Sunnyside Neighborhood Park’s long-awaited skate park is set to open June 12 with a community kick-off ceremony, according to Councilmember Patrick Wojahn (Dist. 1).
The skate park, located at 10110 Rhode Island Ave., will feature a 4-foot deep flow bowl specifically designed for beginner skateboarders, as well as other skate features like ledges and ramps built by Seattle-based company Grindline Skateparks Inc.
Grindline began building the site after the College Park City Council approved the final design in 2010. City council members said they hope the shallow flow bowl will encourage new skateboarders to try out the new park.
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“The bowl caters to younger, less experienced skaters,” Wojahn said. “It’s designed to serve the immediate community.”
A planning committee made up of around eight members—including College Park Senior Planner Elisa Vitale, and residents of the city—oversaw , which received initial funding in 2007 from then-city councilmember Thomas Dernoga (Dist. 1).
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“It was important for people who are going to use the park to have a hand in planning it,” Wojahn said. “Expert skaters provided extra input.”
The opening comes after years of planning and setbacks. To build the park, planners had to first find a suitable space, and decided on the location of an existing tennis court. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission had approved ripping up the court. Planners originally designed a deeper flow bowl,
The city council approved the final design in 2010, and planned a number of public hearings to address resident concerns over noise and safety, according to Wojahn.
“It was a long process,” he said. “We wanted to have a lot of community input.”
The park, owned by the M-NCPPC, will be maintained by College Park. According to Mayor Andrew Fellows, the city is in talks to absorb the property as a way to easily continue upkeep at the skatepark.
“We’re pretty pleased we’re getting a skate park,” Fellows said.
