BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG. —  Deputy Mayor Jennifer Stevenson is working to get an update on plans for the Ogdensburg skate park, but City Manager Fonda Chronis says the recreation committee has not met since the issue was brought forward last month.

During a recent City Council meeting, Stevenson said she had promised residents who approached her about a skate park that she would continue raising the issue at council meetings until there was an update.

“I said I was going to bring it up every meeting because I promised the people that have come to me about that,” Stevenson said, asking whether there had been any progress on the proposal.

 Councilor Dan Skamperle pointed to Potsdam as an example of what could be built at a manageable cost. 

The skate park was moved in 2021 from the Greenbelt to the parking lot of the Lockwood arena. The move was marketed as temporary by city council, but its former sport in the greenbelt was converted for pickleball use.

Skamperle supported  exploring the idea, saying Potsdam is putting in a skate park that he said was more affordable than he had previously anticipated.

Skamperle said he had previously spoken with skate park companies but believed those discussions may have focused on more elaborate facilities than the city would need to pursue initially.

Rather than attempting to build a complete facility at once, Skamperle said the city could develop a skate park in stages, adding features as funding becomes available.

“We really can’t afford to put it fully in the budget… We’re grant dependent when it comes to things like this,” he said.

Skamperle acknowledged that skateboarders  have been waiting for a long time for a facility and said the city should make an effort to get the project started.

Skate park plans were not included as part of the budget presentation held at the same meeting.