By Marshall Dunham
Staff Writer
At a regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners pledged $54,000 to help pay for phase II of the Yamaguchi Skate Park — roughly one-third of the estimated cost of the project.
The second phase of the skate park will be a large bowl that will appeal to a more-advanced, “vertical” style of skateboarding, as opposed to the skate park’s current less-advanced features.
“The existing skate park, while used and well-appreciated by kids through adults, is mostly basic elements for skateboarders,” said Gwen Taylor, chair of Archuleta County’s Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails (PROST) task force. “Phase II would be for more advanced skateboarders, which the adults and high schoolers are especially looking forward to.”
The Skaters’ Coalition for Concrete (SCC) has raised roughly $60,000 in cash and in-kind resources for phase II of the skate park. Funds were raised through events organized by the SCC, such as skate competitions in the summer and snowboarding rail jams in the winter.
“There’s a lot of passion behind this project,” said Mike Musgrove, president of the SCC.
The SCC also requested and received money from the Town of Pagosa Springs. On Sept. 1, the town council unanimously voted to contribute $54,000.
Initially, the SCC’s request was to use the county’s 1A park and recreation funding to help pay for the project, but, after the BoCC discussed the matter, it was decided to use the county’s Conservation Trust Fund instead.
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