Discourse growing about skate park in Panther Hollow

PITTSBURGH — What was once an empty stretch of public land in Panther Hollow is now the site of a growing skatepark.

But not everyone is happy about the change.

The “Oakland DIY Park” has become a daytime hangout for skateboarders, many of them students from the University of Pittsburgh.

The park was built by the community, and for some neighbors, the sound of tricks and boards hitting pavement has become too much.

“You can’t really skate in the city too much,” said Alexander Garcia, a Pitt sophomore. “People don’t like it, police don’t like it.”

One of those people is Carlino Giampolo, a longtime Panther Hollow resident.

He says the noise from the park has made his home life harder.

“It’s almost like you feel like your head is being banged against the wall,” Giampolo said. “It sounds like gunshots.”

Giampolo told Channel 11 he has asked City Council six times since July to tear the park down.

He called the skatepark “illegal” and an “injustice.”

“There were no plans submitted to the city and there were no permits that were issued,” he said.

But supporters of the park say it’s a positive use of space.

They say no one skates after dark, and the park is funded and built through community donations.

“No one is down here past sundown, really, so the noise ends at a reasonable hour,” said Ansel Gunther, a junior at Pitt.

Leaders of the Oakland DIY group posted on social media, asking other skaters and neighbors to speak up in support of the park.

Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Barb Warwick has backed the project and said in a statement:

Mr. Giampolo’s family has a long history in Panther Hollow, so I understand his surprise to move back and find a skatepark in the abandoned parklet. In fact, this is an incredible success story of young community members taking the initiative to do something positive with unused public land. I’m glad our DPW Parks team was supportive and helpful, rather than just saying “No, you can’t do that here.” My hope is that we can all sit down together, so Mr. Giampolo can better understand what a fantastic asset this is for people of all ages who want to be active and get outdoors. And I love his idea of a Bocce court btw...it would be a great addition to the space!

Warwick said she hopes to work with residents like Giampolo to find a compromise.

Giampolo is proposing building two Bocce Courts and a playground to replace the skatepark.

He added the current noise makes a compromise impossible.

“There is no real compromise when this noise permeates our homes,” he said. “She knows it permeates our homes. What can we compromise?”

A City Hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. to discuss the future of the skatepark.

Both supporters and critics plan to rally outside before the meeting begins.

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