There isn't a skateboard park to be found in Anne Arundel, and parents have always had to take their teens elsewhere - as far as Virginia - to find places to skate. But plans are under way to build two skateboard parks in the county - one possibly as soon as fall.
And a third one, in Severna Park, is still the goal of parents there, who plan to continue their efforts to get a local park.
Skateboarding areas will be built in Truxtun Park in Annapolis by fall or spring and in Sawmill Creek Park in Glen Burnie by spring. The projects aim to meet an increasing demand for a legitimate place to practice.
Both the county and city formed committees to study the demand for skateboard parks and determined that a growing need exists for such areas. Throughout the county, teens have made makeshift skateboarding areas out of parking lots, sidewalks and the steps of the State House in Annapolis.
"We chase the kids from the downtown area, and we don't have a place for them to go," said LeeAnn Bogan, city recreation and parks director.
The 80-by-100-square-foot skateboard area at Truxtun Park will be built in the parking lot near the pool, Bogan said. The city will work with the skating community to design the park and will consult an insurance company to ensure a safe park.
"The modern demand for recreational services very often includes a skate park," Annapolis Mayor Dean L. Johnson said. "And we look forward to having one of the best in the region."
The Maryland Board of Public Works approved $27,750 for the skateboard park last week from the Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space, which provides funding for Maryland's state and local parks and conservation areas. The city will fund the remaining cost of the $37,000 park.
"We're very excited to do this because the governor very much believes in improving the quality of life, and this is one of those things that can certainly do that," said Charles Porcari, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources.
The skateboard park at Sawmill Creek Park will be a trial park for the county. Officials will monitor its use and problems and determine whether to keep it there, move it or construct more parks throughout the county, said Dennis Callahan, county recreation and parks director.
"Should that be a successful operation, and we think it will be, we will then most probably have a permanent facility," he said.
