The city of Oxford is facing backlash from residents over plans to demolish the existing Oxford Skate Park and replace it with pickleball courts. The park, which has been a local staple for over 20 years, was closed earlier this week and is now locked up, leaving many community members upset over the loss of a valued recreational space.
According to a report by LOCAL12, protests have materialized around the skate park, with signs opposing the demolition. Meanwhile, a petition on Change.org has racked up hundreds of signatures in an effort to save the park. "We're not crying because you want to demolish this. We're crying because you're taking away something that means so much to people that don't have an outlet other than skating," Kayla Stewart, who started the petition, told LOCAL12.
Oxford's Parks and Recreation Director Chad Smith explained to LOCAL12 that the decision came after failed attempts to secure funding for refurbishing the park. With the current skate park's state deemed unsafe and non-operational, the city felt compelled to replace it with a newer facility. Smith cited maintenance issues exacerbated by bikes and scooters as partial reasons for the deterioration of the park.
On Tuesday, a second public meeting was held to discuss the fate of park, with city officials explaining the situation to community members. Chad Smith pointed out that the city is considering building a concrete skate park. However, the project's cost is estimated to be hundreds of thousands, perhaps even more than one million dollars, raising skepticism about its realization. "They did express that they would like to build a skatepark down the road. But there's no commitment," Janice Bisson, an Oxford resident, told WLWT. Her comments highlight concern about the city's follow-through on promises of replacement facilities.
Parents, who have been bringing their children to the Oxford Skate Park to learn and enjoy skating, are now left with uncertainty. "She wants to keep practicing, but now we have no place to go to safely practice that," Mandy Gloyeske said about her daughter in a statement to WLWT. Next to the skate park's current location, there are existing tennis and pickleball courts, and plans are in place to expand these facilities once the skate park is removed. Despite the expressed popularity of pickleball among some residents, children who frequented the skate park feel a profound sense of loss. Preston Miller, standing alongside his friend Aidan Campbell, told FOX19, "Feeling like half the fun of this town's got ripped away from me. Ain't got anyone to talk to anymore besides him."
