Thinking About Skate Park Access

To the Editor:

As a resident, I have been considering the impact of the proposed skateboard park on the [Fairfield Hills] area. Looking forward and thinking in terms of valid master planning concepts, it appears that there are some major concerns about the proposed location of the park. It would be wise — and less costly — to deal with the problems that are sure to arise sooner rather than later.

*The location of the proposed skateboard park at FHH will attract young unsupervised children — many from the middle and intermediate schools — heading to the park via the major access routes of Queen Street, Church Hill Road, and Wassermann Way.

*With additional students from the high school, there will be significant skateboarder traffic from all directions converging on the proposed site.

*Traffic studies already indicate problems in the Queen Street area. The additional skateboarder traffic will surely add a whole new dimension to those problems. Not to mention the problems of vehicles navigating around the skateboard traffic on all the access routes.

Four Options Exist:

*Add sidewalks where they do not exist and create skateboard and bike lanes adjacent to the sidewalks.

*Situate skateboard parks on the school grounds where the students already reside.

*Create a new bike, skateboard and walking trail from middle and high schools to FFH through the open space and exiting at the Reed School, separating the skateboarders from vehicular traffic.

*Town provide after-school shuttle bus service to and from the skate board park.

By considering the consequences of the current proposal and making adjustments in the planning stages, the town can avoid costly problems in the future.

Walter S. Motyka

5 Kent Road, Newtown                                                     June 29, 2009