Skate Park Rules

The Cypress City Council voted to build the city’s first skate park despite residents’ protests and a councilman’s assertion that the proposal was premature.

The 4,000-square-foot facility proposed for Veterans Park is half the size of the skate park proposed by the Recreation and Community Services Commission. But neighbors are still upset over Monday night’s council decision.

“It is one of those cases where when you try to satisfy everyone, you end up satisfying no one,” Mayor Anna Piercy said.

While most residents agreed a skate park was needed to keep skateboarders from damaging curbs, sidewalks and benches on city streets, they didn’t want Veterans Park to be its location. Lack of adult supervision and fear the area would be overrun with skateboarders from other cities were their main concerns.

“If you want to build a skate park, put it in a spot with the least amount of public resistance,” said Cypress resident and former Mayor Gail Kerry.

Councilman Frank S. McCoy pointed out the potential safety hazards of such a park. “I don’t think we’ve thought about what could happen if a 13-year-old becomes a paralyzed and receives a multimillion-dollar settlement. . . . A city our size can’t absorb that kind of hit.”

But Councilman Tim Keenan responded: “You can’t close every lake, basketball court or volleyball court because of potential city liability.”

The proposal will now undergo an environmental and traffic review.

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Andre Briscoe can be reached at (714) 966-5848.