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Council approves closing Mentock Park at night - By Bruce McCormack

This document was published online on Thursday, May 03, 2007

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Mentock Park will be closed at night following residents' complaints about the noise and other problems caused by young people who gather there.

In approving the Mentock closure Tuesday night, the city council rejected a suggestion by the staff to apply the 10 p.m.-6 a.m. closure to all city parks.

Margaret Lohman lives closest to the parking lot/skate park problem area at the corner of Blackburn and Davidson and led the petition drive asking for the closure. She cited the “hot-rodding, loud music and partying” saying the “night activities that are seriously disrupting sleep are a nuisance.”

Police Chief Perry Rockvam said officers have reduced the amount of drug activity taking place in the parking lot along Blackburn Street, but problems remain and are a bad influence on younger kids using the skate park.

Because the city curfew applies only to kids younger than 16 and it's not illegal for people to congregate in city parks at any time, Rockvam said the overnight closure “would give us some teeth to do something” about the problem.

City officials said the same nightly closure in City Park downtown has been key to reducing problems there.

Monte Bales of the parks department said the city has similar problems “everywhere, but especially at Mentock Park.”

Council president Sam Krone opposed applying the overnight closure to all parks.

“We are being driven by a small group of (problem) people and taking away the rights of many,” he said. “Mentock is a specific situation and I want to preserve citizens' rights to use other parks after 10 p.m.”

Councilman Steve Miller favored the closure for all parks (except Beck Lake and at the tennis courts), saying, “We'll be back to this issue in two weeks or two months as the problem gets worse.”

Lohman supported him saying, “This (Mentock closure) will just push them to go elsewhere and I wouldn't wish this problem on anyone. These are not nice people.”

Rockvam said the Mentock-only closure “may be a short-term solution to a long-term problem.”

The council took two related votes on closing Mentock Park at night and passed the final measure with Miller voting no.

Other residents called the unfenced skate park a hazard at night and complained about the graffiti that gets painted in the bowls.

In other city matters, the council:

€Approved preliminary plats for three subdivisions.

Pat and Jonene Geile propose to develop 10 residential lots in the Beck Lake Park Addition, north of Arizona Place.

Joe Porter and Cory Rosencranse of Sunlight Investments plan to create 27 residential lots of about 10,400 square feet each near West Cooper Lane in the Maple Leaf Addition.

And Curtis Ryan plans 10 residential and four commercial lots in the 12-acre Greenwing Addition off Robert Street, north of Big Horn Avenue.

€Approved fireworks displays by Cody Skylighters for the bull riding event June 30 and during the Stampede Rodeo on July 1-4. Those shows are in addition to the traditional display on the night of the Fourth. The Stampede Board pays for the fireworks shows at the rodeo.

€Created a permanent “loading/unloading zone” with one parking space in front of the Chamberlin Inn.

€Approved a request from Josh Edwards of Cooter Browns, LLC to open an additional dispensing room at 1134 13th St.

€Approved a request from Shoshone First Bank to close part of 14th Street, 6 a.m.-6 p.m. May 19 for the bank's fourth annual Parking Lot Sale.

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