Casselberry Redevelopment Should Include Skatepark

As Casselberry works hard at redevelpoment to draw millennials as residents, one of the aspects they continue to miss is the need for a skatepark.

Nearly every upwardly mobile city that is creating its own renaissance has invested in one.

Here are some facts:

Skateparks are for more than just the neighborhood kids.  They do create a diverse social space for active youth to enjoy their sport, but more over, they are a vibrant space where the community as a whole is welcomed, crossing generations and cultures.

If Casselberry is serious about distinguishing itself from surrounding cities in a positive way, a world class skatepark will be a big step forward.


 

Support a Skatepark in Casselberry

We are pushing for a full neighborhood skatepark in Casselberry & have been the single biggest and most visible community movement in the city over the past year.

Rather than address the need for a community skatepark, our city's leaders have punted on the project by calling for a Parks Master Plan after getting caught citing one for being the reason no action had been taken during the 2016 Budget Workshop.

Fact:  There has been NO Parks Master Plan in place in the past and it has not stopped recreation planning and development.

A single consultant just proposed providing a study that will lead to a Parks Master Plan for Casselberry.  At what cost?  $74,000.00

That is funding that could otherwise be spent on current recreation needs in our city.

Despite our dismay, we plan to participate in this process and send the clear and convincing message that we have for the past year; Casselberry has a demonstrated need for a modern recreation facility in the form of a skatepark.

In order to continue to attract younger families and have them become residents, we need to provide the recreation they are looking for when they are ready to put down roots.

Stay tuned for developments like community workshops and surveys that will be part of this process.

In the short term, a step towards improving our city has been made by including a skate spot in the Casselton Drive improvement project.  A public input session should take place to see the design of it in early June.

We will update our Facebook Page: Skate 32707 - Support a Skatepark in Casselberry with a date, time and location as soon as it is known.

Attendance is important, as a small group in the area has already surfaced to try and prevent it, citing problems in their community that are totally unrelated to skateboarding as a reason to oppose the skate spot.  We know better and have the facts to support it.

The City Commission needs to hear from all of us that support a vibrant and active community so that they will continue to support the project.

Stay engaged, work hard to spread the word and make certain that you attend any and all meetings that are announced.

Skatepark Economics 101

Casselberry is in the throws of a revitalization effort that has been decades in the making.  Much of the recent growth in the city has been the addition of more housing, both mutli-family and single family residential.  There is promise for more retail and dining, yet the community is left longing for more.

Zephyrhills Recognized The Need For A Community Skatepark and Took Action

Public works projects are focused on the curb appeal, spending loads of cash on "complete street" projects, replete with enhanced street lighting, landscaping and brick intersections.

In order that the City of Casselberry reach its full potential to be a "Great Place to Live, Work and Play" there needs to be a shift in focus on placemaking that attracts a younger generation that wants to call our small city home.

Over the past year or so the community has banded together in large part to advocate for a city skatepark.  Despite the grassroots effort, little has been done.  In fact, $75,000.00 is about to be spent to develop a parks master plan, all while looking past the public's calls for a specific project; The Casselberry Skatepark.

If the Casselberry City Commission took time to investigate the issue, they would understand how answering the public's call for action would most certainly be a catalyst for civic engagement on an unprecedented level.  They could then very easily leverage the support for more projects.

A skatepark would benefit the community greatly.

Its economic impact would be far reaching in supporting the restaurants and retail that must also come to ensure a bright future.

Case In Point:

On a recent family trip, instead of going and staying in the town where we had plans, a choice was made to stay an hour away in a town that has a skatepark and commute to the event.

The result:  Two nights of lodging, several meals at local restaurants and money spent shopping in their downtown.

Our skateboarding family is not unique.  Travel and spending plans are often steered by the presence of a skatepark when family time is planned.

Conversations with people at the skatepark often reveal out of town visitors who are there solely because of the presence of it.

As our city moves forward in its redevelopment, they will be wise to carefully consider how much its costing our community to delay the construction of a skatepark, there are lots of families who would like a reason to visit or move to Casselberry.

The Future Of Casselberry Requires Youthful Involvement

Casselberry has been working for over a decade to spark economic development within its borders.  Geographically situated along two major arterial roadways, The City of Casselberry is figuratively and literally at a crossroads.  The possibilities for growth and development are there.

Some development has broken loose, but it mostly involves multi-family apartments and planned developments of single family residences.  While a positive, it could be better.

The positive trajectory the city desires lies at its front door in the form of a motivated and engaged generation that is begging to be heard and engaged.

Engage the Community!

The grassroots effort to establish a skatepark, a move that would further enhance the livability of the city, is filled with younger citizens and new families looking to be part of a community.  They long for a sense of place and are willing to work for it.

If the city and its elected officials would capture that momentum and build on it, they would capture the demographic they need to advance to the next level.

Rather than the status quo, its time to shift or pivot.  Only time will tell if the city's leadership will realize the opportunity it is fortunate to have before it.

Casselberry is at a Crossroads

Support A Skatepark In Casselberry & you'll be supporting positive growth for our community as we move into a future driven by millennials.