SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After receiving numerous complaints of noise and unwanted behaviour at the city's skateboard park, city councillors advised administration to consider the relocation of the park as a possible capital project for the 2012 budget.

Thirteen-year-old Kodi Eddy practises his skateboarding skills at the skate park by St. Joseph School Tuesday. The city is talking about relocating the park because residents in the surrounding neighbourhoods are complaining of noise and unwanted behaviour. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo

The idea was first presented by Coun. Cory Vanthuyne at the Municipal Services Committee meeting Monday, and was quickly supported by Couns. Mark Heyck, Lydia Bardak and Shelagh Montgomery.

"Ultimately our goal has to be to relocate the skateboard park," said Heyck, who acknowledged that the location of the park, on the corner of Williams Avenue and Beck Court, is no longer appropriate.

"As I understand it, at the time that the park was built, there wasn't quite as much residential development in the surrounding area, but it does certainly seem to be a conflict of land uses now."

Heyck also suggested that the parks and recreation bylaw be reviewed to give municipal enforcement officers the ability to enforce the park's hours of operation. Currently, the park is locked from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., but there is nothing in the bylaw to allow MED officers to enforce that, said Grant White, director of community services.

"Although we do lock it, the MED officers really have no teeth to go and remove people from the parks," he said, noting that the lock hasn't done much to prevent people from entering the facility after hours.

"In terms of the gate, it gets torn off, we put it back on, it gets torn off – I think we're on the fourth repair on the back gate already since the season began."

Coun. David Wind said he supports changes to the bylaw, but he isn't comfortable putting priority on the relocation of the park until he can see all capital projects lined up for next year's budget.

"When we see the skateboard park relocation in amongst all the other capital projects that the city might undertake, it will be at that point that we can appropriately set the priorities and fit the relocation of the skateboard (park) in where it properly fits with other priorities of the city," he said.

Relocating and building a new park could cost upward of $500,000, according to Monday's committee agenda.

The current park was built in the mid to late 1990s. Since its construction, a fence and trees have been put in place to reduce visibility and noise transfer to the surrounding neighbourhoods.

White said there have been less complaints this year than there have been in previous years, despite the fact that the city hasn't changed its practices for dealing with the park.

"(The park) is an ongoing priority and for whatever reason, this year, it seems to be getting more attention."

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