Aaron Roberts Skate Park group searches for a site

BELMONT — The Friends of the Aaron Roberts Skate Park made a verbal request to the Shaker Regional School District’s monthly meeting on April 12 for a plot of land to be used as a site for a new skate park. The site would be located on the corner of Concord Street and Memorial Drive in Belmont and would be in honor of Aaron Roberts, who passed away in an accident that occurred in July of 2020.

Barbara Ribeiro, a Belmont resident, made the formal request on behalf of the Friends of the Aaron Roberts Skate Park. She fielded several questions from the School Board such as liability concerns and future uses of the site. Amanda Osmer, owner of the Grappone Company, and former Canterbury resident, also voiced her support for the project and spoke about different locations for the skate park and what the next steps would be in securing a site.

There are three sites currently being looked at by the Friends of Aaron Roberts Skate Park, one is a plot by the Belmont Fire Station, one is the site proposed near the Belmont Middle School and the last choice would be Sargent Park, which was previously a skate park.

“The location next to the Fire Department would be ideal for the close proximity to emergency personnel and adults who are there if needed. The other great thing about this location is that this is a walk-able destination. We’re really trying to serve different age groups, and for people who don’t have a license but are already at school,” said Osmer.

The Town of Belmont has helped the group try to find a suitable location. The school board offered their insights into why the middle school site might not be the best fit. The third option under consideration was Sargent Park, a former skate park, which may be too secluded.

“We’re just trying to make sure that the Town of Belmont understands that we have exhausted every possible place in town and that the ones that make the most sense are the ones in and around the location where the schools are,” said Osmer.

After Aaron Roberts passed away, several of the moms of his friends met to talk about ways to memorialize him.

“He was such an athletic kid, he was always on the move, he loved skiing and skateboarding, so we thought it would be really nice to have his memory honored where other kids could enjoy being outside and active and that’s kind of where the concept of it came from,” said Osmer.

The group has been working for over a year and is committed to doing the work to find a suitable site for the skate park. Meeting with administrators from the town and looking over all of the proposed sites, they hope to have a site soon to begin the next phase of the project.

“We will absolutely do all the leg work, whatever it takes to get it planned and built and given to the town. So that’s where we are now and the Town of Belmont has greeted us with open arms. And part of our commitment too is not just to get the skate park built but to do our due diligence in providing some funds for maintaining the park as well,” said Osmer.

As the search for a site continues several other partners have come forth to help. The Tony Hawk Foundation, which exists solely to get skate parks built, is consulting the Friends of Aaron Roberts free of charge. The Chaos and Kindness team have also pledged their support to help get the word out and to get the park built.

“So as soon as we figure out where this is actually going to be located, then the fun starts because then we turn it over to Aaron’s friends for them to work with the Tony Hawk Foundation to actually design and figure out the layout of park, the size of it roughly, and what kind of features it will have,” said Osmer.

The Friends of Aaron Roberts group have also been watching towns like Meredith and Laconia, which just opened skate parks recently, to learn from them, as they have committees formed to help understand the annual costs of upkeep, what worked and what didn’t work, and any other lessons that will make the project a success.

“The one puzzle piece that has to click into place is where is this going and as soon as we have that then we unleash the boys, we unleash the Tony Hawk Foundation, we unleash the Chaos and Kindness team, and then the fun stuff gets to happen. We’ve been at this for over a year already and we are really dedicated to being able to see one day the plaque with Aaron’s name on it and just be able to hand the proverbial keys over to his parents and say this is for you and your family, that is what’s motivating us,” said Osmer.

Aaron Roberts was 14 years old when he died as a result of a swimming accident that occurred weeks after he graduated from eighth grade. His parents remembered him as kind, respectful, caring and adventurous.