- February 11, 2025
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Chance Robertson goes down a slope as his brothers, Kane and Talan, look on. Photo by Wayne Grant
Alex Denton, a skate park employee, works on a skate board at the park. Photo by Wayne Grant
Kane Robertson negotiates a feature at the skate park. Photo by Wayne Grant
Kane Robertson negotiates a feature at the skate park. Photo by Wayne Grant
Lindy Foote likes to take her three grandsons to Nova Skate Park at Nova Community Park, 440 N. Nova Road.
“It’s safe,” she said. “And it’s pretty here by the park.”
The safety of the park is something that city officials aimed for when they hired a company, Birdstown, of New Smyrna Beach, to run it, and city staff members say it’s been successful.
It’s a controlled environment where younger kids are able to skate, City Manager Joyce Shanahan told city commissioners at an earlier meeting.
And Leisure Services Director Robert Carolin agreed recently, saying the Birdstown staff mentor the youth.
“I know. I’ve seen it,” he said. “Their heart is in it.”
When it was unsupervised, there were fights, vandalism, etc.
But now, the City Commission face a decision at an upcoming meeting: Pay more to have the company run the park, run it with city staff or go back to unsupervised days.
In 2015, Birdstown asked for and received a $900 per month subsidy. This past summer, the company said they needed to increase the amount to $250 per week, plus get the minimum hourly wage for an employee for up to 49 hours per week.
Carolin said the company had thought they could make money on equipment rentals, but most skaters have their own. Their other source for income is from concessions. There is no admission fee.
The City Commission decided to send out a Request for Proposals in August to see if any other company would be interested in running the park. Birdstown is the only company that submitted a proposal, and it reflects the increase they requested.
The Leisure Services Advisory Board met Nov. 9 to consider the RFP and voted to recommend that the city approve it. The final decision will be made by the City Commission at a future meeting.
The total cost of the management fee and hourly wage for the city would be $33,766 per year.
“It’s a lot of money,” Carolin told the Leisure Service Advisory Board. “But I’m passionate about helping kids and they are doing a really good job.”
Carolin told the board that the staff hours are kept down by only opening it after school. It’s open 4-9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
Carolin told them if the city tried to run it with one full-time and one part-time person, it would cost more than the amount Birdstown requests.
Birdstown also runs a skate park in New Smyrna Beach.
