Town of Franklin Skatepark Soft Open

A soft opening for the Town of Franklin Skatepark took place earlier today. The Town Manager, and Councilmen Stacy Guffey and Michael Lewis, town employees, and members of the public were in attendance. Reporters from The Franklin Press and Macon Media were present. The skatepark will have a more formal opening in late September.

Town of Franklin Skatepark Soft Open | Macon Media

The skatepark will be an unsupervised park open from daylight to dark. Rules for the park and references to local ordinances and state law are posted below:

Town of Franklin Skate Park

NOTICE TO ALL: This is an UNSUPERVISED skate park. Skating and riding is permitted during park hours only. Park is open from daylight until dark. Any use of this facility is at your own risk. Use of this facility may result in serious injury. The following rules and regulations have been established for the use of skate park participants in order to ensure everyone's safety.

PLEASE OBEY THE FOLLOWING RULES:

• This is an unsupervised skate park and its use is free of charge.   

• No motorized equipment is allowed on the skating surface.   

• Bicycles without pegs are allowed; in-ine skates, scooters and one-wheels are allowed.   

 • Strollers or wagons are not allowed on the skate surface.   

 • No one under the age of 8 is allowed without adult supervision.   

 • No other items such as portable ramps or equipment or tables may be used in the skate park.   

 • No modifications may be made to the skating surface.   

 • Avoid skating when skate park surfaces are wet or icy.   

 • Every person riding a skateboard or skating in the facility must wear a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads per Town Ordinance Chapter 72 section 72.12.   

 • Drugs, alcohol, glass containers, tobacco products, profanity, fighting and destroying or defacing public property are prohibited. Vandalism, including graffiti, stickers and tagging are illegal. If this occurs, it may require the park to be temporarily closed.   

 • Food and beverages are not allowed on the skating surface area.   

 • Spectators should not be on the skating surface area.   

 • Show respect to others using the skate park and to spectators.   

 • Under North Carolina law, no governmental entity or public employee who has complied with NCGS § 99E-23 shall be liable to any person who voluntarily participates in hazardous recreational activities for any damage or injury to property or persons that arise out of a person's participation in the activity and that takes place in an area designated for the activity.   

 • Please use the trash containers and keep the skate park clean.   

 • Contests or events are prohibited unless approved through the Town's special events process.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Town of Franklin at 828.524.2516.

Ordinance references:


Town of Franklin § 72.12 HAZARDOUS RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
    (A) The town has provided recreational areas for the enjoyment of hazardous recreational activities, including but not limited to skateboarding, inline skating, and freestyle bicycling. Any person who participates in or assists in hazardous recreational activities assumes the known and unknown inherent risks in these activities, irrespective of age, and is legally responsible for all damages, injury, or death to himself or other persons or property that result from these activities.
    (B) The town does not provide regular supervision of hazardous recreational activity facilities.
    (C) Any person riding a skateboard at a municipal skatepark facility shall wear all of the following safety equipment:
      (1) Helmet;
      (2) Elbow pads; and
      (3) Kneepads.
  (D) Signs shall be posted at the facility, affording reasonable notice that any person riding a skateboard in the facility must wear a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads.
  (E) In addition to the penalties provided for in § 10.99 of this Code, any person who violates the provisions of the article may be subject to sanctions imposed by the town including, but not limited to temporary suspension or permanent revocation of the privilege to skate anywhere within any town parks or recreation areas.       (Ord. 2022-002, passed 1-3-23)

State of North Carolina NCGS § 99E-23 Duties of operators of skateboard parks. 

 (a) No operator of a skateboard park shall permit any person to ride a skateboard therein, unless that person is wearing a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads. 

(b) For any facility owned or operated by a governmental entity that is designed and maintained for the purpose of recreational skateboard use, and that is not supervised on a regular basis, the requirements under subsection (a) of this section are satisfied when all of the following occur: 

(1) The governmental entity adopted an ordinance requiring any person riding a skateboard at the facility to wear a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads. 

(2) Signs are posted at the facility affording reasonable notice that any person riding a skateboard in the facility must wear a helmet, elbow pads, and kneepads and that any person failing to do so will be subject to citation under the ordinance under subdivision (1) of this subsection. (2003-334, s. 1.)

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Published at 7:15pm on Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins