Milford’s skateboarding community has been longing for a skate park of its own since the idea sparked in 2003. Since then, Friends of Milford Skate Park (FoMSP) have been on roll to try and make this dream a reality. Though some may disagree, I believe that a skate park would be great for the skateboarders of Milford.

Since 2006, the FoMSP council has been focused on raising money for construction and getting support from the community and Town of Milford. The Village and Township of Milford gave official support endorsements and they both agreed to jointly operate the park once completed.

Endorsements were also received from the Milford Village Council, Milford Village Parks and Recreation, Milford Township Board as well as Milford Township Parks and Recreation. The most important of all the endorsements received was the Village of Milford’s generous offer of a possible future location for the park in Hubble Pond Park on W. Commerce St. located near the Milford Library.

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, the citizens of Milford were given the choice to pass or reject an incremental millage to pay for the construction, all maintenance, repair and cost of operation, including liability protection for at least 20 years. The first four years of the millage, a home with a taxable value of $100,000 would pay $25 per year, equating to $2.08 per month.

The remaining 16 years of the millage would decrease to $2.50 per year. FoMSP was receiving private donations prior to the millage and in addition to the various fund raisers they hosted. Unfortunately, the millage did not pass. I was disappointed. A post on the FoMSP website stated that a meeting would soon be held to discuss the future. Although they have been trying to build this skate park for a while now, what went wrong? Surely the millage was the open gate to a promising and prospering road to this skate park?

Well, not exactly. Every skater in the Milford and Highland area had high hopes and expectations for the park, but unfortunately, it’s the adults who get to decide what they are going to be taxed on. And the adults who supported this act were not numerous. Perhaps its because some just thought they couldn’t afford it or some didn’t like the idea of a Skate Park in Milford.

They may have thought it would be unsafe for our kids or a safe haven for violence and the use and exchange of drugs. Perhaps it was a mixture of these reasons. All in all, 64% of voters voted no on the Skate Park. I must admit, that I understand why somevoters would vote no for these reasons but, they say on the FoMSP website, Skateboarding, in-line skating and BMX biking can bring together diverse age groups.

The “garden” aspect of the skate park will attract skaters as well as non-skaters. It could attract skateboarding tourists and also families on vacation and it’s a free, independent skate park that provides a safe, responsible and mutually acceptable location for participants to practice their sport.

I hope in the future the FoMSP Council will find a way to raise enough money and build the skate park. There are a lot of kids, skater and non-skater, that would be attracted to this spot and it would be an ideal hang out spot for kids.