Third review of planned skateboard park for West Side’s Wolfe Park

MANCHESTER, NH – A third public meeting was held at the Cashin Center on the evening of Wed, Feb 19, 2024, to review designs for a skateboard & BMX park proposed for Wolfe Park, west of the Dairy Queen on the city’s west side. This skateboard park has the very real possibility of becoming an economic engine for the West Side and indeed the whole city, drawing visiting families from the entire region and beyond, who will visit the park and also dine in restaurants, shop, visit art museums, and take in other activities.

The meeting was attended by 22 engaged stakeholders, where “stakeholder” means a skater, BMX bike rider, or a neighbor of the park. It became clear during the discussion that many of those present had skated or ridden throughout Manchester and surrounding communities, and many still skate or ride today.

Before the meeting officially began, some of the older attendees, who had lived in the area their entire lives, shared some stories about the history of the park and how it changed over the years.

The meeting start time was announced energetically by former Alderman At-Large Mike Lopez, who wanted to be sure everyone knew he supported the skatepark, and the larger effort to revitalize Wolfe Parke, a historic West Side treasure. The meeting was then opened by Kate Waldo, Park Project Manager. Following her introduction, a few folks asked if the evening’s meeting would address the entirety of changes coming to Wolfe Park. Waldo replied that she’d be happy to answer any questions one-on-one, but that night’s meeting was to focus specifically on the skatepark design. (In addition to the skatepark, other enhancements will include: reconditioning the existing softball field, added parking, pickle ball courts, horseshoe pits, bocce, cornhole, expanded playground, and a walking trail around the whole area.) All of these projects have yet to pass through the budget process. That is expected to happen in the next few months.

Next, the audience was treated to a 3D model of the skatepark that could be viewed, enlarged, and rotated in real-time. We were also shown a video that depicted a fly-through-and-over of the park design. Significant work has gone into the design effort since the first meeting last November. The skateboard project design was done by the firm of Nor’east Skateparks in Auburn ME. The principals, Chris Hogan and Keith Powers, gave the evening’s presentation and guided the discussion. Their primary purpose was to hear feedback from the audience, allowing them to then update their design to respond to and address any concerns or desires voiced. It should be noted that, at 20,000 sq. ft., this would be one of the largest skate parks in all of New England.

Most of the audience was generally happy with the design. After some prodding from Hogan, a few ideas for changes and improvements were elicited, and Hogan and Powers both felt those were ideas they could incorporate into a further iteration of the design, yielding an improved result. They then queried the audience as to whether there was any appetite for another review meeting. No one in the audience voiced an interest in that.

There was some concern in the audience about safety, mostly owing to traffic in the area. Waldo emphasized that traffic calming measures for Harvell Street were included as part of the plan.

What’s Next

Next, Nor’east Skateparks will revise their design to incorporate the meeting’s feedback, and that will become part of the project. Waldo expects that further information will be posted on the city’s website for Parks and Recreation. The design for the skatepark along with the other proposed enhancements to Wolfe Park will then become part of the budget process, to be considered by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Given the realities of that process, and scheduling, shovels will probably not hit dirt before this fall or early next year. Watch this space for further updates.