Neighbors contribute to planning of park

Wednesday, July 10, 2002 | 8:56 a.m.

Clark County plans to plunk a park down in the midst of asphalt and concrete between Maryland Parkway and Paradise Road.

For apartment and condo dwellers in the area, the proposed 9-acre Molasky Family Park will offer green grass, walkways and even a skateboard section, landscape architect Berry Ellison said.

Construction on the park should begin in a year, Ellison said at a neighborhood meeting Tuesday night at the Cambridge Recreation Center.

County Commissioner Myrna Williams, who represents the area, asked residents for their ideas to make the park a community greenscape.

A senior citizen living in Cambridge Towers suggested a soft pathway for frail walkers.

Chris Hammond, 13, wants a skateboard section so he won't have to go so far away from home to skate. Instead of scooting on nearby sidewalks, Hammond said he prefers the Skate City skate park at Tropicana Avenue and Boulder Highway.

Hammond and a dozen fellow skateboarders drew sketches of what they want to see in the park.

Jeff Harris, a project manager with the Parks and Recreation Department, said the new park will offer skateboard courses ranging from beginners to intermediate boarders.

The course will include concrete half-pipes for skateboarders to ride like surfers riding waves, as well as rails and stairs.

"I'd like that, definitely," Hammond said of the proposed half-pipe feature.

The planned park is at Twain Avenue to the north, Cambridge Street to the west and Katie Avenue to the south.

It will also feature a dog park, picnic areas, an amphitheater, grassy areas for soccer or volleyball and a walking trail.

The county always involves the community whenever a park is being planned, Harris said.

The Molasky family helped the county secure the land, Harris said.

The park would be in one of the most densely populated areas of the county.

The Cambridge Recreation Center has been crowded with people using the gym, the swimming pool and the basketball courts, center program supervisor Al Martinez said. A park would become a welcome addition, he said.