What surfaced recently as a request to the City Council a few months ago by young residents of Palmetto culminated Monday with the approval to create a skateboard park at the end of Cobb Street.

Referencing the question put to the council at an earlier meeting, Mayor Clark Boddie said the council had struggled over the past several months with a way to meet the request.

“We had somewhat of a problem with police having to move them from place to place, but we were able to set aside a specific area on a dead end street,” Boddie said. “This creates an area for their use as a skateboard park.”

In the resolution adopting the measure, the council said they encourage physical activity for all citizens. Those who adopt healthy, physically active habits during childhood and adolescence, the resolution said, are more likely to pursue an active adult lifestyle.

The resolution calls for establishing the Cobb Street Skateboard Park on the portion of Cobb Street that lies 200 feet north of its intersection with Morris Street. The resolution declared that the area be closed to traffic and dedicated to the pursuit of skateboarding.

The council said they hoped the newly designated area will cut down on skateboarding in other areas of the city where the practice causes safety concerns.

“We are interested primarily in public safety,” said Police Chief Bobby Fronebarger. “We will encourage skateboarders to use the area set aside for them by the city.”

Responding to questions about violations, Fronebarger said first-time violators will receive a verbal warning, followed by confiscation of the skateboard if such action is warranted.

A city ordinance currently prohibits skateboarding in the downtown business area.

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