OCR Text |
Show Centerville youth petition city council for skateboard park By TOM H ARALDSEN 1 CENTERVILLE--A group of young, concerned Centerville iesi-" dents told city council Tuesday night that consideration should be-given be-given to building a skateboard facility faci-lity in the community. ' ; ' Chad Selleneit, representing a group of skateboarders, told council that such a facility would provide more safety for skateboard riders, as well as free them from the hassles ( skateboarders usually endure. He . read suggestions from a ? " skateboard magazine, telling coun- ; cil members that a facility would help keep riders off public streets, and agreed that the city's new proposed pro-posed recreation complex off the ' frontage road would' be a logical place for its development . v j. ; Centerville is currendy preparing io hire an architectural designer to aeatt'ttnjacrijigs tdf 'ffie'ney'cdfHi lex, wMbh will te developed on a . 23:plusf acre parcel of land along the frontage road north of Parrish Lane. - City administrator David Hales stated the city hopes to get a contract with the architect signed within the next 30 days, adding that the timing of the request by the young people was good. , Councilman Doug Nielsen asked Chad how he and his fellow riders would feel about the city establishing establish-ing rules and guidelines for using .such! a facility, including restrictions re-strictions on helmets and protective clothing. Chad, responded that he felt such rules would be acceptable and advisable, stressing again that such a facility would be much safer for riders than public streets. Councilwoman Nancy Gibbs, herself the mother of skateboard . riders, stated her only concern was ' that of the image of some skateboarders, skate-boarders, who use abusive or obscene obs-cene language at times. Chad and two other young people who spoke agreed that the city should restrict iheuse ofthe facmtytool)rjer- , could be monitored for compliance. Bobbie Randall, a mother who - accompanied the group to the meeting, meet-ing, told council that "There isn't much for these youngsters to do. Most are too young to hold jobs, and this facility could provide a safe place for them to ride. I back them in this effort Most of these skaters are really goodjeids." : Mayor Dean Argyle asked Chad if he would provide the city with some ideas as to what type of facility faci-lity he would like to see developed, r along with measurements and perhaps per-haps pictures or drawings. Chad agreed to get that information to the city staff. One other mother of a skateboar-. der, Kay Servoss, thanked the council for its listening ear. She said the young people were , "somewhat intimidated about coming com-ing here tonight, and I appreciate you being . open-minded about this." . '" |