Does Powder Springs Need a Skate Park?
Yes, says 161 signers in an online petition, as well as Mayor Pat Vaughn, who announced in October one will be built in a future phase of the Linear Park along Sailors Parkway.
The construction of a skate park in Powder Springs has the support of at least 161 people.
That's the number of folks who have signed an online petition that says: "Time to unite and get our skate spot in Powder Springs. As you will all agree we have had our trials. Police stopping us and making us move on. No skate parks within walking/skating distance for us to use."
One signer says: "Please build a skate park for the youth in Powder Springs. We cannot skate on the streets, every time we are seen skating, no matter where we are, we are told to stop. There is absolutley nowhere to skate."
"We were East Cobb residents for 13 years and our son was also an avid skateboarder. The lack of a skateboard park in the vicinity of our home necessitated the use of parking lots," another writes.
Currently, skateboards, roller skates and any similar devices are prohibited inside the city limits from roads, sidewalks and any public parking area. As for unincorporated Cobb, there isn't such a law in the county's Code of Ordinances.
In November 2011, Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews announced a partnership with the Rob Dyrdek Foundation to design and build a 40,000-square-foot skatepark in Swift-Cantrell Park.
The estimated project cost is $1.2 million, with $750,000 approved by voters as part of the 2011 SPLOST.
Nearby skate parks already built include one at Deer Lick Park in Douglasville and Progressive Skate Park on Marietta Highway in Canton.
At an election forum in October 2011, Mayor Pat Vaughn announced that a skate park is on the "drawing board" for one of the future phases of the Linear Park being built along Sailors Parkway across from the police station at the Silver Comet Trail. It's construction, she said, will depend on impact fees coming into the city.
We want to know what you think.
Does Powder Springs need a skate park? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments.
In This article
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Swift-Cantrell Park
3140 Old 41 Hwy NW, Kennesaw, GA -
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Powder Springs Police Department
1114 Richard D Sailors Pkwy, Powder Springs, GA
Chris Wizner
9:30 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
At first I was against the Skate Park project. It seemed to be a huge liability to the City and had potential to attract unruly behavior. However, my thoughts were changed after a visit to Rockmart in the recent past by myself and others. We looked at what they had done, as far as development around the Silver Comet Trail in their city. A small, but very nice skate park was one of the features and according to Rockmart officials it was well received by the Citizens and no issues have occurred, as they admittedly stated they had similar concerns to mine at first also. So my mind has changed. Now for the next step; compared to some of the features in the Linear Park the Skate Park is relatively more expensive. We have already approved Restrooms, a Picnic area and Playground which should be built within the next year. As more money becomes available through impact fees or SPLOST the skate park is on the list for the future.
Teresa
9:36 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Nice! I bet my Husband would help with this. He used to be sponsored by Ambush when he was younger... and my Son will be so happy. We go out to Deerlick park, but it's great they are giving the kids something to do and stay out of trouble.
Denise Haney
11:04 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I think a skate park for Powder Springs is an excellent idea! I think the youth would greatly benefit from having one.
Oldtimer
2:32 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Good idea.....teens need activity. I think it would be nice if someone set up a food truck on the week end. This would offer more for visitors. Even a small bike repair kiosk on the week ends especially in warm weather. This might give an extra thought about Powder Springs by those on the Silver Comet Trail.
william harrison
7:56 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
This will be another gathering for "troubled youth" in Powder Springs and surrounding areas. No support from me.
Teresa
4:40 pm on Friday, June 29, 2012
I would much rather a Kid be participating in an active sport than doing something else, and having a park keeps them off of the street.
Skateboarding takes a lot of discipline, perseverance, and concentration as well as it keeps them active and teaches them to set goals... and have confidence in themselves.
These are definitely qualities I think youth should have as they will one day be our leaders. Have you ever heard of a man named Tony Hawk?
He was not a "troubled youth" as you say but a gifted child who became a professional Skateboarder at the age of 14 and is a father of 4 with a net worth of $120 Million dollars and is involved in many charities....
Jereme Rogers, also a professional skateboarder, is a devout Christian and to me the kind of role model I think our kids should have.
I think any "troubled youth" need something positive to do, and need encouragement from us instead of being dismissed as just being troublemakers who will amount to nothing.
Lets encourage our kids to be active, in a designated spot out of the way of traffic and pedestrians! :-)
Jon Smith
12:31 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
Troubled youth? That's a bit odd considering that I would go to this new park and I'm a straight AP student. Your prejudice towards skateboarders is and outdated and unnecessary one, the skateboarding community has done more for others than most through the A.Skate foundation raising money and allowing children with Autism to interact with the world through skateboarding and building skateparks in other countries like Iran and Brazil to provide the youth there with some sort of escape from the destitute lives many of them lead. That's more than I can say for the multi-billion dollars industry known as the NFL. Do you call the football field a gathering for "Violent youth"? I play football, and I don't see myself as a violent individual nor do I see malls as a gathering for "Pretentious youth" or movie theatres as a gathering for "Wild youth".
You obviously know nothing of that which you speak, you need to stop watching movies and get to know the people you're talking down to.
Denise Haney
5:43 pm on Friday, June 29, 2012
Well said Teresa.
Jason graham
12:07 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
I'm a 30 year old male who has been skateboarding since I was 15, I recently moved to powder springs and quickly started meeting other skaters. It didn't take long for me to catch on to how things run around here with the police... And then a tennis court popped up with some ramps and boxes in it , it is nithing special! But then the kids started looking on YouTube and learning how to build there own ramps from concrete and they started to put there money together to buy supply's.. I watched some 14 thru 16 year olds doing manual labor (if you have ever mixed concrete then you know it takes work)just trying to build a little something to skate.. Well the cops shut the place down recently, the ramps and rails are still there but the kids can't touch them... Now its Just another tennis court wasting away.., but my point to this story is these kids don't want a giant, crazy skatepark, just a few ramps, rails, and boxes... We don't need a $100.000 skatepark.. Just give them a tennis court with a couple ramps and they will be satisfied.
Captain Emerica
4:43 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
even if they build a park its stil gonna takem a long time. good thing im movin to Douglasville