Major Changes Coming to Vashon Indoor SkatePark at BARC

Vashon’s Indoor Skatepark, located at the Burton Adventure Recreation Center, will be implementing several significant changes starting on November 1, 2013.
 
Indoor Skatepark will no longer be fully supervised by Vashon Park District staff. In an effort to reduce cost and maintain hours of operation, the Indoor Skatepark will begin operating like all the parks on Vashon: unsupervised and open all day.
 
NEW HOURS: As of November 1, the Indoor Skatepark will be open from 9 AM until Dusk every day of the week. Vashon Park District Staff will unlock the park in the morning, no later than 9 AM, and secure the park at DUSK. Previously, park hours were only Wed thru Sun with limited hours during those days. Just like visiting Ober Park, Dockton Park or Agren Field, the BARC Skatepark will be without a supervised staff member.
 
FREE TO USE: Park goers wishing to use the Indoor Skatepark will no longer have to pay a daily, monthly or membership FEE to use. Fundraising efforts to improve BARC will be done through special events and annual campaign efforts by the BARC Stewardship Council, a non-profit volunteer organization that was created to help revitalize BARC.
 
RULES WILL BE POSTED: New signage will be added to the Indoor Skatepark that clearly explains the Rules of Use. As with most public skateparks in the greater Seattle area, users will skate at their own risk. Helmets will be required for youth under 18 years of age. Additional signage will outline the Hours of Use as well as the 24-hour video surveillance camera.
 
NO STAFF = NO PHONE: The Indoor Skatepark will no longer have a phone available for users. In the past, the phone was onsite to allow Vashon Park District staff members to make calls and be reached, but as of Nov 1, there will no longer be a phone at the park.
 
24-HOUR VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS: BARC Stewardship Council will be installing several video surveillance cameras in an effort to stream a live video feed of the indoor park activities. The reason for this is two-fold. One, without supervision, BARC Stewardship Council board members felt it was necessary to allow parents and users the option of viewing the video online to observe what is happening in the indoor area at all times. Secondly, video surveillance should curtail vandalism, theft and inappropriate behavior by individuals using the park. To start, online access will be made available on the Vashon Park District website (www.vashonparks.org) by clicking on the BARC Skatepark link. BARC Stewardship Council members are working with Vashon Park District and hope to have the live feed in place by November 1st. As it becomes operational, more information will be communicated to users about accessing the feed online.
 
Questions? Please contact Elaine Ott, VPD General Manager at 206.463.9602; or Jenni Wilke, BARC Stewardship Council board member, at djwilke@gmail.com.
 
ABOUT BARC STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL: The BARC Stewardship Council is a non-profit organization formed by Vashon Island residents dedicated to protecting, enhancing, and celebrating all that BARC has to offer. BARC Stewardship Council is an all-volunteer effort with a special focus on supporting youth activities and community stewardship and outreach at BARC.