59°
FAIRFIELD, Conn. The fate of Fairfields Jennings Beach Skate Park could be decided Thursday night.
The park recently was closed in response to a violent incident earlier this month. The Fairfirled Parks and Recreation Commission will have a special meeting Thursday to decide how, and if, the park will reopen.
On March 8, an off-duty Trumbull police officer was visiting the park with his children. When the man verbally warned a teen for driving recklessly in the parking lot, a fight broke out between the officer and a group of teenage males, according to police reports. The altercation also was captured on video by a local news organization. No charges have been filed against anyone involved in the incident at this time.
The commission had a discussion on the skate park at its monthly meeting March 21. At that meeting, members expressed the feeling that allowing kids to be there unsupervised had become unsafe. The commission unanimously decided to close the park temporarily until they could find a solution.
Chair Ellery Plotkin said the parks visitors need to understand this is a privilege and not a right, according to the commissions minutes.
The commission asked Fairfield Recreation Director Gerry Lombardo for information on how other towns manage skate parks. Among the solutions proposed at last weeks meeting were hiring supervisors, limiting the hours of the park and requiring seasonal IDs for all who use the park.
The commission has scheduled a special public meeting Thursday night to discuss possible solutions. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Eunice Postol Recreation Center, 75 Mill Plain Road.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.
