Camden County commissioners held a public meeting on Feb. 7 to discuss a proposed skate park in the county system.
The project is included in the county’s Parks Alive 2025 funding, announced in April 2022.
“We’re holding this meeting to update our residents on the progress of this endeavor and to gauge feedback and concerns,” said Commissioner and county parks liaison Jeff Nash prior to the meeting. “Parks Alive 2025 was an investment into our county’s open green spaces that focuses on providing all residents with top-quality outdoor areas and recreation.”
Parks Alive represents an installment of $100,000,000 into the park system. Early estimates on the proposed skate area are in the “approximately $500,000 range,” Nash said.
The commissioner was thankful for community feedback on and support for the park idea, one that has been discussed for years. The proposal was made easier with Parks Alive 2025, he said.
Nash said the $500,000 sum is an estimate that depends on the park’s ultimate location. Sites have been discussed, he added, along with a potential municipal partner.
“To have a skate park like this we need to have a municipal partner to (reliably) maintain the park,” Nash explained. “Those are variables that we have not nailed down but are working on.”
The parks department believes Cherry Hill is the best location given its already popular skate areas and skating history, according to Nash. One meeting participant also suggested Berlin Borough.
“Cherry Hill advocates have made the point that (the township) has a great history of skateboarding,” Nash noted. “There was at one time a skateboard facility indoors that was enormously famous back in the day …”
The new park would also be ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) compliant, though that aspect is not currently in the design.
For more information and updates, visit the county website and its Facebook page.
