Action Sports Park Committee Final Report

Ad Hoc Action Sports Park (ASP) Committee
Final Report
to
State College Borough Council
Monday, March 19, 2018
STATE COLLEGE ACTION SPORTS PARK REPORT | 3/19/2018

Ad Hoc Action Sports Park Committee
Formation, Membership & Charge
• July 2017 - Committee established and committee
charge approved
• July 2017 - solicitation for volunteers to serve on
the ASP Committee
• August 7, 2017 - Committee appointed by Borough
Council
• The 15 person Committee consisted of
representatives from each Borough Neighborhood
Association plus several at large members
STATE COLLEGE ACTION SPORTS PARK OVERVIEW | 3/19/2018

ASP Committee Tasks
• Task 1 Identify activities and elements
• Task 2 Identify site selection criteria and weight
• Task 3 Identify all possibilities, public and private,
that meet criteria in Task 1 and Task
2 in the Borough and edge of borough
• Task 4 Site Evaluation/Prioritization
• Task 5 Develop recommendations for sites in rank
order
• Task 6 Final Report to Council

ASP Committee Efforts
• Met 12 times between August 2017 and January
2018
• Reviewed history of the ASP project
• Received, reviewed, and discussed the four (4) PSU
class reports completed in Spring 2017 by students in
Recreation, Park and Tourism (RPTM) classes
• Collected information on existing ASP’s in or near PA
• Centre Region Parks and Recreational staff were key
participants on the Committee

• Created, distributed, and analyzed a public survey
that received over 400 responses
• SCASD High School Math classes designed and
distributed a survey to middle and high school
students receiving over 800 responses that was
analyzed
• An expert in the BMX biking field attended an ASP
Committee meeting for a Q&A

ASP Held a Public Meeting
• Approximately 90 persons in attendance
• 35 persons provided comments at the meeting
and received eight (8) written comments
• No opposition was expressed. Focus was on
location first and foremost but also types of
elements to include in an ASP and design
suggestions were offered
• Meeting was recorded by C-Net and is available for
viewing

• ASP Committee broke into two (2) subcommittees in
late October; Location Subcommittee and Activities &
Elements Subcommittee
• Subcommittees completed their work and in
December, the full committee finalized what
locations and activities & elements to recommend to
Borough Council
• 1st quarter of 2018 drafted, reviewed, and finalized
the Action Sports Park report for Borough Council

elements subcommittee
1.users & activities
2.elements
3.amenities
4.site planning strategies
5.implementation priorities
STATE COLLEGE ACTION SPORTS PARK ELEMENTS SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT | 3/19/2018

1. users & activities
BMX boulderingmountain biking
skating scooter-use skateboarding
hardscape
surfaces
hardscape or softscape surfaces
parkour

transition/bowl/vert
flow course
street/plaza
size reqmt: 1/2 to 1 acre
2. elements
hardscape
Reid Menzer Memorial Skatepark
York, PA

bmx pump track
size reqmt: 1/8 to 1/4 acre
softscape
2. elements

bmx race track
size reqmt: 1-3 acres
softscape
2. elements

mountain bike
skills area
size reqmt: 1/4 acre
softscape
2. elements

bouldering
skills area
size reqmt: negligible
2. elements

3. amenities
must have • shade and shelter
• water fountains
• restrooms
• rest areas for non-participants
could have • dusk and evening lighting

4. site planning strategies
4a. single site <1 acre
3/4 – 1 3/4 acres for
shared-use bmx/hardscape

4. site planning strategies
4b. single site >1 acre 4c. multiple sites
site 2site 1
1–2 acres with
separate bmx pump track

5. implementation priorities
++
• involve users and stakeholders in the design
& planning process
• high quality construction & materials
• integral surfaces, not modular elements
• plan ahead and budget for maintenance
• plan ahead for expansion or phasing
+
~
• co-locate with other activities
• promote borough and regional identity
(amenity +/- point of pride)
• enable evening use
• on-site staff

Location
Subcommittee
Members
Dan Grow (Chair), Janejira Cervone, Jackie Gardner,
John Diercks, Kim Faulds, Bill Hartman,
Chris Jones, and Frank Maguire
Staff support - Beth Lee and Pam Salokangas
STATE COLLEGE ACTION SPORTS PARK LOCATION SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT | 3/19/2018

Subcommittee Objectives
• Identify public and private lands to consider for
construction of an action sports park in or near the
State College Borough
• Evaluate the feasibility of identified locations
• Recommend locations that are most feasible for an
action sports park

Potential Site Identification
• Subcommittee members identified and evaluated
50 local parks, parcels, and lots
• Subcommittee members considered concerns
raised by the overall Committee and feedback from
the Community Survey, SCASD Survey, and Public
Meeting

Site Feasibility- Selection Criteria
Criteria Details
Proximity to
Existing Homes
Due to concerns about noise
Accessibility
Getting to the site, distance from town,
accessibility from the street,
topography/ramps/sidewalks, and ADA
compliance
Available Parking Existing or space available to add parking
Environmental Factors
Necessity for tree removal, flooding, sinkholes,
and any topo/earthwork required

Criteria Details
Municipal Location
Where each site is located within the State
College Borough or surrounding region
Existing Infrastructure
Restrooms (porta-john or flushing), lighting,
sidewalks, playgrounds/sports fields,
electricity
Classification of Park
or Parcel/Lot
Neighborhood, regional, destination, private
Safety/Visibility
EMS access, visibility from road for police
surveillance, visibility to other park
amenities, view to/from private land

Criteria Details
High/Low Usage
CRPR identified extent of usage and
programs/activities
Ownership
Municipality, COG/Regional, private or PSU
ownership (to help determine liability &
maintenance, or if a new location must be
purchased)
Acres Actual available acres within each parcel/park

Site Recommendations
Most Preferred Location
Site Address Location/ Municipality Ownership
Distance from
SCASD High
School
Distance from
Memorial Field
(Downtown)
Whitehall Road
Regional Park
900 Block of West
Whitehall Road
Ferguson Township Public 1.4 mi 2 mi

Other Site Recommendations
Site Address
Location/
Municipality
Ownership
Distance from
SCASD High
School
Distance from
Memorial Field
(Downtown)
Parcel between State
College Area Family
YMCA/ South Hills
Business School
677 West Whitehall
Road
State College Borough Private 1 mi 1.4 mi
Haymarket Park 1631 Bristol Avenue Ferguson Township Public 1.4 mi 1.7 mi
Highpoint Park
855 West Whitehall
Road
State College Borough Public 1 mi 1.7 mi
Tom Tudek Memorial
Park
400 Herman Drive Ferguson Township Public 2.8 mi 2.3 mi
State College Borough
Maintenance Facility
330 Osmond Street State College Borough Public 1 mi 1.1 mi

Road Map to the Future
• March 2018 – Report to Council
• April 2018 – Forward report to Centre Region COG
requesting the ASP Committee present report to
COG General Forum
• May 2018 – Request the COG General Forum
forward the report the Centre Region Parks Capital
Committee for inclusion in the regional parks plan
• June 2018 and beyond – Finalize location,
determine elements and activities to include,
design the ASP, and begin construction
STATE COLLEGE ACTION SPORTS PARK NEXT STEPS | 3/19/2018

Action Sports Park Committee Final Report

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