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Resident urges county to press mayor to shut 'illegal' Oakland DIY skate park
Summary
Panther Hollow resident Carlino Giampolo urged council to seek action from the mayor to close an Oakland DIY skate park, alleging graffiti, code violations, noise impacts and potential liability across city, county and school districts.
Carlino Giampolo, a Panther Hollow resident, urged Allegheny County Council to seek a full understanding of the Oakland DIY skate park and to recommend that the mayor close the site.
Giampolo said he had reported issues to the Allegheny County Health Department and learned the county is a part owner of the property. He listed several concerns he said justify closure: vulgar graffiti that encourages underage drinking and recreational drug use, lack of homeowner consent for construction, persistent noise from skateboards affecting nearby homes, multiple municipal code violations, and potential multi‑jurisdictional liability involving the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools should a catastrophic accident occur.
"You can delegate authority to the city of Pittsburgh, but you cannot delegate responsibility," Giampolo told council, and he asked members—particularly those he identified as sympathetic—to recommend that Mayor Cory O'Connor shut down the skate park.
The comment drew no substantive response from council during the public‑comment exchange recorded in the transcript. No county action or referral on the skate‑park item is recorded in the meeting minutes; council did not take up follow‑up votes in this session.
