LEHI -- Seventeen-year-old Alan Allred and 16-year-old Blake Johnson want to turn the junior high's abandoned tennis courts into a skateboard park.
The two skateboarders gave that recommendation to the City Council Tuesday as a way to deal with the growing complaints from businesses about skateboarders on their doorsteps. Some cities, including Provo and Salt Lake City, have outright banned or are proposing to ban skateboarding in certain areas.Councilman Johnny Barnes, who has been working with the teens on the project, said the problem isn't going to go away if the city follows suit by outlawing skating in some areas.
"You can't just kick them off of everything," he said. "We've got to face up to that."
The two Lehi High School students asked the council to allocate "a few thousand dollars" to build a ramp on the tennis courts. They said a six-month probationary period would also prove to the council whether the park is working.
Councilwoman Frances Comer said she worried that the kids would skateboard during school hours.
But the teens said the park would be no different than other recreation venues such as parks throughout the city and they shouldn't be classified differently because they skateboard. They said even though skateboarders have the image of drug users, most aren't.
"People who do drugs are in a group of their own and don't have the motivation to become committed to skateboarding," Allred said.
Barnes echoed Allred's comments, saying many of the 45 Lehi teenagers interested in creating the park are "honor students who like to skate."
He said the park could come under the control of the recreation department and could be reserved for skating and events in advance. Comer suggested the park be fenced and locked during school hours.
A number of local businesses have also offered to donate money to build the park and sponsor competitions there, Barnes said, as a way to support the teens while dealing with the problem.
The council voted to support the teens' idea. They directed the two to come up with a more concrete plan and report back to the council in February. The earliest a skateboard park could be open is next summer.