What to do with Riverton’s skate park? 

The skate park, located at 12600 S. 1435 West, was referenced by council members and residents as the opening snapshot as one enters the city. What to do with it and where it could possibly go was the question city officials and residents considered through the year, especially the last few months. 

This process started in 2022, when the Riverton City Council approved a community reinvestment area along 12600 South that included the skate park. The decision, Mayor Trent Staggs explained in council meetings, allowed for potential redevelopment if the skate park needed to be replaced. 

In May, the council approved a boundary readjustment in that area to meet state code which would allow for restaurants that serve alcohol to proceed. But, Staggs said, that did not automatically open up the skate park for redevelopment. 

Possibly redeveloping that area, Staggs said, stems from their resident surveys sent out every two years that saw requests for more restaurants and retail in the historic downtown area. 

He said they aren’t trying “to pull a fast one” but they were looking at developing “in a way that we hear from residents they wanted.”

Councilmember Tawnee McCay said she thought the purpose for the CRA was providing tax increment to a business or reduce the tax amount for so many years like they did for Costco, which she said was a good idea. 

In response to resident sentiment, she noted they did show interest in shopping and restaurants in that area, “but I don’t feel like they would want that at the expense of giving up part of our city park.” 

City staff explained they had contractors come inspect the skate park and tell them it needed to be replaced, not repaired, as full sections needed replacing. 

“That is what the professionals have told us,” City Manager Kevin Hicks told the council in September. “It is close to the end of its useful life. It’s not something where we can go and put some band aids on it, it is something that would need to be a tear out and replace.”

In August, city staff sent out requests for proposals on a new skate park. Staff presented Centennial Park as the best option to relocate due to its central location, available land, drainage capabilities and distance from skate parks in other cities. 

“It was the best fit for everything we were looking for,” Public Works Director Cary Necaise said. He felt the footprint would require over 20,000 square feet. 

However, members of the council were surprised Centennial Park was identified as the best place before more discussion or an informal vote among the council had taken place. 

Councilmembers Andy Pierucci and Tawnee McCay both expressed interest in the west side of the city as a possible location, while Pierucci requested more feedback from the community, especially skate park users. 

City staff then conducted its own community outreach, holding surveys both online and at the skate park itself where they interviewed park patrons. They also sent surveys to the schools for them to share with the students. 

They had over 3,000 responses, Communications Director Josh Lee said. He reported a majority said they never or rarely used the skate park in the past year. If relocated, Lee said 54% favored Centennial Park, 27% said the new park coming next to Mountain View Village and 18% said keep it where it’s at. 

The funds needed for a new skate park are estimated to be $1 to $1.5 million. The final question on the survey was how they would like that money spent, with Lee reporting the priority was something other than a skate park. “With the survey, we’re just trying to capture ideas,” Lee said, noting they didn’t see anything in the responses that was surprising. 

“We were hoping to entertain options form the public on where then they would like to see (the skate park) relocated if development does occur along 12600,” Staggs said. 

Though some residents gave nuance to the surveys with one Riverton High teen, Robbilyn Lindwall, telling the council she did not receive the survey mentioned. “The emails and surveys you’re sending out are not reaching the kids.” 

Janice Carlsen, a Riverton resident, had concerns about replacing the skate park with businesses, possible parking issues at Centennial Park and ensuring residents know about what’s happening. She preferred to keep it next to the Old Dome building. 

“I like having the skate park. I rarely use it, but I also rarely use the golf course, other parks or even this building (City Hall), but I don’t want them to go away,” she said. “I think our city provides a lot of things for the different unique needs and desires of our citizens.”

Another resident, Amber Lambson, said she was in favor of the skate park, but the survey gave the option of either rarely or weekly go to the skate park, and she was neither. 

“I think it’s a great place, I think it fosters community, it gives kids a place to be,” she said. 

Though while Lambson said she would like a skate park at Centennial Park, near where she lives, many others who live near there or frequently use the park did not want a skate park added. 

Residents pointed to how busy Centennial Park already is with its bustling softball community, suggesting funding should go toward improving the facilities at that park for a popular sport that’s having to turn girls away. 

“We are using the park, our teams and families use all the grass space,” Tammy Anderson said, a volunteer with Oquirrh softball. 

It was a sentiment shared by Councilmember Troy McDougal who wondered if they shouldn’t try to hit a larger number of youth. 

“This really isn’t an amenity that compares with some of our other youth programs because it seems to have such a short shelf life and such a large cash outlay that it makes it difficult vs other things where we have high use demand right now,” he said, referencing the skate park and softball. 

Peggy Jones told the council she understood wanting to put the skate park elsewhere but urged the council to keep a skate park for the kids who are “a little less mainstream” in their sports and don’t play standard basketball or softball. 

Other residents suggested bike parks or pickleball courts as better ways to use the money. 

Staggs stressed to residents several times this was an ongoing conversation and would be a “very deliberative process.” Especially as the council possibly considers alternative locations or might even wait for it to be built at the new 16-acre park next to Mountain View Village, though that would be some time into the future. 

Staggs wondered at the first official council discussion in August if it was worth spending funds to replace an asset not many residents are using. “I could care less if this amenity were replaced, period.” 

For Dan Hughes, a 62-year-old Riverton resident who has skated since he was 11, added skate parks are malleable, and can be built to fit locations. 

“An active life is a healthy one and building more skate parks supports this.” 

Riverton’s skate park future remains unclear. (Travis Barton/City Journals)