SOUTH PORTLAND — City councilors expressed support last week for the construction of a skate park.

Councilors said they are seeking volunteers for a committee to help identify possible sites for the park, as well as funding models. They said they would like to fast-track the project and possibly have it open by summer 2019.

They decided to schedule a forum next month to gather public input on the project, but did not set a date.

In a City Council workshop last Tuesday, resident Brian Leonard told councilors he used to skate in dangerous and illegal places not designed for recreational use while growing up in Detroit.

“I wish we had a skate park when I was a kid,” Leonard said. “I’m all about this and I hope you are, too.”

Seventh-grader Emmons Whited, part of a group of students who started an online petition a year ago to generate support for the project, said they have attracted attention, including from a North Carolina contractor who wants to build the facility.

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Councilor Claude Morgan said the decision could come down to “location, location, location,” noting Councilor Adrian Dowling had identified some areas in the city where a park could be built, including the Redbank neighborhood.

Juliette Laaka can be contacted at at 781-3661 ext. 106., or at:

jlaaka@theforecaster.net

Twitter: Juliette Laaka


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