Township Committee to Discuss Skate Park Policies

Adam Kochanowski sat on a bench across from the Skate Park on Wednesday afternoon, reminiscing the years when he spent time there daily.

Kochanowski, 14, was concerned over recent rumors that the skate park would be shut down.

“I used to be here every day in Lacey,” he said.

The former Lacey resident and current Point Pleasant resident believes the problem lays with bikes.

The bikers didn’t cause problems, Kochanowski said, but according to skate park rules, bikes and scooters are prohibited and police occasionally monitor the area.

“They’ve been saying they’re going to close it down for a while,” he said. “It always reopens.”

Township Administrator Veronica Laureigh could not elaborate on the skate park before the township committee discusses the issue, which is on the caucus agenda for Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m.

“There have been issues with the way it’s taken care of by the people who use it,” she said. “They’re looking to issue policy changes there.”

Lacey mother Esthermarie D’Uva Gallicchio helped her children jump at the chance to fight any possibility of a shut down at the park as they’ve begun a petition.

Gallicchio, who lives not far from Gille, has three children who use the Skate Park. They returned home one day to tell her it was locked.

“It’s a safe place for them to go where we don’t have to hover over them,” she said.

While her kids have a neighborhood to play in, others may not, she said.

“Having it is a good outlet,” Gallicchio said. “These kids would have nowhere else to go. It keeps them out of trouble.”

The skate park promotes healthy fitness as well as gives the plaza next door business, she said.

When Gallicchio watches her kids at the skate park, she sees a “mutual respect,” she said.

“I have witnessed the kids there and while at times it may seem hectic and crowded, the kids that do use it are kind to each other, there is a mutual respect between the bikers, skate boarders, and scooter kids,” she said.

Although the township has not confirmed a possible shutdown, a special officer told Gallicchio’s children that a petition with 600 signatures could make a difference, she said.

“I just don’t want to see something taken away if it can be monitored,” she said.

While Gallicchio would like to see someone monitoring the kids, Kochanowski recommended cameras.

The petition, "Keep the Skate Park Open and Insured for Skateboards, Scooters, and Bikes," which was started on Wednesday night already has 113 signatures. It can be found by clicking the link above.

Mayor Mark Dykoff did not return calls for comment.

Return to Lacey Patch to read about the outcome of the township committee meeting.