Designs and a quote for a small skate park in Kaitangata that were ''way over budget'' have sent the one-year-old group trying to establish the park ''back to the drawing board''.
Kaitangata Skate Park Development Group chairman Dallas Storer said it had been ''a wee bit despondent for a start'' after it received a quote at the end of last year.
The group, which had raised nearly $85,000 over the past year towards a skate park in the South Otago town of 760, had hoped to be able to spend $100,000 on one, but the quote it received from Hunter Civil was $158,000, Mr Storer said.
''We thought we would go back to the drawing board, keep it local and keep it real,'' Mr Storer said.
''We've got the local skating kids to draw up a plan of what they want in it and we're going with local contractors.
''I originally went with a proper construction company to bowl it over in one go so it was done and done right, but the budgets are massive. And we're only a wee town and we've only got a limited amount of resources.''
He believed the up to 300sq m park in Exmouth St could still be built this year using Balclutha businesses Allied Concrete and Blackhead Quarry and the input from the ''half a dozen'' skateboarders the group had consulted .
''They've [the skateboarders] picked bits from other skate parks around,'' he said.
''Now we're doing the final plan for that, make sure the layout will work and flows together.
The planned skate park would complement a BMX park, which had been well used since it was built in 2008, and a neighbouring jump park now under construction.
Mr Storer said he still believed a ''mini-bowl'' was possible for the park but in this first stage it would include only a half-pipe and features.
The planned skate park has received funding support from the Clutha District Council, the Otago Community Trust and Kaitangata and Districts Promotions.
