Comment from admin
Time October 19, 2010 at 2:54 pm

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Comment from Prof. Kitty
Time October 20, 2010 at 12:56 am

Maybe my view is skewed as parent of a 4-year old who has loved that playground/swing area for the past 3 years, but it seems that this plan literally sidelines the small people (and their tired parents) who depend on that park on a daily basis as a way of getting out of the house, getting exercise, restoring sanity, and so forth. Picture this–I put the baby in the stroller and take my 4-year old in hand. We walk to the crosswalk near the bus-stop. Right now, my older kid can then run to the swings and start to play while I catch up. Sometimes after a great afternoon of playing I then carry the big kid piggyback home, still pushing that stroller. Are you saying we’d now have to negotiate 100 yards of skate park AND pass the basketball courts to get to the playground which will be placed basically in the middle of nowhere? Or are little kids supposed to battle their way up the hill and through the bushes to play? Do you realize how many kids use this park and how advantageous it is the way it is? Is the plan organized this way because only that part of the lot is available? I just think the littler legs and the shorter tempers should not be the ones who have to travel the furthest (esp. the furthest from the crosswalk) to use the play area of the park.

Comment from john webster
Time October 20, 2010 at 3:03 pm

nice work, luke et al. i’m getting more feedback from friends on the FB page. everyone should try to comment if possible. not a requirement, but it helps us out, and will ultimately help you get the park you want. thx! now go shred.

Comment from john webster
Time October 20, 2010 at 3:04 pm

btw, how do we get a profile pic on here?

Comment from snowskate
Time October 20, 2010 at 4:43 pm

Can’t wait to have a great skatepark built! Let’s not screw this up. I hope my fellow skaters choose to just skate hard and create a great vibe here. Let’s show Brattleboro how much we appreciate a well designed concrete park by keeping it clean and being supportive of anyone with a skateboard.

Comment from David Longsmith
Time October 20, 2010 at 10:19 pm

Hi Kitty,
I hear you on the location. The School Board owns the land and is intent on preserving the space for Green Street School usage. The Western end of the Lot is the only area they were willing to lease and BASIC is grateful for that, as there are no other viable options.

The new space for swings and playsets will be further from the road (quieter) and both the swings and the play structure will be brand new.

Access to that area is an issue and we will continue to work with the Recreation and Parks Department, the Town and the local users to make this work for all parties.

Thanks again for raising this.

Comment from D
Time October 21, 2010 at 1:15 pm

Hi Kitty,
I wrote a great response to you last night that seems to have been lost in translation…in a nutshell – BASIC is aware of the effects on swing/playset users by this proposal. We hope to include ADA approved paths to access the skaptepark, basketball court, and play area. We believe the play area is going to be shady, quieter, and will feature brand new equipment.
The real reason for location and need to move is that the School Board owns the land and wants to preserve the use by Green Street School. That means no skatepark on the East end of the Lot. That pushes the play area to the Eastern area of the Lot but they also want to preserve the open space of the ballfield.
This project involves many parties and we appreciate your feedback, please stay involved in the process! David

Comment from john webster
Time October 27, 2010 at 9:55 pm

Just want to say — thx for the info. We’re not getting much response on FB. We are trying hard to address all concerns of neighbors and the town and district as a whole. It’s you’re park, but we cannot all wait to skate it too. The new Main St. is nice and all, but I had to dodge a lot of traffic the other day.

Thx.

-John