NORTH OGDEN — North Ogden wants a skate park, but not one done in haste.

At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, it was decided that an informal committee will be created to research a location and design for the skate park.

Adult skate park enthusiasts urged the council and Mayor Brent Taylor to allow a committee time to share ideas with the council.

“I get the feeling (that) if we have to wait, they don’t care,” Council Member Jim Urry said.

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“I’m convinced we’ll get a better result from doing this,” Council Member Phillip Swanson said. 

MORE TIME WITH SKATE PARK

Taylor said that, after talks with Weber County officials, there’s more time before the current skate park — located directly south of the North Ogden Library — needs to be turned over to the county. Plans are to use that property as parking when the library is renovated.

The committee will include skate park enthusiasts and city residents, with a liaison from the city council. Taylor said the committee’s meetings will be posted.

Initial feedback from the committee may come in as early as two weeks. Sept. 1 was also considered by the council as a date for a detailed report from the committee.

A $20,000 COST TO STORE MODULAR PARTS

The budget for the skate park’s relocation is $213,000. Storing the modular parts of the skate park will cost about $20,000, said Jon Call, city attorney and acting city administrator.

However, skate board enthusiasts at the meeting urged that the parts be sold. Resident Jeremy Averett described the current “modular-and-blocks” park as “a temporary solution.” 

Members of the council favored selling the modular parts, suggesting it be considered by the committee.

Averett, whose wife, Amie Lester Averett, is president of the Utah Skateboarders Association, told the council closing the park for a while is well worth the benefits of a well-constructed skate park. 

Amie Averett said the committee would work with fundraising and share its research with North Ogden. “I know many young children who enjoy skateboarding,” Amie Averett said, describing its exercise benefits as a tool against childhood obesity.

In its July 12 meeting, council members appeared ready to move the skate park to the community garden area, east of the skate park, or to North Ogden Park, 2750 N. 500 East.

Call told the council the North Ogden Park was city staff’s first choice, although the community garden was also acceptable. Matt Hartvigsen, city engineer, told council members that, after consulting with a geotechnical engineer, he believes a skate park could be constructed at North Ogden Park.

A BUILDING ENTHUSIASM FOR A COMMITTEE

But as the meeting progressed, council members were impressed with the Averetts and others proposing a skate park committee. 

“We build a committee, look at it and do it right,” Council Member Carl Turner said. 

Tucker Garrett told council members he wants to be part of the committee. He urged the council to allow the committee input in designing the park. “We would rather wait for something instead of just a quick solution and calling it good,” he said.

Skateboard enthusiasts were noticeably excited at the council’s decision, gathering outside city offices to discuss ideas after their portion of the council meeting. 

“I think this committee will come up with a great design,” Taylor told the Standard-Examiner Wednesday.

dgibson@standard.net