Community petitions to reopen the Bethpage Skatepark
It was closed in 2024 due to Grumman’s ongoing work to get rid of the toxic plume in the ground below.
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Skateboarders are hoping to get a Bethpage skatepark back after it has been closed for years.
The town of Oyster Bay shut down the skatepark in 2024. There is a large fence surrounding the property, keeping people out.
It was closed due to Grumman’s ongoing work to get rid of the toxic plume in the ground below.
There is a petition going around to reopen the park in Bethpage, and it’s gotten more than 400 signatures so far.
Advocates also spoke at the town board meeting earlier this week. Supervisor Joseph Saladino responded to their request by saying Grumman’s remediation has taken far too long. He added that they will look at the information provided by community skaters and share it with engineers.
Skaters say they lost a community staple. Many have to drive at least 25 minutes to get to the next closest skatepark.
“I’ve been going there since I was 15. It’s a big community park. People from all over come to that park and it sucks to see it closed down like that…” said Jahlik Bass, of Westbury. “To see people have to go to other parks. And there’s not really a skatepark scene in middle and northern Nassau. It’s a sight to see.”
Saladino wrote in a statement to News 12, “The good news is that we’re at the point where we’re negotiating with Grumman to pay for a new park, which our residents and the Bethpage community deserve. The sad part is that we have to negotiate for Grumman, who put the contaminants there, to do the ethical, right thing. Grumman should have already taken the responsibility of removing all contaminants from the soil and paying for a brand new park for the community.”
News 12 reached out to Grumman to see what their future plans are for the skatepark property and is waiting to hear back.
