#1, I’m curious as to what you consider not safe. I see skateboarders jumping off the boardwalk every day. Obviously this is unsafe. Are we to now tear down the boardwalk because it can be deemed “unsafe” ? The skatepark gives these people a place to ride and I think we should expand it to make it the nicest skatepark in the state.
#1 & #4, I think Jim’s letter was excellent. Having said that. I consider myself an expert on “safety/injury.” There is no real idea of what safety is because there is no endeavor in this world that is completely safe. You or I can be killed or injured somehow sitting at the keyboard posting on this site. The boys enjoy this and I’m for what the boys want to do in this instance. Nothing wrong with it and while they’re doing it they’re not getting into trouble. That’s good enough for me right there.
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As far as the insurance issue goes, sure they’re against this park. They’re scared of paying. All the insurance companies want to do is rake in money without paying anything out.
Liability for potentially catastrophic injuries to children is something we residents of Belmar cannot sustain. Responsibility for tragic, accidental injuries is not a burden I want to bear. Children historically can push the envelope in thrill seeking and it’s obvious they can be out of control without adult supervision which was not factored in any arguments, pro or con.
Did you ever wonder why other local towns don’t have or support a Skateboard Park within their boundaries, yep, they know their children and protect the!
great letter Jim,
there are many things going by the wayside under this administration. Coincidence? I think not. Belmar will be unrecognizable with all the development. It will outrun the capabilities of the infrastructure costing millions in upgrades to the water and sewer system. All on the backs of the taxpayer.
The skatepark which has been there for many years should be rebuilt and maintained. Give the skaters a safe place to have fun.
Firstly Jim, the correct term is a half “Pipe”. I chuckle because I too have used the term incorrectly up until about a month ago. I wish our border patrol at the southern boarder would be issued half pikes to help them defend against the onslaught but that’s another issue.
I do agree with you Jim but the burden of the costs associated with this activity could be offset somehow by either fees to the user or by other towns. I along with many others are tired of having to bear the costs associated with out-of-towners enjoying our services. And there are many costs involved.
Can I suggest a regionalized approach to this activity, something this admin has no issues with in the past. Maurucci Park in Spring Lake would be a fabulous site to host this activity. Large open space. Quiet. Plenty of parking. No drunken outside influences from either Bar A in Lake Como or the other green drinking establishment directly across the street. Spring Lake along with Lake Como both owe us big time. Remember when Covid first hit and they forced beachgoers to migrate to our town by enforcing NO Parking on their streets? Thanks a lot neighbor. And don’t get me started on Lake Como (Formerly South Belmar) who continues to leach off of every service they can get out of us to keep their tax rate stable while ours go thru the roof. Enough of catering to these outside interests, other towns included. Make THEM pay, not me.
“Is it insurance or lack of political will” Mr Bean asks. Perhaps it’s both. The insurance company made them close the skate park, they won’t insure it as is. So the question is really what now? Isn’t it possible that a lot of taxpayers don’t want or care about replacing the park? We hear from a few out spoken individuals who would ridicule officials for weighing the options before jumping in?
And it’s a little disingenuous to talk about the tax increase because Jim is the first one to complain that tax dollars aren’t used wisely. Isn’t it prudent and good governance to investigate all avenues available? Is there a time line that must be adhered to?
Is it possible this situation is being used as election year politics?
You have to understand that we’re dealing with the race of peepul known as boys (I was a member of that race awhile ago – I might still be, my wife often asks me when it is I might grow up?). They/boys need exercise and this is a good way for them to get it so they might not become fat men, another interesting race of people.
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Another activity I think boys should engage in is tree climbing. We’ve still got plenty of trees in Belmar and they could climb them and get a better look around.
#21 Don’t forget the girls. Some of the best skaters at that park are girls.
The best tree climber I knew growing up was my sister.
There are dinosaurs out there that would rather they just cook and clean, but they are as good at that stuff as any ‘boy’.
#17 yes insurance companies make money selling insurance but they don’t make money for shelling out millions for brain injuries, and as far as a insurance company canceling your policy over what they consider is a danger, it happens all the time if you do not correct what they want fixed.
#25 Yup, we all know that. The argument is A. Is that what’s really happening? B. If it is what’s happening, then make the changes to make it insurable.
Skate parks are right up there with Basketball courts or baseball diamonds. It is a safer environment than street skating. The kids in the park are safer than the kids that ride bikes with no helmets. This admin (last one too) doesn’t like the park. Maybe because it’s not a traditional organized sport, maybe because they don’t like the lifestyle. Either way, it should stay. The town should figure out a way to keep it.
Why don’t they just lease the park to a private operator. Let them rebuild it, insure it and babysit it. They make money for the use of the park and the town makes money on the lease of the property. Similar to the stand up paddle concession at L street beach. This way everybody wins.
#28- Just one minor flaw in your plan. Money. The stand up paddle concession charges money to use the boards. Any private entity that leases public lands typically does so in order to make money. So you want the kids to be charged money to use the skate park? That doesn’t seem entirely fair. Unless you start charging kids to use baseball fields and basketball courts.
If the park needs repairs- hold a fundraiser. It was a fundraiser that built it, it can be a fundraiser that saves it. The town has to play along though. It’s part of the deal when providing public recreation. That’s right, like it or not, the park is park of our public recreation. And it should stay that way.
Freehold Boro started a unique program where they allow the residents, yep, you heard it right, the residents to vote on how to spend THEIR tax dollars. They somehow come up with a list every year of small projects around town with input from the residents. Narrowed down to I guess 5 or 10 projects a vote is taken and it is decided where to spend say 50 to 100 k. Put the skatepark repairs on the list and lets see if it gets the nod. Done.
#30. Good idea. As long as everyone understands that it is a binding vote. There may be something that comes up that only benefits a small percentage of the community but has lasting benefits to the community. Something that fails at the ballot due to its relative specificity. A senior activities center comes to mind. But as long as everyone is ok with win some lose some.
#29 Bad Idea. Of course I would expect a private entrepreneur to charge the skaters a fee to use the park! How else would they afford to run it? If their mommy and daddy won’t give them the money to skate then maybe that might give them a little incentive to get a job and earn a little spending money to enjoy the things they want to do in life.
#32 Great. Then we charge the little ones to use the swings and the see saw too. I’m sorry ma’am, you want your kid to use the slide? That’ll be $1.50. Let’s charge for tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball fields, and soccer fields too. If their mommy and daddy won’t give them money, THEY can be incentivized to get a job. Oh wait, you don’t want to charge kids for those other tax payer funded privileges? So you’re a hypocrite who just doesn’t like skateboarding. Maybe if all the skaters wore matching uniforms, and there were some obnoxious parents screaming obscenities at volunteer referees. Then I guess it would be ok for the town to pay for it.
And that, my friend, is exactly my point.
Is there an ordinace about children wearing helmits while riding their bicycles IN THE STREET? Is that safer than a skate board park? How about the play grounds that our children participate in?
Are we covered with insurance if they fall off a ride if a screw falls out? I just feel that there is no safe place for our kids to go and enjoy their lives in Belmar. We grew up playing in the streets in the city but can’t do that anymore. Hopefully, we shall move on.
Belmar Code Chapter 16
No person under the age of 14 years shall operate or ride upon a skateboard, roller skates or roller blades on any property open to the public unless that person is wearing on his/her head a properly fitted and fastened safety helmet which meets the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z90.4 bicycle helmet standard), the Snell Memorial Foundation’s 1990 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) helmet standard or other such standard, as appropriate.
#38- The helmet law applies to kids, 14 and under, on bikes too. The police do not enforce. Statistically speaking, much safer skating in the park than riding on the street.
Helmet, if your 10 or 12 year old came home with a ticket for not wearing a helmet, you would freak out! Then you would complain to the police chief for picking on Johnny or Suzy. How dare the police enforce the laws and pick on my child!
#40- Actually, I’d pay the fine and make sure my kid never left the house without his bike helmet. But you missed my point. There are laws mandating helmets for kids on bikes. They are not enforced. The closing the skate park argument, for some, is that it’s too dangerous. It is actually less dangerous, statistically, than riding around the town with out a helmet. It’s a bogus argument. That’s all I’m saying.
You have no idea what you are talking about. Was there a 20% tax increase? If so, it was to pay off all the debt from the previous administration.
The skatepark is not safe! Insurance wouldn’t cover it, it’s a liability!
Many residents don’t want their tax dollars going to a skate park.
Your letter is pathetic! Stop with the politics attacks. Plan a fundraiser!
Well said Mr. Bean. I have heard rumors that the park is being torn down to make way for more paid parking. I hope this rumor is not true.
#1, I’m curious as to what you consider not safe. I see skateboarders jumping off the boardwalk every day. Obviously this is unsafe. Are we to now tear down the boardwalk because it can be deemed “unsafe” ? The skatepark gives these people a place to ride and I think we should expand it to make it the nicest skatepark in the state.
#1 & #4, I think Jim’s letter was excellent. Having said that. I consider myself an expert on “safety/injury.” There is no real idea of what safety is because there is no endeavor in this world that is completely safe. You or I can be killed or injured somehow sitting at the keyboard posting on this site. The boys enjoy this and I’m for what the boys want to do in this instance. Nothing wrong with it and while they’re doing it they’re not getting into trouble. That’s good enough for me right there.
————————————–
As far as the insurance issue goes, sure they’re against this park. They’re scared of paying. All the insurance companies want to do is rake in money without paying anything out.
Liability for potentially catastrophic injuries to children is something we residents of Belmar cannot sustain. Responsibility for tragic, accidental injuries is not a burden I want to bear. Children historically can push the envelope in thrill seeking and it’s obvious they can be out of control without adult supervision which was not factored in any arguments, pro or con.
Did you ever wonder why other local towns don’t have or support a Skateboard Park within their boundaries, yep, they know their children and protect the!
to #5
Welcome back Tom. Where’ve you been?
#6, there are many towns in NJ that have skateparks. A few towns even have multiple parks. Liability ? Don’t make me laugh.
great letter Jim,
there are many things going by the wayside under this administration. Coincidence? I think not. Belmar will be unrecognizable with all the development. It will outrun the capabilities of the infrastructure costing millions in upgrades to the water and sewer system. All on the backs of the taxpayer.
The skatepark which has been there for many years should be rebuilt and maintained. Give the skaters a safe place to have fun.
Give Lake Como $10k a year and let them build, maintain and insure it. God knows they owe us big time.
Firstly Jim, the correct term is a half “Pipe”. I chuckle because I too have used the term incorrectly up until about a month ago. I wish our border patrol at the southern boarder would be issued half pikes to help them defend against the onslaught but that’s another issue.
I do agree with you Jim but the burden of the costs associated with this activity could be offset somehow by either fees to the user or by other towns. I along with many others are tired of having to bear the costs associated with out-of-towners enjoying our services. And there are many costs involved.
Can I suggest a regionalized approach to this activity, something this admin has no issues with in the past. Maurucci Park in Spring Lake would be a fabulous site to host this activity. Large open space. Quiet. Plenty of parking. No drunken outside influences from either Bar A in Lake Como or the other green drinking establishment directly across the street. Spring Lake along with Lake Como both owe us big time. Remember when Covid first hit and they forced beachgoers to migrate to our town by enforcing NO Parking on their streets? Thanks a lot neighbor. And don’t get me started on Lake Como (Formerly South Belmar) who continues to leach off of every service they can get out of us to keep their tax rate stable while ours go thru the roof. Enough of catering to these outside interests, other towns included. Make THEM pay, not me.
Dempsey Park is a hazardous waste site … let JCP&L pay for any improvements … like they did for resurfacing the basketball court last year
“Is it insurance or lack of political will” Mr Bean asks. Perhaps it’s both. The insurance company made them close the skate park, they won’t insure it as is. So the question is really what now? Isn’t it possible that a lot of taxpayers don’t want or care about replacing the park? We hear from a few out spoken individuals who would ridicule officials for weighing the options before jumping in?
And it’s a little disingenuous to talk about the tax increase because Jim is the first one to complain that tax dollars aren’t used wisely. Isn’t it prudent and good governance to investigate all avenues available? Is there a time line that must be adhered to?
Is it possible this situation is being used as election year politics?
I’m not opposed to a skate park but aren’t there much more important issues to be concerned about?
You have to understand that we’re dealing with the race of peepul known as boys (I was a member of that race awhile ago – I might still be, my wife often asks me when it is I might grow up?). They/boys need exercise and this is a good way for them to get it so they might not become fat men, another interesting race of people.
—————————————–
Another activity I think boys should engage in is tree climbing. We’ve still got plenty of trees in Belmar and they could climb them and get a better look around.
#21 Don’t forget the girls. Some of the best skaters at that park are girls.
The best tree climber I knew growing up was my sister.
There are dinosaurs out there that would rather they just cook and clean, but they are as good at that stuff as any ‘boy’.
#17 yes insurance companies make money selling insurance but they don’t make money for shelling out millions for brain injuries, and as far as a insurance company canceling your policy over what they consider is a danger, it happens all the time if you do not correct what they want fixed.
#25 Yup, we all know that. The argument is A. Is that what’s really happening? B. If it is what’s happening, then make the changes to make it insurable.
Skate parks are right up there with Basketball courts or baseball diamonds. It is a safer environment than street skating. The kids in the park are safer than the kids that ride bikes with no helmets. This admin (last one too) doesn’t like the park. Maybe because it’s not a traditional organized sport, maybe because they don’t like the lifestyle. Either way, it should stay. The town should figure out a way to keep it.
Why don’t they just lease the park to a private operator. Let them rebuild it, insure it and babysit it. They make money for the use of the park and the town makes money on the lease of the property. Similar to the stand up paddle concession at L street beach. This way everybody wins.
#28- Just one minor flaw in your plan. Money. The stand up paddle concession charges money to use the boards. Any private entity that leases public lands typically does so in order to make money. So you want the kids to be charged money to use the skate park? That doesn’t seem entirely fair. Unless you start charging kids to use baseball fields and basketball courts.
If the park needs repairs- hold a fundraiser. It was a fundraiser that built it, it can be a fundraiser that saves it. The town has to play along though. It’s part of the deal when providing public recreation. That’s right, like it or not, the park is park of our public recreation. And it should stay that way.
Freehold Boro started a unique program where they allow the residents, yep, you heard it right, the residents to vote on how to spend THEIR tax dollars. They somehow come up with a list every year of small projects around town with input from the residents. Narrowed down to I guess 5 or 10 projects a vote is taken and it is decided where to spend say 50 to 100 k. Put the skatepark repairs on the list and lets see if it gets the nod. Done.
#30. Good idea. As long as everyone understands that it is a binding vote. There may be something that comes up that only benefits a small percentage of the community but has lasting benefits to the community. Something that fails at the ballot due to its relative specificity. A senior activities center comes to mind. But as long as everyone is ok with win some lose some.
#29 Bad Idea. Of course I would expect a private entrepreneur to charge the skaters a fee to use the park! How else would they afford to run it? If their mommy and daddy won’t give them the money to skate then maybe that might give them a little incentive to get a job and earn a little spending money to enjoy the things they want to do in life.
#32 Great. Then we charge the little ones to use the swings and the see saw too. I’m sorry ma’am, you want your kid to use the slide? That’ll be $1.50. Let’s charge for tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball fields, and soccer fields too. If their mommy and daddy won’t give them money, THEY can be incentivized to get a job. Oh wait, you don’t want to charge kids for those other tax payer funded privileges? So you’re a hypocrite who just doesn’t like skateboarding. Maybe if all the skaters wore matching uniforms, and there were some obnoxious parents screaming obscenities at volunteer referees. Then I guess it would be ok for the town to pay for it.
And that, my friend, is exactly my point.
Is there an ordinace about children wearing helmits while riding their bicycles IN THE STREET? Is that safer than a skate board park? How about the play grounds that our children participate in?
Are we covered with insurance if they fall off a ride if a screw falls out? I just feel that there is no safe place for our kids to go and enjoy their lives in Belmar. We grew up playing in the streets in the city but can’t do that anymore. Hopefully, we shall move on.
#1- WHY DON’T YOU MOVE TO THE BOONDOCKS WHERE THERE AREN’T ANY TAXES.
#36. I’m sorry, just not a big fan of hypocrisy, and I have an annoying habit of pointing it out. I can see how it would bother you.
Belmar Code Chapter 16
No person under the age of 14 years shall operate or ride upon a skateboard, roller skates or roller blades on any property open to the public unless that person is wearing on his/her head a properly fitted and fastened safety helmet which meets the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z90.4 bicycle helmet standard), the Snell Memorial Foundation’s 1990 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) helmet standard or other such standard, as appropriate.
#38- The helmet law applies to kids, 14 and under, on bikes too. The police do not enforce. Statistically speaking, much safer skating in the park than riding on the street.
Helmet, if your 10 or 12 year old came home with a ticket for not wearing a helmet, you would freak out! Then you would complain to the police chief for picking on Johnny or Suzy. How dare the police enforce the laws and pick on my child!
#40- Actually, I’d pay the fine and make sure my kid never left the house without his bike helmet. But you missed my point. There are laws mandating helmets for kids on bikes. They are not enforced. The closing the skate park argument, for some, is that it’s too dangerous. It is actually less dangerous, statistically, than riding around the town with out a helmet. It’s a bogus argument. That’s all I’m saying.