Skatepark officially opened

(10/24) Almost a year to the day from the initial proposal, the Woodsboro skate park was officially opened on October 22nd as part of the Woodsboro Days festivities.

The park was the brainchild of resident Ben Marshall who approached the Town Council in October of 2022, pointing out that there are no skateparks in the immediate area. "It would be really nice to walk through town, [and] cross the street to our local park if we get this built," Marshall said at the time.

Marshall proposed an 80 x 100-foot park to give skaters ample room, as well as make it accessible for BMX bikes, which Thurmont’s skatepark does not allow. Rough estimate costs placed the proposed park around $120,000, not including lighting or benches.

With the Town Council approval, Marshall began the task of raising money for the park, all the while praying that the town could find grant money to help the effort. As Marshall’s proposal came too late for the Town to Apply for a Project Open Space grant in 2022, he was encouraged to get skateboarding enthusiasts to begin raising money and spreading awareness.

While initial efforts to raise funds looked promising, questions on how to process donations quickly waylaid fundraising efforts. And while the Town had hoped to secure a $50,000 grant this spring from Project Open Space, proponents were faced with reducing the size of the park or hold off several years until sufficient funds were raised.

But to the surprise of all, especially Barnes, in June of this year he announced that he was able to secure not $50,000, but $128,000 for the park this spring during negations with the County over distribution of the County’s POS funds. And with that promise, settling the location of the skatepark in Woodsboro Park took front and center.

Barnes said, "The only thing standing between the Town signing a contract for the skatepark’s construction is the actual POS check from the County and the Council settling on the actual location for the park."

Once both those items had been accomplished, Barnes said he hoped the construction could get started within 30 days, and "if all goes without a hitch, the park will be completed by the fall in time to celebrate it opening on Woodsboro Days."

Settling on the location proved more problematic then first envisioned. Initially the Skatepark was proposed to be located at the corner of the entrance of Woodsboro Park, but Council members expressed concern that the area proposed was also used for overflow parking for special events, and this could impact those events. Options to place the park in the lower part of the park, where the old softball fields used to be, were nixed over concerns it could be damaged by flooding during heavy rains, just as the old softball fields had been.

A proposal to locate the park in the upper portion of Woodsboro Park drew concerns over the potential of vandalism taking place at that location because of its isolated nature. Commissioner Cutshall cautioned his fellow commissioners that the further they put the skatepark into the park, the more they opened the door to malicious behavior. "If people can’t see what is going on, then things we don’t want to go on will start to go on, such as vandalism and graffiti."

To break the deadlock, the Town Commissioners all got together and walked Woodsboro Park to identify a suitable location that would provide visibility—and thus prevent vandalism. The area settled upon was the open area between the Park’s tennis courts and the concession stand.

With the location settled upon, construction began. The work went off without a hitch, although Barnes noted that someone had gotten a little bit too enthusiastic and tired to use it before the cement had fully cured. "But the contractor found it and fixed the damage before the concrete fully set."

No sooner was the ribbon cut, then the park was filled with skateboarders who unanimously voted it the best skatepark in the County.

The skatepark now joins the Town’s disc golf course, baseball & sports fields, playgrounds, and fishing pond as just one more amenity that residents of the Town can enjoy.