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Category: Skate Park

City to Approve Funds for the New Park in Sunnyside

Residents at the January 13, 2020 community meeting discussing the proposed park

At next week’s Council meeting, Council award a contract to Greenman–Pedersen, Inc for the design and engineering specifications for a park facility at the Odessa outlet, in an amount not to exceed $56,000.00,

Residents in the Sunnyside neighborhood have expressed interest in the concept of a play area for children in their neighborhood that will include the best outdoor playhouses for children, so they won’t have to cross busy Rhode Island Avenue to play at a playground that is close to their home.

Staff sent letters to the neighborhood residents and held a community meeting in January 13, 2020 to obtain community feedback. Residents that attended the community meeting expressed positive
interest for the creation of children’s play area at the Odessa outlot.

Two parcels make up this space, parcel 46, block E and the outlot. These parcels were donated to the City in 1999 with the intent the land be used for recreational purposes.

Beltway expansion will affect the part of the proposed park area

The siting of the play area will be on the north parcel (outlot), which is outside of the identified limit of disturbance of the proposed Maryland Department of Transportation Beltway widening project. The MDOT is proposing a 30 ft buffer into the park area. This has led the city to move the park area to the north of the lot.

30 ft buffer shown into the proposed park area

Bids were received from three engineering firms to develop a concept design for the project and associated engineering plans, to submit to Prince George’s County for approval and construction specifications for the play area amenities.

Bid results included:
Charles P. Johnson & Associates, Inc. $ 79,795.00
Greenman–Pedersen, Inc. $ 54,852.47
RK&K $185,178.18

Greenman–Pedersen, Inc. submitted the most competitively priced bid for the design and engineering of the park facility on the Odessa outlot.

New Flashing Pedestrian Light Coming near Sunnyside Skate Park

Good News! A new flashing pedestrian light (RRFB) will be installed on Rhode Island Ave at Odessa Rd near the Sunnyside Skate Park. The equipment has been ordered and the light is expected to be constructed as early as late next month or the latest by this November. The City Council allocated money in its FY2016 budget to buy and install this additional crossing light. Our City engineer has recently got the approval from County about the location of the new light on Rhode Island Avenue, which is a County road.

Currently, we have 3 RRFBs on Rhode Island Avenue in north College Park – one near Duvall field, one at Hollywood Road and another at Muskogee st. We hope the new RRFB at Odessa Rd. will help residents and their children cross Rhode Island avenue safely to the Sunnyside Skate park.

We’ll keep you posted as we find more information about status of the new light. Thank you!

Skate Park Maintenance Still an Issue

Rendering of the proposed Sunnyside Skate Park

The Council discussed the maintenance of the  Sunnyside Skate Park on last Tuesday’s council work session.

The Park and Planning who currently owns the Park has made a request to College Park to maintain the Park, while keeping the ownership of the park.

However the City wants to get the ownership of the park and once the annexation happens, it’d like to start maintaining the park.

While we debate the ownership transfer of the park, I was wondering who’d be maintaining the park. As the City’s planning department said, the park should be ready by early next year. I asked this question to the City attorney . She said the Park and Panning will be “legally” bound to maintain the park until then.

Let’s hope the City and the Park / Planning sort out this annexation and the maintenance business as soon as they can.

City’s First Skate Park to Open Early Next Year in Sunnyside

Rendering of the proposed Sunnyside Skate Park

According to City’s planning department, if permits are issued as expected, construction of City’s first Skate Park should begin next month. Construction is anticipated to take 60 days.

The City’s planning department published the final design late last week to its website.

The skate spot will be built within the confines of Sunnyside Park on Rhode Island Avenue just north of Edgewood Road.

Back in March this year, the City Council approved the design of College Park’s first skate park.

On Mar 22, 2010, the City awarded Seattle-based Grindline Skateparks (http://www.grindline.com/) a contract to design and build a skateboard park in Sunnyside Neighborhood Park in north College Park

The City held two public hearings on the park, one in April and another in June last year.

In October last year, the park’s design went through a few major revisions, after receiving concerns from M-NCPPC and some residents on children’s safety in the proposed park.

According to the new design, the park’s bowl is much shallower (four feet) compared to the previous one, which was more more than seven feet deep. The new design is expected to attract more beginning skaters and would be more safe for the community and easier to maintain. There are also an addition of a stair element to the new design.

M-NCPPC continues to have concems about maintenance and has requested that the City provide assistance. The City Manager and Public Works Director indicated that supplemental maintenance could be provided as part of the City’s routine park maintenance program.

Speaking of the park, Kennis Termini, a long time resident of north College Park, and a member of the park design committee, said: “I look to the Sunnyside Skate Park as being a positive outreach to our youth community that is local, safe and widely supported.”

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