Youth Center revitalized; skate park trial possible

The Fairfax Youth Center is about to become an actual youth center.

Though it has long been known informally as the youth center, the building next to the fire station will be getting a makeover and some new programs aimed at teens in town.

"We want to make it look a little less like a finance office and more like a place youth want to hang out," said Fairfax Council Member Pam Hartwell-Herrero.

Hartwell-Herrero is heading up an effort to revitalize the town's youth programs. The effort has been a two-pronged approach with the Fairfax Open Circle Arts and Sports program, headed by Camille Esposito, targeting younger children with classes and programs and Hartwell-Herrero focusing more on teenagers.

One of the key aspects of the teen programs is revitalizing the youth center as a place to hang out. A number of town staff members from the finance department have migrated into the youth center building, using it as an extra office. But, now that people are back from vacation, there will be work days in September to paint the walls, put in some rugs, clean up, and maybe even have some of the more artistically-inclined teens paint a mural or different pictures.

The youth will also get some experience in local government when they go to the design review board to get the sign outside – which right now reads "Fairfax Community Center" – changed to the Youth Center.

One of the first things the center will host after its sprucing up is a Youth Night – a regular Friday night event with open mic and games. It'll be "a place to hang out and have fun," said Hartwell-Herrero.

The whole effort comes as part of the 2009 voter-approved Measure I, which extended the existing Measure F tax.

What comes next is entirely up to the youth – specifically, the teens on the Youth Commission. The commission is made up of all new members and, for the first time, is a full committee without any vacancies. And the first thing they all wanted was some place to hang out on Friday nights.

"It's based on what do the youth want," said Hartwell-Herrero.

Another thing the youth in town have long been advocating for – and something that's not necessarily part of the Measure I effort – is a skate park. There was even a group in the Fairfax Parade carrying a 'we want a skate park' sign.

Hartwell-Herrero has also been trying to work with the teenagers and the adults in town to find a place for a six-month trial of a skate park.

"We'll see how well it goes and how much it freaks out the neighbors," she said.

The area they're considering right now for the trial skate park is off the end of School Street, behind the Women's Club. There is currently a basketball court there and a number of youth that skate there informally and without anything to skate on.

Between the youth center and the skate park, the youth in town will soon have to more to do than they know what to do with.