Couldn't have anything with our new mayor and his business next door and 25 additional parking spots.

Lets see some bold reporting on this.

They should build a cement park.

"the city will assess the condition of the existing equipment, saving what it can"

Lies! Everything is at the Shelter Rd Dump, in containers. It's all being trashed.

Deteriorating Equipment? Please! Steel Rails bolted to the ground do not deteriorate. Masonite is easily replaced, and has been when necessary by the Boardwalk Maintenance crew.

What a crock. This is really a shame. I also heard two kids got arrested last night trying to take home a piece for salvage. Now they've got criminal records...for trying to recycle?

Just sweep it under the rug, business as usual.

Believe me no worries!!!

I am a commercial and news photographer and have also worked for Patch in several other towns in New Jersey. I usually photograph active lifestyles such as surfing, skateboarding, biking and many other sports. This past month I was alerted to the destruction of the Ocean City, NJ Skate Park by friends in the NJ surf community when they asked me to friend the Facebook page “Rebuild Ocean City Nj Skatepark” Several comments and articles have been posted on that site about the closing of the park. After reading the park was in peril I filed an OPRA request with Ocean City, part of the request asked for Financial Disclosure Records of government officials and Safety Reports about the park. The Ocean City Clerk responded on time within 7 business days and I have included the Safety Reports and the e-mail from the Ocean City Business Administrator obtained by OPRA request for everyone’s review in the area above next to the photos labeled PDFs. I did not include parts of the OPRA request with the Financial Disclosure Statements. If you would like to research government records each town has an OPRA form (Open Public Records Act) fill out the form and submit the form to the custodian of records as listed. If you would like to request government records from Ocean City go to this link: http://www.ocnj.us/ On another note the Ocean City Skate Park is not listed on the new Ocean City website.

Nothing about eco-tourism on the new website that I can find, either. Guess the city has stopped pretending they care about that, too.

The eco tourism plan is to plant palm trees around the new parking lot that the Mayor made next to his amusement park. The kids can walk past the trees on their way to the rides. By the way, didn't Mr. Mallon formerly work at the Mayor's amusement park?

Oh nuts. By "open space" I didn't mean another parking lot!

I regularly took my kids to the skate park. There were very few issues with the equipment. A couple of the sheets of skatelite decking needed to be replaced and that's about it. Skatelite retails to the public at $189 per 4 x 8 sheet. Slight surface rust on the galvanized steele is hardly a reason to dismantle the park. Just be honest about the whole thing. Why lie to people and make things up. Problem is the powers that be can not be honest about this one. The skate park was simply taken down for selfish reasons.

No, Duffer -- it was taken down for "safety". It is much safer to have kids skateboard on the street, sidewalks and parking lots instead of that dangerous, fenced in, no traffic skateboard park.....

And I'm sure it had nothing to do with a few parking spaces next to a certain local attraction.......

hmmm...the documents above make it seem like it should have been closed in JULY!, wonder if wasn't purposely documented that way. Also wonder what June and May inspections said? would it not have been wiser to close before some tourist got hurt and sued for big bucks....I sense an uneasy feeling...oh its my gut telling me this is more likely about POLITICS, PROFITS, PERSONAL GOALS, and less about safety

That document is a joke!!!!

The park was closed because the administration wanted it closed. That's all.

Duffer your observation about that poorly written document (calling it a joke) seems to be correct. It is very poorly written and for those 2 documents to be used to tear down a taxpayer funded $130,000.+ park (I believe OC paid in 2002) is ridiculous. Doesn't Ocean City have a PE (Professional Engineer) on staff? Where was he? Why is there no professional engineer's report? I can't believe they ripped down such an expensive park that does not seem that old on two poorly written documents. If I lived in your town I would be at each and every Town Council Meeting expressing my concern on the microphone at open public comment session over flushing $130,000. of public funds down the toilet. If you look closely you could most likely buy "missing bolts" from the local hardware store or boat supply store (yes they even make stainless steel), and have the manufacture or a local marine welder replace a few bars of rusted metal. Public Works or some volunteers could have removed and swept up the sand. With those repairs done you could have had a safer skate park. Now there is nothing left and the kids now have to skate illegally on the street. Terrible loss for Ocean City

Personally I think my 8 year old could have written a more proffessional assesment and the fact that they didnt invest some time and energy into looking into repairing it before hand is just appaling. There wasnt even an effort made to reach out to the community to help address some of the issues, I know I would have been there to help repair something that provided a great place for the kids to ride. Most of the time, people see Skateboarders as a obnoxious bunch, but i never found anything but respect and a good group of kids, when I took my boys there. They dont want them grinding on the downtown railings or stairs, but they take away the one place they could ride? Someones asleep at the wheel here.

As stated before, this was not about the condition of the equipment, safety or crime. All three have been used as lame excuses to try and justify this move. Make no mistake this was about nothing more than parking for a certain nearby attraction and revenue for the city from those spaces. The administration has egg all over its face on this one. Hopefully someone calls them out on it.

I went to a council meeting a few weeks back but was unable to attend the last one---there is also a letter to the editor in the gazette about it......I spoke with Keith Hartzell and he said we have to attend the council meeting and keep bringing it up....I'm only one person and they really don't like me too much b/c of all the e-bike crap I'm going thru right now----I couldn't get a ride to the meeting last week....can both of you Barbara J Henderson and JB --please friend me on FB and we can set something up-----I want to get this on the agenda asap and they are dragging their feet on this and we need to get more ppl involved to show we care....so many kids are really upset and now riding in dangerous places in the street and in parking lots and it's just not right after the taxpayers paid 130,000.00 for this park---I have the inspection reports and the lame excuses they used to tear it down----all the equipment is being stored at shelter road....please friend me on FB---I'm the only one with my name on there so I ain't hard to find

City Council Meeting April 26, 2012 (7:00 PM) Please try to make it to this meeting to bring up to Council that we want our skatepark back!! I spoke with Keith Hartzell about this and he said we need to keep bringing it up---not enough people are showing concern and it will just fade away people, if we do nothing!!! Come to the meeting and let your voices be heard!!!!

I was not able to make it to the last meeting to bring up the skatepark.....I couldn't get a ride as the OCPD won't allow me to ride my "Low-Speed Electric Bicycle" in OC....won't be that way for long though!!

PLEASE COME!!! BE THERE A LITTLE BEFORE 7PM!!

I really want to go to the Council Meeting tonight to bring up the Skatepark in the opening comments....it would only take 20 minutes----but I don't have a ride there----can anyone pick me up????

Can anyone possibly pick me up so that I can demand Council to put this on the next agenda???? It would only take about 20 minutes---tops....Please????

BREAKING NEWS !!!! Anti Byob proponents - BROADLEY - HALLADAY and JESSEL three leading OC Citizens, buy skatepark land - plan to open a new one in Somers Point - will charge OC kids 5.00 to bus them over and use it daily. State " It's a good deal for the kids, only $35 a week, plus we needed that land on 6th street for the good of the town". In a related story, HALLADAY AND LEONARD announce plans for 20, 8 foot wide duplexes on old skatepark land, Jessel to have exclusive listing. Homes will come with a lifetime pass to Gillians Playland - only $1,500 on top of the $1,199,000 listing prices. Jessel states-"these are beachblock prime duplexes" . Side note, each home will come with one free somers point skate park pass.!!!!!

Everyone wants to bitch but ya gotta bitch to the people that did it!!!! I was just told----end of summer maybe---maybe if someone could give me a ride to the next Council Meeting---I would gladly bitch and ask for it to be addressed and put on the agenda....but I don't have a ride....so unless one of you complainers want to actually step up and either bitch at the next meeting or help me get there.....you won't be getting your skatepark back because none of you care enough to say anything to the people who are responsible for tearing it down......so thanks for nothing Y'all......great job on calling them on it....I'm one disabled woman who is trying to fight city hall....if you really care then step up and let our voices be heard or do you just wanna crawl back under your rock???

It ain't happening-----it's a done deal----we won't get it back----guaranteed and if nobody else wants to help--- why on earth should I bother----I'm only one person---with one voice..........

Say goodbye.............