Cohoes Skate Park now unsupervised

UPDATED to include additional information: Thursday, July 16, 4:44 P.M.

Budget cuts have caused the City of Cohoes to surrender responsibility for accidents that could occur at the Skate Park at Lansing Park.

The Skate Park will no longer be supervised by city employees, leaving skaters to skate at their own risk, according to a statement released this morning. In the past, one attendant per shift manned the park during normal hours of operation.

The city also chose to take city employees off of skate park supervision duty because it worked for other communities in the area, according to the recreation department.

Niskayuna is one such community. The skate park there has been unsupervised for about a year, but the park is still insured, according to the city's recreation department.

Though there have not been any major injuries at Niskayuna's park, it was vandalized when skaters broke through a chain fence after the park had closed.

Like many other communities, Cohoes has needed to make cuts due to the economic downturn. The city has cut the jobs of the three employees who were employed at the park, but they will have the option to substitute for other city employees when needed.

The park will now be open from 9 A.M. to dusk every day. Skaters are, as always, required to wear elbow pads, wrist guards and kneepads.