CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Two plans for the new Bel-Aire skatepark were unveiled at Tuesday’s Clarksville Parks & Recreation Committee meeting.
The Bel-Aire skatepark design was influenced by several public input meetings and surveys and will begin construction upon review. It will be an all-wheels park, allowing for biking and skating, and will have a section for beginners. The board settled on two designs.
The first design uses a closed bowl zone with obvious lanes for safety, elevation changes, and a bank-to-rail combo for challenges.
The second design provides a more flat, open space for dodging obstacles with skateable walls that double as spectator seating. Both designs have plans to remove the old pavilion and add a new one along with restrooms.
Jennifer Letourneau, director of Clarksville Parks & Recreation, said they’ll create the skatepark by repurposing the footprint of the retired Bel-Aire swimming pool, located on 124 Marie Drive on Peachers Mill Road. The pool was permanently closed in June last year, after a geological report found a void beneath the pool that would’ve eventually formed a sinkhole.
After construction, the project should be about 20,000 square feet, about twice the size of the Hopkinsville, Kentucky, skate park.
City Councilperson Keri Lovato of Ward 12 said, “The skatepark will be good for the community because right now the people are traveling to Murfreesboro (to skate).”
In related news, the damaged Heritage Park skatepark, 1241 Peachers Mill Road, will be retired for good. Letourneau said, “It was put together by a company that was not necessarily skate park designers. It’s fairly dangerous, and we’d have to put a lot of work into it to get it up to par to where it should be.”
Burchett Park
The skatepark isn’t the only recreational facility being built. After receiving a grant from the CMC Community Health Foundation, the Ewing Burchett Park, 520 Roselawn Drive, is getting a redesign.
Based off feedback from surveys, the park will be designed primarily for ages 2 to 12 but will be accessible to all children. The survey showed a majority want a “colorful/multicolored” design as opposed to earthy or monochromatic.
The survey was split on whether to include ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible playground equipment. Out of 31 responses, 38.7% said it would be helpful for their household, 16.1% said they were unsure, and 45.2% said it won’t be helpful.
The board will also incorporate several pieces of playground equipment based on results from the survey, including a slide, swings and tunnels. It is unlikely that balance beams or monkey bars will be implemented.
One thing that cannot be implemented is a water feature because it would require round-the-clock maintenance that the city cannot afford.
Additionally, the installation of the four new pickleball courts at Swan Lake Sports Complex will be finished by the end of the year.