Alex Evans, the owner of Grateful Skate Shop, spoke out to the Florence City Council on Tuesday to ask for the hours to be extended and for the lights to be turned on at the Florence skate park. This ongoing request has prompted him to petition the city to turn the lights on at the park.
Evans’ petition has now gained over 1,000 signatures from fellow skateboarders asking the city to turn the lights on.
“We have one of the best parks in the greater Cincinnati area, with just a few simple changes, it could undeniably be the best,” Evans said. “Drawing people to the park from all over the area, increasing traffic to Florence businesses, and giving our community and youth a safe space during the evening hours. I know I speak for more than myself when I say we have been asking for these lights for more than a while.”
The city of Florence is currently undergoing a review of the Parks Master Plan. This master plan is based on a survey sent out in January and will include an analysis of existing conditions at each park and the development of concept plans, renderings and cost estimates for improvements. The results of this survey will help guide the project team as they make decisions during this early planning phase.
Phase 1 of the master plan which is the existing conditions and analysis phase. Phase 2 will begin in April 2024, with exploration and alternatives for the parks. The final phase begins in September 2024.
Evans’ call to action to the council was to consider the Florence Skatepark in the park’s master plan and allow the park to reach its full usage potential.
“We have people who travel from all over the tri-state to visit the park,” Evans said. “However, with current hours being limited from dawn to dusk, it leaves many without a place to go. This does not serve the community, many of whom are in school or who work a 9-5 job and don’t get a chance to use the park with the current hours provided.”
Gabrielle Larkin, the founder of the Cincinnati Skate Collective, attended the Florence meeting to speak on the request for the lights to be turned on at the Florence Skatepark.
“You may be wondering why someone from Cincinnati is coming to speak at a city council meeting in Florence, Kentucky,” Larkin said. “The Skate Collective hosts monthly clinics and meet-ups that are all free, and open to all ages and all skill levels. We typically utilize Florence Skate Park as Cincinnati doesn’t have a proper skate park of its own. There are about 1,300 hundred skaters in our area. The community is large and is growing day by day. Skating brings people together of all ages, races, and backgrounds. It’s a positive influence on an individual’s mental health, physical health, and more.”
The Florence skatepark already has light posts, but due to the park’s dawn to dusk hours, the lights aren’t turned on.
“The great thing about this skate park is that the hard part is done,” Larkin said. “You already have the lights, so now we just need to turn them on.”
Larkin said that having those lights lets kids stay last in a “safe, welcoming, accessible space for them to continue doing what they love.”