Skate Park Plans Get Council Approval for Summer Upgrade

The skate park located at Stoney Lakeside Park will be getting an upgrade this summer.

Lowell City Council approved the concept plans for the upgrade at their May 6 meeting. A group of Lowell residents — led by Bob Rogers, Dan Lixey and Jessica Barney — raised $120,000 for the renovation from private donations and grants.

During Monday’s meeting, Rogers presented how the new park will be safer, quieter, and will require less maintenance.

It will be made of concrete, steel, and granite and will include shade trees and an 8” x 18” patio for onlookers. It will have ramps on both ends of the park to accommodate more than one skater at a time. There will also be areas where skaters can practice specific skills.

As presented, the concept includes two alternative options for added features that will be included if additional funding is raised. The park has also been designed in such a way that it can be easily expanded in the future if desired.

The presentation highlighted that the current park is not accommodating to scooters or bikes, and that the design is not challenging or interesting. The new design is intended to address those concerns.

Lixey says the park will benefit the community in many ways, including being more inclusive to more people and activities – not just skateboarding.

“The park will be a great upgrade for our community,” according to Lixey. “It will be nicer to look at, more quiet, and long lasting.”

“Mainly there will be skateboarding but there will also be scooters and maybe some bikes,” he says. “It is built for all ages and skill levels. It will be a nice enough park for people from the surrounding areas to come out and enjoy as well.”

July 29 is the projected date for renovations to begin. Gridline Skateparks is the company that created the design and will do the construction, which is expected to take about five weeks.

It has been suggested that the existing ramps be moved to Richards Park temporarily with the hope that they can eventually be donated to a community looking to create its own skatepark. However, the city is still exploring what to do with the current equipment.

The skate park has been at the current location in Lowell since 2010.

Note: This article has been updated to clarify the plans for the current park equipment.