Stockbridge — The town’s Parks and Recreation Commission met Monday, February 9, to discuss ongoing maintenance and project initiatives. Members also finalized plans to participate in Stockbridge Library’s Sixth Annual Ice Festival on Saturday, February 21, at 11 a.m.
Stockbridge Highway Superintendent Bob Navin joined commission members early in the meeting to address a series of maintenance requests and updates. These included safety concerns pertaining to the Stockbridge Town skatepark.
Leading the conversation, commission member Johanna Lenski explained that while the apparent issues include cracks in the foundation and uneven skate features, there still needs to be a formal assessment of the skatepark. The commission first raised concerns about the skatepark in late 2025, but heavy snowfall has and continues to delay a professional inspection.
“Does something need to happen with [the skatepark]? Absolutely—100 percent,” Chair Katie Szwyd stated in a follow up with The Berkshire Edge. “But because of the snow and not being able to walk through with a professional, the extent of what needs to be done is unknown.”
Should an assessment reveal that the skatepark needs a complete renovation, Szwyd, who recalls using the skatepark growing up, expressed her desire to rebuild it as a solid concrete pour skatepark. “You don’t get the gaps, you don’t get the lifts, you don’t get the breakage. It’s one smooth ride all the way through, and I would love to see that. You can do some beautiful designs—it’s much safer. … The biggest issue we’re going to run into is how do we pay for it? These projects can cost upwards of $100,000 easily. But where does that money come from?”
“I would love to see the skatepark get done,” Szwyd reiterated. “We just have to wait until the season will allow us to get there so we can see what we can do and what our next steps would be.”
Though the potential cost challenges may put off a full renovation in 2026, the commission agreed to take steps to improve the safety of the skatepark in time for summer visitors.
Grant developments: Digital equality, Open Space Recreation Plan (OSRP)
The Stockbridge Council on Aging, Stockbridge Library, and the Stockbridge Housing Authority secured a $55,000 digital equality grant that covers four solar-powered, A.D.A.-accessible charging station tables—two of which are reserved for Stockbridge parks.
Szwyd suggested placing one of these tables at Bidwell Park on Main Street and the other at Stockbridge Town Park on Park Street. “That way, if it’s the end of the school day and your kids have homework or just want to go out and play, you would have a place to plug in your laptop. In the future, you could hook [the tables] up with Wi-Fi. … I think it’s great for young working families.”
Another funding solution Parks and Recreation is currently exploring is an Open Space Recreation Plan (OSRP). An OSRP is a potential inroad to state-funded grant monies that offset a percentage of open-space project costs.
Szwyd explained to members that the first step in pursuing an OSRP is creating a committee. Then, the committee pursues public input for what they want or believe the town’s open spaces—which include playgrounds, parks, and hiking trails—need.
“You have to have proof with numbers and surveys and participants that this is actually what the town of Stockbridge is looking to do,” Szwyd continued. “And then from there, you present that to the state.” Should the state award a grant, the town has three years to use the money.
Szwyd told The Berkshire Edge, “It’s not as easy as saying, ‘Let’s start this committee and go from there!’ There are lots of things you have to do to get this off the ground. But it’s something I do want to pursue. [An OSRP] is a public input committee. … It’s a really great way to get community feedback and input—and I love to hear people’s feedback and what they’re looking for. So this is a way to centralize that and see what the town wants and needs.”
The date for the next Stockbridge Parks and Recreation meeting is still to be determined, subject to member availability.
