Commission selects Regner Park sport-court area as preferred skate park site after public comment; motion carried

The Park and Recreation Commission voted Feb. 27 to recommend the Regner Park sport-court area as the preferred site for a new West Bend skate park, following staff presentation and extended public comment. The motion to approve the Regner Park sport-court area passed on a voice vote with the chair indicating the motion carried.

Ryan, a Parks, Recreation and Forestry staff member, reviewed the history of the existing temporary skate park and explained that the Friends of West Bend Skate Park, a 501(c)(3) formed in 2024, and city staff evaluated multiple potential sites before recommending the Regner Park sport-court area. Staff said the group initially considered a privately owned site but paused those discussions and prioritized alternative city-owned options.

Nut graf: The decision clears a major procedural hurdle and allows staff and the Friends of West Bend Skate Park to begin site-specific planning, testing and fundraising work for a modern skate facility; commissioners and public speakers emphasized the community and economic benefits while flagging design, soils, noise and funding questions.

Public comment included testimony from Isaac Sharp, identified in the meeting as the president of the Friends of West Bend Skate Park, who described frequent travel outside West Bend to skate parks and argued a local modern facility would retain local economic activity. Multiple residents, small-business owners and longtime users urged a modern concrete park and encouraged the commission to involve users in design. Speakers identified benefits including youth engagement, tourism and community-building. Several speakers noted concerns about site-specific constraints (proximity to Carl Coast Field left-field fence, potential for balls crossing into the skate area), soil and subgrade conditions, restroom access, lighting and noise considerations associated with prefabricated metal features.

Staff and Friends representatives said the chosen site offers proximate utilities, restrooms and lighting, and allows for initial and future expansion; staff described a baseline planning footprint of about 13,000 square feet while noting the footprint could change in design. Staff said soil borings and subgrade testing will be required if the site advances. Friends of West Bend Skate Park members described fundraising and phasing strategies, estimated design-package costs (staff estimated roughly $30,000 to develop a site-specific design package), and noted overall project construction costs could be on the order of hundreds of thousands to more than $750,000 depending on scope. Presenters said Kester Island and other city sites had been evaluated but were not recommended as the primary site because of higher infrastructure costs (restrooms, electricity, lighting) and access issues.

Commissioner discussion acknowledged the high public interest and asked staff to continue outreach and to ensure design processes include user input. One commissioner moved to approve the recommendation to use the Regner Park sport-court area as the preferred site; a second was recorded. The chair called for the ayes and the motion carried.

Ending: With the site recommendation approved, staff said next steps include formalizing a fundraising and design schedule, conducting soil borings and preparing a request for proposals for design work; the commission encouraged continued public involvement and partnership with the Friends of West Bend Skate Park.