Taylor Park Ramp -- Rockledge, FL

The East Coast's first municipal park, open for only a week before it was buried!

After skateboards were banned in several Orlando suburbs, the city of Rockledge moved very quickly to put up a place where skaters could convene legally. City Manager Gus Hipp said he didn’t need council approval for “such a minor thing” and had it built in just one week for a meager $600. Kids had already given it a try from the time the concrete was dry on Jan 17th, and the official opening day was January 24th.

Though the footprint of the snakerun is clearly still visible, its exact measurements are unclear. One report said it was189 feet long and 4 feet wide with a 5 foot rise. Another report from 1977 placed it at the much larger 800 feet long and 10 feet wide..

Size notwithstanding, opening weekend yielded some major injuries. On the very first day, the mayor’s son Sean Oates broke his leg at the park. The following day, a young man named Larry Bryan reportedly breaks his arm at the park at 9pm. There were no witnesses and no emergency calls were placed.

After the news of the injuries got out, the city learned their insurance premium was going to cost more than double what they spent to even build the park ($2,000), so the city council ordered the park to be buried.

Approximately 70 skaters gathered in protest about the closure of the Taylor Park ramp that weekend.

Much like Santa Cruz’s Frederick Street park, the city sought to redesign the park to be safer. Councilman Bob West said “There’s a need for a skateboard ramp, but let’s see what private enterprise comes up with.” Plans to move ramp 30 feet farther away from Florida Ave were proposed.

Two weeks after the planned redesign, Larry Bryan threatened to sue the city. City councilors subesquently decided to leave the park buried forever.