The need to protect the trees and playground in Crowell Park, inadequate parking, lack of public toilets, lack of access to drinking water, concerns for pedestrian safety, graffiti, trash, and noise (vs. sound): these issues all speak to a much larger one: the quality of life in a residential neighborhood.
This might not be such a pressing issue if the park space in question was larger than 2.1 acres. (The park land is actually over 4 acres, but most of those are steep, wooded embankments.)
We fully understand and support the integration of multi-use public spaces and we value what they can produce in terms of improved quality of life for the larger community.
However, what's underlying much of the conflict in the Crowell Park as a proposed skatepark location is the proximity of people's homes (vs. houses or private property) to such an attraction and what it will very likely mean for us, our families, and our neighborhood, not to mention for a main entrance into downtown.