Pam Cline (left) and Jeremy Watkins (right) present plans for a skateboard park to the Atchison City Commission April 16, 2018/Credit: Facebook
(KAIR)--A public push to create a skateboard park in the City of Atchison.
The proposal was brought to the Atchison City Commission Monday by Atchison residents Jeremy Watkins and Pam Cline.
The couple has gathered 1,300 signatures of support for the project, and has been addressing their goal of seeing it built with the City's Parks and Forestry Board.
The push is being done in memory of Cline's son, Joshua Kinsman, who died in January at the age of 17.
Watkins cited Kinsman's passion for skating, and his desire to see a skate-park in the city, as the reason behind the push. "We want to put it in that open lot by Sonic," Watkins told the Commission. "It's vacant...we know what he's asking. Honestly, where we're at is we're trying to figure out the financial support for it."
Although the Commission voiced approval for a skate-park, the Main Street location wasn't immediately embraced, as voiced by Mayor Allen Reavis. “It's great to build something, but then you have to maintain it. There's insurance and liability," Reavis told Watkins and Cline.
Watkins laid out a list of reasons why that site would be the best fit for the project, including the centralized location, easy ability for police to patrol, and benefits to nearby businesses.
Commission discussion focused on exploring alternative locations prior to any decision being made.
Assistant City Manager Justin Pregont said a special meeting, focused on the proposal, is planned for later this month. “We actually have a special Parks and Forestry Board meeting scheduled for [April 30] to try and work through some of those issues. Just to be very open about it, staff has some concerns with that location, mostly about ongoing maintenance and size of the lot, and some other things like that. Those are issues we can work through. By the time of that meeting, we'll have kind of an alternatives analysis put together on a series of different options for where to locate that."
The skate-park wasn't the only park's related issue to come before the Commission.
Dr. Brandon Tackett, during the session, outlined in detail the proposal to locate a second disc golf course in the city.
It would be located on the eastern side of Warnock Lake.
A formal request to make it happen will be considered by the Commission in the future.
Numerous other issues were also tackled during the evening, with additional discussion including the handling of vicious dogs, likely through a future tethering law, the condition of Oak Hill Cemetery, rehabilitation of city sidewalks, and the adjustment of zoning fees.
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