With Dormont Council set to vote tonight on a proposed skateboard park, debate continues as to whether it would be a boon to local teenagers or an incursion on precious green space in the densely populated borough.

To 62-year-old John Varnum, who lives across the street from a proposed site for Pitcher Park, the park would be an unsightly expense.

"Can you imagine the devaluation of our homes?" he asked.

But to council member Laurie Malka, the park is a much-needed facility that would make Dormont a destination, bringing business to the borough.

And to Mary Pitcher of Scott, the former Dormont resident who conceived the idea, the park is a remembrance and a gift: a way to honor her skateboard- and BMX bike-loving sons Stephen and Vincent, who drowned during a camping trip last year.

Ms. Pitcher has gathered more than 1,100 signatures on a petition in favor of the park. The proposal has met both enthusiasm and outrage over the past months.

There are two suggested sites for Pitcher Park: one about 240 feet from homes on Memorial Drive near Dormont Park and the other replacing tennis courts along Banksville Road.

The seven-member borough council will vote tonight to either abandon the proposal or move forward. Council President John Maggio said he did not know which way the vote would swing.

"This is killing me," Ms. Pitcher said. "I really just hope the council sees the importance of this for the children in the community."

The park, which council estimates will cost $500,000 to $800,000 to build, would be funded by donations and grants, but the costs of maintenance and any insurance the borough decided to purchase would fall to taxpayers.

Some council members and residents questioned the financial feasibility of the plan.

"We don't have the money," said council member Blair Brockmeyer. "We're going to run out of money by the end of year."

Dormont resident Jaime Keaney said the borough needs new sewers and better roads, not a recreational facility.

Others said they were troubled by idea of siphoning the borough's scant green space.

"They're talking about half a football field of concrete poured. That's a monstrosity," said Brian Drummond, 50, of Dormont, who pointed out graffiti and cigarette butts in an album of photographs he had taken of a similar park in South Park.

Council Vice President Drew Lehman said he was not opposed to the idea of a skate park in the community but does not like the idea of one "on Dormont property, on public land, in the park itself."

Council member Tim McCoy noted that Dormont has memorialized only three people in its park system: two men who spent decades working on baseball and recreational issues in the borough, and a former longtime mayor.

"Ms. Pitcher is trying to keep the memory of her sons alive, and I'm not sure a skate park is the way to do it," he said.

Ms. Malka and Ms. Pitcher both argued that the park would provide a safe place for local teenagers.

Ms. Pitcher said the Dormont Junction bus and light-rail stop attracts skateboarders from as far away as New Kensington, adding that Pitcher Park would give them a legitimate location for their sport.

"I think that it's a wonderful opportunity for our community," said Ms. Malka. "There's really not a lot for kids in the 12-to-17 age group to do in Dormont."

Standing outside his home on Memorial Drive, Mr. Keaney, who has a 3-year-old son, disagreed.

"There's already a lot to do here," he said. "We don't have a lot of green space left for kids just to run around."

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