 6, estimates 200+ participants.

This coincides with the number of people who have paid a registration fee for the Somerville skateboard park. That park has been open for about 1 ½ years and its roster has dwindled from 250 to 200 paid users. It should be noted that the Somerville park allows BMX bikes and the Franklin Township Park will not. On the warm (60°) and sunny Sunday afternoon that TUF visited the Somerville park (a day designated for BMX bikes) there were 8 BMX bikers and 4 skate boarders. Over 20 minutes the supervisor intervened with the well-behaved participants 3 times for safety reasons, reinforcing in our minds the need for supervision.

Since the Franklin park will not allow BMX bikers one could argue that it will draw fewer than 200 participants. Allowing BMX bikes is not a simple matter since they induce considerably more wear-and-tear on the structure.

Thus Franklin will spend $200,000-$250,000 for a park estimated to be used by 200 children. This ignores the cost of maintaining the park. The report, on page 10, predicts an annual expense of $2,500 for repairs (Somerville predicts $5,000) and $35,000 for supervision. The Township manager has expressed a desire for the park to be self-sustaining (user fees paying yearly expenses). That would require a user fee of $187.50. Of course at the price it can be argued that fewer than 200 will register.

Somerville charges a $20 annual fee to use the park. If Franklin charged $50 and maintained 200 people a year using the park then the annual cost to Franklin would be $27,500. Thus Franklin would be paying for the park again every 6 ½ years.

Compare these expenses to the Shade Tree Commission's recent requests for an annual budget for the township of $10,000. This commission that provides tree maintenances, tree replacement and beautification around the township benefits all citizens as opposed to just 200 people, and could be funded for 18 years with the initial expenditure of public funds alone.

Supporters of the park will point out that $150,000 for the park is coming from donations from contractors. Don't be fooled, that money was paid to allow them to build additional houses in the Canal Walk development and can be spent on any type of recreation. $41,000 of labor and materials is donated by contractors. Even that money isn't free. This costs the contractor and they pass those costs on in other ways. It also means they are less likely to donate to other causes.

TUF believes that the skateboard park is wasteful, caters to a very select few, and the Council has not thought through funding of the maintenance and operational costs. Many have argued that the total cost for the park is minimal so why not spend the money. TUF counters that when taxes are out of control a responsible response is to look for ways to save, not ways to spend.