TOOELE, Utah (ABC 4 News) - People in Tooele asked ABC 4 to take action about an out-of-control skate park. They say it draws the wrong crowd, there's graffiti, and loud noise all night long. We took their pleas to the city and now we have results.
Since our first story aired about the skate park on Timpie Road in Tooele more residents have contacted ABC 4 and expressed their frustrations. Judy Garbettt is at her wit's end dealing with the vandalism to her front yard that's directly across the street from the skate park.
She showed us all of the problems she’s been dealing with like the litter in her front yard, saying, “This is light. There’s all kinds of bottles out here every morning.” She goes on, “This tree was about eight feet tall and look at where they broke it off.” Also, she says, “This is my fourth flag. They come at night and just pull it down.”
After calls to the mayor went un-returned we tried again to speak with him at his office. We were originally shot down. The receptionist saying, “He's not available for comment he said. He’s not in a meeting he's not available for comment.” A minute later, however, we got the okay but once in his office, he said, “No cameras today.”
Mayor Patrick Dunlavy did say that he's only received calls about the skate park recently. Now that he's aware of the problem the City will be looking at the "whole picture" surrounding the skate park and he'll be proposing to the city council that a fence be put up.
While telling Garbett this news from the mayor we saw a cleaning crew at the skate park removing the graffiti. Garbett was happy to see some action taken and hear that after seven years there will be more park regulation. She says, “I think that's great. I think they need to do something and I think it is great the media has been brought in on it to help get something done.”
The city council meeting will be next Wednesday. The mayor says that's when there will be discussion about a fence. If they do go with that option the mayor says the fence should be put up quickly.
Tooele City Police Department says they now have an officer dedicated to graffiti crimes and are working on more surveillance equipment at the skate park.
