Jersey Shore Business Journal

May 07, 2008

Don’t know what ya got ‘til it’s gone

On a warm spring Sunday afternoon, the city’s skateboard park was anything but the picture of an underutilized facility. A hotbed of activity, wheeled youth were enjoying fresh air and sunshine, as local children have done for generations.
It’s been bandied about that local youth have lost interest; it was deemed that the skateboard park should be moved to free up prime beachfront parking. Council members are saying that recreation is paramount, yet pressed to cut costs by Fairness in Taxes (FIT) and fit within a state imposed four percent cap, council members say they have no choice but to start looking at everything in terms of revenue.
Maybe it’s necessary, but it’s sad that recreation has to be weighed in a community built on fresh air and play time. After all, isn’t recreation what Ocean City is all about? The community forged ahead with the rest of the nation in the post World War II era. Having survived battles in theaters around the world, local members of the “Greatest Generation” returned home to build some of the finest recreation programs in the area.
They set their sights high, achieved their goal of excellence and raised the bar for following generations. That’s why we have Little League and ball fields, soccer fields and sports camps, tennis and basketball courts, parks and playgrounds. Realizing a well-balanced community means an enriched - and thus successful – community recreation was a priority for America’s Greatest Family Resort.
While Ocean City’s premier recreation facilities and programs are the envy of many neighboring communities, they are causing some angst amongst the natives. They cost money, and in some cases, preclude coveted revenue.
I’m no Joni Mitchell fan, but her hit, “Big Yellow Taxi” comes to mind. In planning to mothball the city’s skateboard park to make way for more revenue producing parking spots, have they “paved paradise and put up a parking lot?”
Skateboarders may soon find their paradise paved, for a parking lot. Seems revenue-hungry city councilmen have been told it’s not pulling its weight. The plan was to move it to where it was recommended to put it in 2001 - a parking lot at Fifth Street, between West and Asbury Avenues. But faced with opposition they scrapped that notion – the best kept secret in town, by the way - and decided to put it away for a year, while they decide what, if anything, to do with the pieces.
Council acted to go out to bid, starting the process of paving the area assuming the skateboard park is removed. They have not taken action to remove or store it – yet. It’s happened so quickly, that many skateboarders aren’t even aware their little piece of paradise could soon disappear.
As Joni so aptly says, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got ‘till it’s gone?”
Armed with the dream of a park to call their own dozens of young skateboarders lobbied city council with a carefully orchestrated campaign to keep them on the island but off the streets; out of the parking lots and safely contained in what was at that time a state of the art skateboard park.
It was a tough sell a decade ago and it took several years to make the sale, but they persevered. Facts and figures in hand they spoke in city council chambers, politely and firmly encouraging council members and the administration that it was the right thing to do. One by one the young boys presented their case, ultimately winning over even the most skeptical officials with wit, charm and common sense.
I felt a lot of pride in these youth, those who didn’t necessarily fit the mold for the stereotypical young person; not interested in organized sports they enjoy the free expression that skateboarding allows. There were smiles all around when it was approved, everyone was happy.
It’s more than a shame it wasn’t put next to the fire house on Fifth Street to begin with. Like most things in Ocean City, the location of the park was quite controversial. How it ended up at the base of Sixth Street eating up valuable parking spaces in one of the city’s most valuable parking lots is anyone’s guess.
The reasoning at the time was that the skateboard park could be an attraction to be seen from the Boardwalk, who wouldn’t like a skateboard park next to the beach? Lost revenue for over 50 parking spots was inconsequential; the good times were rolling, city coffers were full and the park was going to be by the beach.
In the era of zero-tax increase budgets, the lost revenue ruffled nary a feather. In today’s economy, the lost revenue has risen from the ashes and threatening the very existence of the skateboard park that the youth fought so hard to bring to the community.
Director of community service, Mike Datillo, vows to do everything he can to keep the park intact.
“We’re trying to find an option that doesn’t take it away,” he said. “I’m not at all supportive of making it disappear until we have a viable option. You don’t run a recreation program in this town based on revenue. We’re all working together on the budget, and I think council has always been very supportive of recreation, but don’t take things away from kids.
“My job is to advocate for recreation,” he said. “We should not take this down. There are communities out there where kids are still fighting to get them built.”
The move to Fifth Street would be suitable. Next to the firehouse it would be visible; vandals would be less likely to do damage. The move and requisite set-up would cost about $150,000 which the additional parking spots would generate in two years. The park generates about $7,000 a year in fees during the summer months.
“This is bad, we try to provide programs for everyone,” said Datillo. “The users of the skate park are mixed, for some this is the only thing they do. This is a bad precedent, to take something away when there is a viable option.”
Some say the Fifth Street lot is needed for parking when it floods. Some say they don’t want vandalism to follow. Rumor has it the teachers use it, and of course if the “family fun” concept comes about at the airport, it would just have to be moved again.
“Since it wasn’t put in the right place we have to go through the process again,” said council president Keith Hartzell. “It’s a shame. Hopefully we’ll be able to work with the kids and figure this out.”
That it was not put in the “right place” to begin with is not the skateboarders fault, yet now, faced with a revenue question our youth will pay the price. Will it end up at the city’s airport, part of a revenue-generating “family fun” concept bandied about, with mini-golf, batting cages and amusements, or will the dream that became a reality end up permanently mothballed?
In another area of town, a group of grown up boys discovered that their favorite sport could soon disappear too. The “Gang of 23” racquetball players at the Aquatic and Fitness Center are under the gun to show city officials that they can generate revenue for the facility.
As city officials begin to plan for a $15 million expansion/renovation to the famed community center, revenue is once again in the equation. While Cape May County grants and the municipal library are funding the project, which will also expand the city’s Aquatic and Fitness Center, nothing is guaranteed as the renovations progress.
The city’s lone racquetball court - an 800 square-foot concrete bunker – will be smack in the middle of what will soon be the expanded Aquatic and Fitness Center. Rumor has it that the concrete bunker is tough to work around, if it’s losing money with only a small group utilizing it, why keep it? While the plans presented show a racquetball court, the truth is that the court is on the chopping block.
“The intent is to maintain the existing racquetball court, but as time progresses there is only so much room in the Aquatic and Fitness Center,” said city business administrator Jim Rutala. “We gauge monthly reports on revenue. We’ve seen the center, in the last year, turn the corner. Revenue is up 11 percent. It’s not all about economics; it’s about providing fitness but to take up that much space it has to provide more revenue, enhance play. They are talking about organizing leagues, bringing more activity to the center. We are encouraging them to brainstorm.”
“We have to think of the best use of that space,” said Hartzell. “Do we put more equipment in that area, and maybe draw more people to the center? It is subsidized by the city, it loses money. We have to be mindful of that.
“We told the racquetball guys, there’s 23 of you, draw more interest to the sport,” said Hartzell. “The court needs to be used. The community center will be the hub of the town when it’s finished, it’s very important that every square inch is fully utilized. Nobody wants to see recreation go away on this island, but there has to be a balance. This is a tough one.”
“There is a parallel between the two situations,” said Datillo. “These decisions come down to, are we making business decisions or recreation decisions? Clearly racquetball is a business decision, skateboarding recreational.”
If there is a group capable of generating interest, it would be the “Gang of 23.” Comprised of local movers and shakers, the motivated group includes financial planners, Realtors, ministers and other professionals who make a living making things happen. Charged with the responsibility of making a profit to keep their court, I have no doubt in their ability to succeed.
The racquetball courts have never been properly marketed; it’s been accepted that the sport is declining in popularity. Maybe it’s more popular here than they think. The Gang of 23 is motivated to become the Gang of 100. Let’s hope they can do it.
So it will be up to the skateboarders and the racquetball players, young boys and grown up boys, to save their collective sports. This should, however, be a warning to all recreation enthusiasts.
They are willing to pave paradise to put up a parking lot. Recreation is time-honored, a big tradition in our community. Don’t take anything for granted, you don’t know “what you’ve got,” ‘till it’s gone.


Ann Richardson can be e-mailed at annrichardson@catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 250.