Fundraising and Planning Progress Made on Mehen Mem. Skatepark
About 35 people gathered at the Historic Depot in New Meadows on Thursday, October 3 for a community meeting regarding the Mehen Memorial Skatepark. The Skatepark Board together with Grindline Skateparks, Inc. and the City of New Meadows are working hard to realize the building of a world class skate park.
A past community meeting and online survey helped gather input on elements to include in the park, and at Thursday’s meeting, Senior Project Manager James Klinedinst, shared how those requests were put into the park’s design plan and offered one more chance for the community to give input and feedback.
The meeting began with Preston Woods introducing other members of the Skatepark Board including Garrett St. Pierre, Molly Johnson, and Jennifer Dummar. He noted that they, along with Colby Nielson, have been working to raise funds for the project and that their goal of $600,000 is currently 90% funded. Woods also introduced Sean and Kim Mehen, family of the late founder Rory Mehen. Rory and Sara Mehen were both community champions and the project is moving forward with their memory stoking momentum.
Woods then introduced Klinedinst stating he believes Grindline is one of the best skatepark builders in the entire nation. Klinedinst stated they hope to have the skatepark plans refined and finalized in the next month to submit to the New Meadows City Council for approval. With Council review and approval, the project would move forward with a Public Hearing. If everything is approved, Grindline will move forward with engineering and construction planning and then the park would be their first spring project of the year with work hopefully beginning around April.
Klinedinst said they hope to start building as soon as the ground is dry in the spring and the park should be open around this time next year. Mayor Good gave thanks later in the meeting noting Grindline had done a great job including the elements requested during the last meeting.
Klinedinst went on to explain the progress of the project so far noting the goal of building a world class skate park that is both beginner friendly and challenging for more advanced riders. The park plans include a 3-5 foot deep bowl open on one side, that lends itself to being beginner friendly as well as offering needed drainage. A spine, red curb, and street elements including stairs are included along with a quarter pipe.
Mayor Good noted that the new Youth Center will have bathrooms available throughout the year for skatepark users and when the center is open there will be an entrance and exit toward the skatepark so people can come in and out of the large community room. There are also plans in place for cubbies for storing helmets, gear, and bags. Both projects are working side by side to build a truly community centered place.
The park will not only be open to skateboarders, but also all human powered wheels including bikes, roller skates, scooters, and wheelchairs.
Klinedinst described the plans in place to honor the park’s original visionaries with a memorial art piece. The memorial would be in the shape of Idaho recognizing Rory and Sara Mehen. A glass yellow heart that sunlight can shine through representing New Meadows will also hopefully be included. A local glassblower has been contacted to potentially work on this item.
A question was asked about community support including donating materials for the project. Klinedinst stated a list will be available once construction documents are put together, but noted they will definitely be needing fill dirt donations to complete the project. Grindline will purchase and source elements for the final product from this valley. Klinedinst stated the only thing he brings in is his crew, and likely they will also hire additional local workers. Anything needed to be purchased will be sourced from local stores.
Another question was asked about maintenance and associated costs. Woods noted this type of park requires extremely minimal maintenance and upkeep. The group plans to hold fundraisers and skatedowns to help with any future costs. Johnson said she hopes the school might create a skate club that could take some ownership of the park as well. Mentions were made of organizations that help students learn trades associated with skateboarding and similar activities.
Fundraising for the Mehen Memorial Skatepark project is still ongoing. A bike park is still in future plans and any additional funding will make the entire project that much better. In the past week, the group brought in $2,000. New merchandise and an online store are in the works.
Visit the skate park website at nmskatepark.org for more information on current funding and donors as well as links to their social media sites, project updates and future events.
