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Skateboarders urge council to preserve Condon Park as petition tops 400 signatures
Summary
Multiple skateboarders and community members urged the council not to demolish the existing skate facility at Condon Park and asked for additional community meetings or a public vote; they said a proposed replacement would be significantly smaller and risk safety and lost skateable area.
A string of public comments at the April 22 Grass Valley City Council meeting urged the city not to demolish the existing skate facility at Condon Park and called for more community engagement on plans for a replacement.
Several speakers said the existing park is highly used and has regional draw. Eric Gorman, who identified himself as a skateboarder, said the current park is “beloved, highly utilized, and perfectly suitable,” and urged the city to build a new, larger park on different land rather than reducing the existing footprint.
Orion Perez, who said he skates the park almost daily, said more community meetings and at least one public survey or vote should be held before construction proceeds. “Grindline could have taken community input through in‑person discussions or online surveys,” Perez said, noting community meetings last year did not reflect the number of regular skaters. Perez and others said the city had already postponed work briefly and could delay construction further to allow more input.
Multiple speakers said a petition opposing demolition has more than 400 signatures and urged the council to preserve the park. Hayden Williams, who said he grew up skating at the facility, called it “one of a kind” and asked the council not to tear it down. Zarin Nicholas and other commenters suggested expanding skateable space rather than reducing it, and asked the city to add amenities such as restrooms and shade at any new site.
Speakers raised safety concerns about a proposed smaller replacement, saying a reduced footprint would increase collisions and injuries. One commenter asked the council to reconsider based on long‑standing local use and events that bring visitors; another suggested building a new facility on additional land while retaining the existing park.
Council members did not take action on the skate‑park issue during the meeting. Several commenters were told the council cannot act on matters that are not agendized during public comment, and were invited to leave materials with the city clerk for follow‑up.
