Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Newark residents urge pause to Weekway Park baseball field, push for roller/ice‑skating pavilion
Summary
Residents from Weekway Park and nearby neighborhoods urged commissioners to pause a planned fourth baseball field and to explore creating a multi‑season skating pavilion; speakers said they were not consulted and described community needs for low‑cost recreation.
Dozens of Newark residents told the Essex County Board of Commissioners during the public‑comment period that the county should pause construction of a planned baseball field at Weekway Park and instead consider a roller‑ or ice‑skating pavilion that residents say would better serve neighborhood children and families.
"We do not need another baseball field," said Winifred Victor Hines, executive director of the Weekway Park Association, who said she learned on Nov. 19 about the county’s plan and asked the board to pause construction until there is community input. Hines also alleged that the association’s access to park offices had been restricted and asked the county to investigate the Weekway Park Sports Authority.
Other speakers pressed the same point. Michelle Boynton, who said she has used Weekway Park for 60 years, asked: "Who needs another baseball field when you have so many?" Shonda Gaston, executive director of Assimi Village Inc., and roller‑skating advocates including Kirby Brown and Rashiya Mason described roller skating as a multigenerational community activity and urged a low‑cost or free pavilion in the South Ward.
Several speakers referenced equity and access. Brown said rising prices at out‑of‑county rinks make those facilities unaffordable for many local families and argued a county pavilion would keep costs down and expand opportunities for youth. Mason said roller‑skating builds confidence and community and noted a local skater recently performed with a national artist, underscoring local talent.
Board members responded with a path toward follow‑up rather than an immediate policy change. The chair asked Weekway Park representatives to provide contact information and requested that Parks staff convene a meeting to discuss the proposal. A county representative said there was no pause in construction as of the meeting but agreed to forward the community’s request for a meeting; staff also said they would investigate equipment and inspection requests raised for Valesburg/Bellsburg Park.
What’s next: Commissioners asked staff to review the county’s parks master plan and current demand assessments and to return with clarification on project siting, hours and community‑engagement opportunities. The board encouraged residents to continue to submit information and attend follow‑up meetings.
