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WILKES-BARRE — What City Councilman Mike Belusko heard from a resident about Barney Farms park was true and Mayor George Brown confirmed it.

The public tennis courts near Brown’s house have been turned into a skateboard park, complete with temporary and permanent obstacles.

“I don’t know, are we going to allow it? I hate to take anything away from kids, but I think that’s a liability thing for the park for us to allow such a thing. I don’t know. What are your thoughts?” Belusko asked Brown at the council meeting Thursday night.

The flat rails, ramps and curb and ledge used for tricks won’t be there much longer, Brown told Belusko and the other four council members.

“It’s a mess. We’re on it,” Brown said.

It will be removed next week, the mayor said Friday.

Belusko, whose District A includes the Barney Farms park, had not seen the courts, but said he planned to visit this weekend.

“I was down there because I live there,” Brown said. He learned of it from his grandson on one of their walks to the Barney Farms park.

“What really bothered me is there’s 8-inch holes in the tennis court that someone drilled out and actually concreted bars that they can use to go back and forth,” Brown said, describing the flat rail.

The courts are littered with debris and the area will have to be secured somehow, Brown said.

“Is that what we want? No,” Brown answered his own question.

As it stands, the skateboard park can’t stay at that location.

“I’d love to be able to have a place for people to skateboard,” Brown said, adding it’s on his to-do list. But, his focus has been on taking care of the main concerns of the city as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Mayor: Barney Farms tennis courts no place for skateboard park