City considering skate park regulations

A sound wave attenuation system or fence, adjustment of skate park hours, and day and night staffing of the newly opened Hamilton Upchurch Park are under review following three dozen complaints in the two weeks since its opening.

City Chief Administrative Office Tim Burchfield said noise from skateboarding and use of the park after hours has neighbors on adjacent Flamingo Drive upset, and City Commissioner Leanna Freeman said she’s heard complaints from more than one or two residents.

The park is unattended, with skateboarders’ parents signing liability waivers, and hours are posted as “dawn to dusk,” but, “there’s different interpretation on when dawn and dusk are,” Burchfield said.

Among city staff considerations: a daylight-sensitive streetlight, day and night staffing, and complete fencing of the park.

Costs could include $50,000 a year for daytime staffing, $20,000 for nighttime security, and $20-$25,000 for fencing.