Without a skatepark, the entire city of Easton becomes a skatepark.
That’s one of the reasons Easton needs one, according to resident Bill McWilliams. With necessary funding and approval from Easton City Council, a park for skateboarders may come to fruition.
McWilliams and Jake Baldini, both members of a skatepark project committee, presented plans to city council at its Wednesday meeting. The project, planned along Lehigh Drive, has been in the works for several years.
According to McWilliams, the absence of a designated skatepark often leads skateboarders to use streets, sidewalks and other public spaces.
“If there wasn’t snow on the ground, you’d probably hear kids skating down the street right now,” McWilliams said.
He emphasized that skateboarding serves a wide range of residents, describing it as a multi-generational and inclusive activity that provides both physical exercise and mental health benefits.
The proposal is for an approximate 8,000 square-foot custom designed park at 507 Lehigh Drive. The design was developed by 5th Pocket Skateparks.
McWilliams noted that the layout was designed to fit the site while preserving open and green space for potential future uses.
The project team has been working in coordination with Mayor Sal Panto Jr., the public works department, the Greater Easton Development Partnership, and grant writers exploring state funding opportunities.
The site on Lehigh Drive is owned by the Greater Easton Development Partnership, according to GEDP Executive Director Jared Mast. The property was acquired in connection with The Crayola Experience and is currently a gravel lot used for bus parking and storing excess snow.
“It’s not the best use. It’s kind of a forgotten lot,” Mast said.
A rendering of a skate park project proposed for 507 Lehigh Drive, which is currently a gravel lot.Courtesy of 5th Pocket Skateparks
McWilliams reported that approximately $14,000 has been raised so far through community events and local business support. This includes a skate social held at Tucker Garage that drew about 320 attendees and raised $5,000 in one day, with additional events expected to increase that total.
Timmy Dodge, a lifelong Easton resident, has also been involved in the skatepark project through fundraising and event coordination. Dodge has worked with numerous local businesses to organize fundraisers during major city events such as Bacon Fest and Garlic Fest, contributing to what organizers describe as broad community engagement.
Dodge helped organize the skate social, which was supported by more than 15 local business sponsors.
“When we bring up the Easton skatepark project to anybody, businesses, or just in the community itself, it’s always met with a resounding yes. ‘How can we get involved? How can we support this?’” Dodge said.
Mast explained that, at the urging of Panto and Councilman Frank Pintabone, GEDP began exploring alternative uses for the property, including the skatepark.
The mayor’s office funded the initial skatepark design, and GEDP later secured a Pennsylvania Environmental Council grant to complete a waterfront master plan for the entire site incorporating the skatepark concept.
The broader master plan includes additional features such as parking, a kayak launch, water access, bike parking, a potential pavilion and fishing pier.
“Different components of this could be kind of chunked out and done at different times, with the skatepark potentially taking first priority,” Mast said.
GEDP has applied for a statewide Local Share Account grant of approximately $500,000 to fund the skatepark portion of the project. Mast also stated that GEDP’s designation as a Waterfront Development Organization allows for tax-credit-eligible corporate donations, which could accelerate the project timeline compared to just using state funding alone.
Mast estimated that roughly $35,000 has been invested in design and planning work, excluding the value of the land. He estimated that an additional $600,000 would be needed to complete the project as currently envisioned.
According to McWilliams and Mast, a city council resolution supporting the skatepark would allow the project to move from advocacy and planning into active fundraising, grant applications and eventual construction.
“I think the one thing we all hear and we talk about a lot is people want more things to do downtown,” Councilwoman Crystal Rose said. “It’s really an underdeveloped and underutilized area of the city. So I think these are all really exciting projects. I really hope to see it all come to fruition.”