Did an anonymous donor purchase the right to name the new skate park in Warren?
That was one of the questions discussed by members of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission at Tuesday afternoon's meeting, with recommending a company to construct the skate park the primary issue.
In recent weeks, an out-of-area donor with family ties to Clarendon contributed $125,000 to the fund, according to Kathy Johnson of the Lacy Foundation, and was under the impression she could have naming rights or input on a memorial to be incorporated into the skate park located at Beaty Park.
"It was very, very generous of her," Johnson said.
According to commission member Karen Kolos, the naming option was never mentioned at any meeting or in paperwork distributed to other potential donors.
"Our committee wasn't notified of that," she said.
Warren Mayor Mark Phillips acknowledged a conversation he had with Johnson regarding the possible awarding of naming rights to the park as an option to secure donors. But the potential for naming the park or creating a memorial would require "serious consideration," he said.
Phillips added that a certain protocol and procedure would need to be followed so that "everybody feels that they're part of the decision."
From a funding standpoint, the commission is including the $125,000 into the total amount raised, which has reached about $210,000 in thanks to private donors and $50,000 from the Warren Foundation.
The main goal of Wednesday's meeting was to recommend either Spohn Ranch or American Ramp Company as the manufacturer for the park, with city council making the final decision.
In a 6-1 vote, the commission recommended California-based Spohn Ranch as the contractor to work with the city to design the skate park.
"By working with the city, (Spohn Ranch) can work with the kids to design the pieces and implement them," explained Commission Chairman Dennis Crandall.
Additionally, the commission unanimously recommended that city council look into installing security cameras around the skate park, as well as explore the option of cutting into the current concrete skate pad to install the components instead of placing them on top.