Clarington is building a new Community Park on the west side of Diane Hamre Recreation Complex in Newcastle this year. The design of a new concrete, cast-in-place skatepark that will be included in the park development, has been revealed.
The municipality thanked everyone who participated in the Newcastle Skatepark Community Survey. “We received nearly 300 responses, showing the high level of enthusiasm for the skatepark in and around the community. Skateboarders represented the largest group of participants (123 responses), followed by parents/guardians of future park users (89 responses), bikers (49 responses), and scooter riders (35 responses),” said a statement.
In determining the general priorities of future skatepark users, participants were asked to rank the importance of a series of potential skatepark features. The image below shows the top five features rated overall.
| Skateboarders | Bikers | Scooter Riders |
| 1. Flat Ledges [Rated 4.7/5] | 1. Hips [Rated 4.7/5] | 1. Bowl [Rated 4.6/5] |
| 2. Hubbas / Handrails [Rated 4.6/5] | 2. Bowl [Rated 4.5/5] | 2. Hips [Rated 4.5/5] |
| 3. Flat Bars [Rated 4.5/5] | 3. Mini Ramp [Rated 4.4/5] | 3. Manual Pad [Rated 4.4/5] |
Survey respondents identified lighting as the highest priority, with 96 per cent of participants selecting it as being very important or somewhat important. Eighty-six per cent of participants identified access to shade as being very important or somewhat important.
Key changes to the concept
Based on the preliminary skatepark concept shown in the survey, participants provided many wonderful ideas and suggestions. The following are some key changes that were made to address this feedback:
- Opened up the space and separated areas to accommodate more users at once;
- Added more street obstacles, including basic ledges, a manual pad and a flatbar;
- Added an intermediate-sized set of stairs with a handrail and hubbas;
- Added more hips and simpler transition features for all skill levels;
- Opened up the bowl feature and created a separated min-ramp area; and,
- Considered the obstacles included at nearby skateparks to ensure variety.
Skateboard park timeline
- Online community survey (December 23, 2020, to January 8, 2021)
- Review revised skatepark concept (March 2021)
- Present final skatepark concept (March 2021)
- Skatepark construction begins (Spring 2021)
- Skatepark construction completed (Summer 2021)