- Riverton's skate park closed in December, due to safety concerns and age, officials explained.
- A new committee will explore rebuilding or removing the skate park entirely.
RIVERTON — The future of a once-popular shuttered skate park may hinge on a new committee being formed to explore the viability of rebuilding it — or doing away with the community asset altogether.
In early December, city officials announced the facility's closure, citing its age and safety concerns.
"After 20+ years, the Riverton Skate Facility has been deemed no longer safe to maintain and will be closed this winter," officials wrote in a Facebook post on Dec. 3. "The City Council is exploring next steps and will share updates about the facility's future in the coming months."
That social media post garnered more than 150 comments — mainly from people who appeared against closing the skate park.
"My son was just there a few days ago. It seemed fine," one woman commented under the post.
Riverton leaders provided no additional rationale for the decision, other than that it had reached the end of its useful life.
"After reviewing these evaluations, the Riverton City Council voted to close and demolish it, and hold off on the decision of whether to build a new skate park and where, before further study and reflection could be completed," Josh Lee, director of communications and public affairs, told KSL Wednesday in a statement.
Riverton officials said on Monday they are forming a subcommittee to evaluate skateboarding as a use of its city park facilities.
The Riverton City Council is expected to vote on a resolution to create the committee during its upcoming meeting on Tuesday.
Lee said residents and youth representatives will be selected from submitted applications. Those wanting to serve on the committee can email PIO@rivertonutah.gov with their name, contact information and a brief explanation of why they would like to be a part of this process.
Final decisions on whether a new skate park will be built and on its location have not been made, Lee said.
The committee will present its study to the City Council ahead of a determining vote, sometime in the coming months, city officials said.
