Youth Council asks public if skate park needs BMX

The City of Maricopa is asking local youth if BMX should have a place at the Copper Sky Skate Park.

The idea of expanding the park to include bicycle motocross is part of Community Services’ five-year capital improvements plan. The city is reaching out to the community to find out what that might look like or whether it is even desired by young park users.

“We don’t want to build something they don’t want,” Community Services Director Kristie Riester said.

The expansion is tentatively slated for fiscal year 2019. The skate park is bordered by landscaping that was designed to hold the property until one of the venues was ready for expansion, whether it was for tennis, volleyball or BMX.

The current skate park was not built for high capacity, Riester said.

The idea for the expansion to accommodate BMX has been presented to the city council. Mayor Christian Price suggested it become a project of the Youth Council, an advisory group of teens, “to reach out to the community that uses the skate park.”

The Youth Council has planned a special meeting May 15 at 6 p.m. to receive public comment about the idea of including BMX. The meeting will be at Copper Sky Multigenerational Complex in Multipurpose Room A. All are invited to attend.

The Youth Council also has a regular meeting on May 9, at which the members will discuss the special meeting.

Riester said feedback from the special meeting will give her direction on concept and funding. “It will give me an idea of at least how to get there and create an appropriate plan,” she said.