The Philomath Park Advisory Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Philomath City Hall where staff will walk newer members through the history of the city’s long-stalled skate park replacement project.
The agenda item had been scheduled for August but that meeting was canceled.
The effort dates to 2019 when a local family raised safety concerns about the current skate park, which opened in 2000. Community advocacy and a city-funded feasibility study followed, with Grindline Skateparks hired in 2023 to lead design work.
The City Council approved a preliminary design in January 2024 at an estimated cost of about $600,000 — nearly double early projections.
According to the staff report, no construction funding has been identified and the city is unlikely to be competitive for another state grant until a related park grant closes out.
The board’s Sept. 1 agenda also includes a review of the Music in the Park summer concert series and a discussion about a proposal to gather community information to better understand how Philomath-area residents currently use the city’s parks. Plus, the Marys River Watershed Council will give a presentation on its Newton Creek bridge and culvert replacement project slated for Philomath City Park.
The meeting will be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel.