Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Jeffries wants location changed
By William Kincaid
Celina City Councilman Ed Jeffries supports the creation of a skateboard park, but under one condition - a new location.
Jeffries wants the city to change the location of the proposed park from along Lake Shore Drive - near existing trailers - to some place else.
Council members on Monday night unanimously approved an ordinance accepting a $10,000 grant from The Tony Hawk Foundation. The second reading of the ordinance was passed as an emergency measure.
Jeffries said he is not in favor of the park's proposed location near trailer homes. He said the park would include speakers and many of the people living nearby are too old to move and would not like the noise.
Celina Planning and Community Development Director Kent Bryan said he would have to notify The Tony Hawk Foundation if the city were to change the location, as Lake Shore Drive was stated as the home of the future park on the grant application.
A parks and recreation meeting was set for 4:30 p.m. July 6 at the utility conference room to discuss the park's location.
At a council meeting this month, Jeffries had said he would not support the plan until his questions were answered regarding possible social problems at other nearby skateboard parks.
However, Jeffries said he recently visited the park at Delphos and learned the park had never closed down, as he previously had thought. The only problem he noted was the park's location in the corner of a wooded area where drug deals were possible.
Jeffries also said he talked with the father of a local skater who said the kids only wanted a $50,000 park, not the ballooned $250,000 proposed project by the city.
In other news this week, councilman Bill Sell suggested moving council meetings back to the second floor of the city hall building where there is more room. Council now meets in a conference room at the new GAC water facility.
Sell made the comment after a large crowd attended the Monday meeting to address concerns regarding a proposed ordinance to require permits for public assemblies.
Little discussion followed and no action was taken.
