Dear Friends of the RocCity Park, We write to let you know that we have had a major breakthrough in our effort to get a world-class skatepark in the city of Rochester. The Department of Parks has submitted the park as a capital improvement project for next year’s budget (2010). While we all know that municipal and state operating budgets have been slashed in recent years, capital improvement budgets have remained level or even increased. The RocCity Park Citizen Planning Group has worked hard over the past 18 months to raise money and awareness, get publicity, create a strong case for a skatepark, and secure a potential location and design for the park. This effort will hopefully pay off at this critical stage of the process. It is our understanding that the $2M budget request will go through a series of internal vetting processes from now until April, 2010. At this point, the project will go to city council for final approval. We all have the opportunity to participate in this process and leverage whatever political capital we have at our disposal. For our part, the RocCity Park Citizen Planning Group will be providing all city council members with information about the benefits of the park in writing and, hopefully, in subsequent meetings. If you have opportunities between now and April to relay the benefits of a skatepark with any policy maker at any level, please do so. With Regard, The RocCity Park Citizen Planning Group
