Pineway Ponds Park amenities get a fresh look

Adam Yeomans dunks on the newly resurfaced basketball court at Pineway Ponds Park in Ogden. The handball and skate park surfaces have also recently been resurfaced. Photograph by Walter Horylev.

Ogden Parks and Recreation Director Peter O’Brien, on the job since last August, watches as Kevin Bosch performs a melon at the skate park at Pineway Ponds Park located on Route 259 north of Spencerport village. Bosch, who has been skating for five years, gave approval to the newly resurfaced, pool blue, site. Photograph by Walter Horylev.

Ogden Parks and Recreation Director Peter O’Brien says when petals are added to this curvy stem, a cool new water feature will be available at Pineway Ponds Park in Ogden.

Pineway Ponds Park amenities get a fresh look

Just in time for summer, Pineway Ponds Park has received a make-over that should make it not only more visually appealing to visitors but also addresses safety concerns.

Peter O'Brien, director of parks and recreation for the Town of Ogden, will be celebrating his one year anniversary in the role in August, but said the idea for making the park safer for users has always been there. "When I started, though, I began to look at improvements proactively in the fall of 2006. As a department, there are many aspects of the park the parks department felt could be improved from a standpoint of user safety." Improvements that addressed safety concerns were the resurfacing of the courts, installation of speed bumps along the park road and more frequent visible police patrols.

Smooth surfaces
The resurfacing of the skate park, handball court and basketball courts are complete and the skate park equipment has been secured to the surface. Before, with the equipment being able to be moved around, there was a risk of injury to the users. "The decision to permanently secure the pieces to the ground upset some of the users because they liked being able to move the pieces onto different ramps and equipment," he said. "I've heard some of the skaters say the reason they come to Pineway is because it's the only skate park around where the equipment can be moved around. Securing the equipment is a safety issue."

O'Brien said that while he doubts there are skaters who use the ramp who are experienced enough to "ride the rail" when it's placed on a ramp, he is responsible to all users of the park, from beginner to experienced. "Before we secured the pieces, I met with some of the skaters to get their opinions as to where to permanently place the pieces," he said. "It helped us to mutually reach an understanding of what we are looking to accomplish at the park."

The skate park was the victim of the most graffiti and O'Brien said that if it continues, especially with the work that has been completed, the parks department will not "hesitate to close the skate park when/if we have to repair damage or remove graffiti." He said, "If the vandalism continues at a consistent pace, we will have to shut the skate park down and make some decisions on its future. My advice to the users of the skate park is to take care of it by making sure the trash is in the bins, and get the word out that graffiti and vandalism will not be tolerated."

"There has been vandalism in the Pineway Ponds Park area," Ogden Police Sergeant Shawn Fitzgerald said. "We have stepped up patrols in both the daytime and the night time with special attention being paid to the closing times at the park. We've had that area on our 'regular' patrols." Fitzgerald said the vandalism had been mainly in the form of graffiti. "We hate to see vandalism of any kind so we are keeping an eye on the area."

Slow down
The installation of speed bumps on the main park road and re-striping all of the crosswalk markings to make them more visible is complete. "In the coming year, we are also planning on increasing signage to be placed on the road to further emphasize the safety of those crossing the street," O'Brien said.

There were also issues of graffiti at the skate park which O'Brien hopes will be addressed by the resurfacing of the area and by increased police patrols.

The resurfacing of the handball and basketball courts addressed cracked pavement and faded lines. "We also purchased four new hoops for the basketball court. The old ones were rusted and missing pieces and the basketball courts are one of the most-used areas of the park," he said.

The $18,500 funding for resurfacing the courts was part of the 2007 town budget. The actual cost of the work was $17,785, according to O'Brien. Volunteers also contributed by painting skate park equipment, staining the Canal Days Lodge and painting the storage shed.

O'Brien said between the people who rent the lodges, use the playground and spray park and with the park being "home field" to local youth baseball, soccer and football and adult soccer teams, he estimates that close to 1,000 people use the park on a daily basis. "Before this year, there were no speed bumps or any type of speed control in the park," O'Brien said. He credited the police patrols for slowing down the traffic when they are in the area but felt there was a need for a more permanent solution. "Because the park road is a mostly straight thruway, drivers have the tendency to accelerate when going down that road," he said. "With so many people crossing the road to access the soccer fields, lodges and the pond we knew we had to do something (traffic control). These speed bumps will help to control the speed better and draw more attention to the safety of those crossing the road."

On-going project
There is also general on-going safety and maintenance. "We regularly check the playground equipment for loose parts or equipment, work with the police personnel who patrol and respond to any urgent situations and we require all organized sports teams/groups who utilize our park to provide us with a copy of an insurance certificate."

O'Brien said, "There was a lot of time and money spent to make these improvements and with the cooperation and respect of the users of the park, they can be sustained for a long time. As a department, we will be proactive about maintaining a clean and safe look of the park."