HomeMy WebLinkAboutJC BoCC skate park lighting letterBoard of County Commissioners
1820 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Kate Dean, District 1 Heidi Eisenhour, District 2 Greg Brotherton, District 3
March 20, 2023
This letter is to express Jefferson County’s support for the City of Port Townsend’s application for
funding to support lighting the Port Townsend Skate Park. Jefferson County shares the City’s and
community’s sentiment that we need more opportunities for youth and adults to participate in active,
healthy, social behaviors. The Skate Park is an already-existing, highly-utilized capital asset that could
achieve even greater utility by being available more hours of the day. This is especially true in our very
far north locale with very short winter days.
Jefferson County partners with the City of Port Townsend and our other recreational partners in
providing recreational programming in our rural community. The City is a strong partner in successfully
executing and implementing projects with significant and lasting benefit. The Skate Park sits adjacent to
Memorial Field, a County-owned stadium used by school district, private and public rec programs, by
youth and adults and for myriad other uses. Upgrading lighting there has been a game-changer for the
users and the spectators at the facility- it is safer, provides more options for usage, is more accessible
and more enjoyable. The Skate Park would benefit in the same ways, contributing to the centralized
recreation opportunities within the downtown area- a very special feature that our small town is proud
to have maintained.
Lastly, the Board of County Commissioners is impressed that this project was initiated and led by a local
skateboarder, Samantha Grace. She has worked throughout her high school years to effectively advocate
for a project that she is passionate about, and generated support from a broad spectrum of skate park
users and stakeholders. Having this kind of buy-in is essential to the success of any project.
Commissioner Dean has known Samantha since she was in preschool and is especially proud to support a
project that has been successfully stewarded by a young adult in our community.
Please give full consideration of the Port Townsend Skate Park lighting project for a T-Mobile Hometown
Grant. It is well deserving and will be used and appreciated by residents and visitors of all ages for
decades to come.
Thank you,
Kate Dean Heidi Eisenhour Greg Brotherton, Chair
District 1 District 2 District 3
Phone (360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us