CAMDEN — Some neighbors were unhappy with the process by which the town located skateboard park equipment to 4 Knowlton Street, and expressed their concerns Dec. 1, when the Camden Select Board talked at length about officially approving the temporary location. 

While the board was firm in granting temporary location approval, voting 4-0 in favor (Taylor Benzie was absent from the meeting), board members also encouraged rules be immediately crafted for use of the public space, and noise and behavior standards created.

The affirmative vote does not preclude workshops on finessing the skate park operations, said Select Board Chairman Bob Falciani, nor the community dialog to end.

Issues had been raised earlier in the conversation, when Alden Street resident Bob Lawson, who said he supports a skate park in Camden, nonetheless outlined neighbor’s concerns.

“The issue isn’t the skate park, but lack of process followed to evaluate having a skate park in a neighborhood,” he said.

Noise generated is, “negatively impacting homes.”

Lawson commended the community members who actively support having a skate park, but asked the town to assess noise and traffic effects, and establish a process by which everyone has an opportunity to,”find solutions together.”

The skate park took form at 4 Knowlton Street last summer, after the Teen Center on Knowlton Street, which was under purview there by the Penobscot Bay YMCA, relocated and the property it occupied was sold. In a sudden development, parents and skateboard enthusiasts learned that the equipment that had been a fixture as the Starfire Skate Park, behind the Teen Center, was moving to South Thomaston.

That spurred a call to arms by volunteers and the Select Board subsequently allowed the equipment to be moved from behind the former Teen Center across the street to a former MBNA parking lot that the town acquired in 2019.

That spot had been, 20 years ago, the original location of the skateboard park, which MBNA had built and hosted skateboard enthusiasts.

But the vote Dec. 1 to formally approve 4 Knowlton Street as a temporary home for the Camden Skatepark was preceded by a discussion that included frustrated neighbors.

“I am grateful for conversation,” said Lawson. “But shouldn’t this have been part of a process instead of now being a de facto skateboard park?”

He said both groups — the adults working on the behalf of teens and children who benefit from the park, as well as the concerned neighbors — want the same outcome, but also want the opportunity, “to help shape what it would be.”

Failing to provide a fair process resulted in, “community members versus community members.”

“ I’m in favor of pressing pause to establish process,” said Lawson.

That includes defining what “temporary” means, he said.

Board member Alison McKellar said she understood the concerns about noise.

Another neighbor suggested noise barriers, establishing drop-off and pick-up sites, and controlled access.

His objection, like that of Lawson, was to a lack of municipal process and lack of communication.

Camden resident, and skatepark organizer Wyatt McConnell, said the community almost lost a valuable resource, especially during a hard time, when the pandemic has restricted movement and conventional activity.

He said the park is now well used.

“Having a well functioning skate park is a valuable resource,” said McConnell, and said the current solution was temporary.  He also described living near the Tannery Park, on Washington Street, which is also town-owned and has likewise been used for temporary purposes, such as the crushing of cement slabs.

“I was never given notice [about that],” he said. “The use of town property to alleviate temporary problems is not an uncommon thing to happen.”

He also said the Knowlton Street location, while even serving as a skatepark from 2000-2005, was not intended as the permanent home. However, he believes that the skatepark should be in the village and not tucked away in some back corner.

McConnell agreed that work on the ramps would be necessary to,” quiet them down,” as well as, “work with kids for acceptable behavior.” He said he had ideas for reducing the noise.

“The noise issue is not something I take lightly,” he said.

Katherine White, a Camden resident, also spoke in favor of establishing a temporary home at 4 Knowlton Street, and advocated for a collaborative approach to solving the immediate problems. She also said halting the park operations would be detrimental to the teens using it.

Board member Marc Ratner advised working with kids on behavior expectations.

Board member Jenna Lookner suggested crafting rules, and determining who would enforce them in an official way.

Town Manager Audra Caler said that as soon as the board voted, the skatepark would be added to the town’s liability insurance coverage at an annual cost of approximately $2,000.

The board then voted 4-0 in favor of approving 4 Knowlton Street as the temporary home for the Camden Skatepark. And, they agreed to schedule a workshop about skate park rules and expectations.