Isaac Vigil visited the Price City Council during its meeting on Sept. 13 to discuss the Terrace Hills Skate Park conditions. He began by informing the council that he has organized a petition to get the city a new skate park.
The park features many issues, Vigil said, beginning with a large number of puddles due to the lack of drainage. Subsequently, this washes the mud into the park, which becomes giant piles of dirt, dust and debris. The mud and water may also cause potential damage to skate boards, including the mechanisms of the wheels and warping of the board itself.
Vigil explained that the waste of water is also an issue and that the water comes from both rain and the sprinklers in the park. There is also cracked and loose cement that is creating holes throughout the park.
Vigil stated that these issues are all potential safety issues and could lead to serious injury for those that utilize the park. With a lack of maintenance, it will not get any better, but worse. Though, if those issues are fixed and there is better maintenance, there is still the issue that the park is poorly designed and not built for riders of all skill levels, he said.
The council was then presented with a number of other skate parks that have better designs and offerings for all skill levels and riders, whether it be a bike, skateboard or otherwise.
Vigil shared that if you visit the skate park on any given night, there will be community members and visitors using it. He also stated that the park is in a great location, it just needs many improvements.
Mayor Mike Kourianos questioned why the park was designed poorly in the first place, to which Vigil said that he believes that it is possible that it was not designed by a professional company that specializes in skate parks. A company contacted Vigil to offer a free examination of the park to determine what was needed to make it safe for all.
When questioned on an estimated cost, Vigil stated that it could take anywhere from $300,000 to $1 million to really do it right and have something that wouldn’t need to be torn down and rebuilt in the future.
Vigil acknowledged that it is a substantial amount, but he said that there are also grants that could assist. He shared that skateboarding is the third-most commonly reported interest for high school students and that skate parks are reported as the fourth-most used recreational space in most cities.
Vigil stressed that he is willing to continue to be a partner with the city going forward on the project to improve the park, including possibly hosting a clean-up party or event.