Plover is looking at constructing a skateboarding park in the southwest corner of Veterans Memorial Park.
The village's Parks Development Committee reviewed the proposal Tuesday but was unable to take any action because the committee lacked a quorum, so it will take it up at its Sept. 7 meeting.
The proposal calls for construction of a skateboard area of 65-by-138 feet, south of the Little League baseball diamond at the park.
Rick Rettler of the Rettler Corp. said the site plan was prepared with input from the Skateboard Committee and would have various skateboarding elements, including a quarter pipe, a pyramid, a launch ramp, a curb, a bench and a rail.
The area would be fenced with two gated access points for control, he said, and would be about 15 feet from the outfield fence of the baseball diamond. The site is in an existing parking lot, and Rettler said about eight spaces would remain.
The goal was to fit the facility on the site and maintain some of the existing parking without interrupting the existing infrastructure, he said, adding that he feels that has been accomplished.
The site will be separated from the baseball area through landscaping, he said, adding "we feel it's a good match."
Nancy Schmidt, 2310 Woodbridge Court, Plover, said she is helping to organize a skateboard park association as a nonprofit group., "With parents' backing, we feel we will achieve our goal of having a skateboard facility in the village," she said.
By 2000 that facility may be a reality, she said, and some of the individuals involved in trying to get the facility will be seniors in high school so "I would like to see them realize their goal," she said.
Dan McGinnity, chairman of the committee, said the committee will be looking for recommendations to accept the facility in this location.
The committee and the village will be putting together the budget for 2000 in the next few months and will need to know what funds will be available for the project, he said.
Dan Mahoney, village administrator, said the issue of funding hasn't been resolved. "We need to know what the costs are for budget purposes.
"My guess is the parks committee and the board will make some kind of cost-sharing issue," he said. "I think there's a real need on the part of the board and skateboards group about financial responsibility."
Another issue, he said, is rules, suggesting a list of rules to include use of safety equipment and no music.
Last year a skateboard facility was proposed in Easlan-Weslan Park but ran into neighborhood opposition.
Mahoney said the village has to listen to comments from the neighborhood and he suspects the facility will be more compatible with activities in Memorial Park.
Jerry Krueger, a committee member, said the questions of costs need to be addressed. He's visited sites in La Crosse and Oshkosh, he said, and wouldn't like to see something built that skateboarders don't want.
"One of the advantages of this project," Rettler said, "is we can see what other communities have done right and what wrong. I think the facility we're proposing will be one of the best."
Anton Anday, a village board member, suggested a special meeting next week to speed up the process for the facility.
But McGinnity said the committee would like to see a proposal on funding and the regular September meeting would give the group time to compile documentation.
The facility wouldn't be built until next year, he said, so waiting until the committee's next meeting on Sept. 7 won't make much difference. The committee will then include funding in the 2000 budget, he said.