Turlock's Brandon Koch Memorial Skate Park on Starr Avenue was set to close in November, reopening in the spring at Donnelly Park.
But that relocation has been delayed, as the State of California has yet to authorize the current skate park's closure.
A portion of the existing skate park was funded via a state grant program when it was first built. As such, the state must approve the closure of the park.
“We're hoping to get a final answer from them soon, as to when they will allow us to close the park and relocate,” said Allison Van Guilder, Turlock Parks, Recreation, and Public Facilities Manager.
Until then, the Brandon Koch Memorial Skate Park on Starr Avenue will continue to operate normally.
The Turlock City Council approved moving Turlock's only skate park to Donnelly Park in August. The move comes as Turlock plans to sell the old 900 N. Palm St. Turlock Police Department to finance the development of the new, $33 million Public Safety Facility on Broadway; the Brandon Koch Memorial Skate Park and the Turlock War Memorial both share a parcel with the Police Department, and will be sold as well.
The rebuilt skate park will likely be bigger and better than the existing layout, offering a flowing series of trails while remaining dedicated to Brandon Koch. Koch, a longtime skateboarder and mentor to youth at the Turlock Skate Park, died from adrenocortical cancer.
According to the City of Turlock, the new Donnelly Park location offers the benefits over the exiting site like restrooms, adequate parking, and nearby public transit.
Despite the delay, the City of Turlock is already hard at work planing the move. Meetings should soon begin with a community skate park design committee, established at a July 10 meeting of the Turlock Parks, Recreation, and Community Programs Commission.
The city will also soon begin the process to identify new park space which can be developed near the Starr Avenue skate park. Per state law and the Turlock General Plan, the city must replace that lost park land, serving the neighborhood which will be without a park once the skate park closes.
“We're going to continue to move forward and do all that planning and prep work so that when we do get that green light from the state, we're not that much further behind,” Van Guilder said.
