Peduto backs controversial sand dumping in Pittsburgh skateboard park

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said Wednesday that he still supports the decision to dump sand into a neighborhood skateboard park despite the negative backlash that followed.

The controversy began after Public Works Director Mike Gable ordered a crew to dump sand in the West Penn Skate Park in Polish Hill because of repeated break-ins and vandalism. Critics on social media blamed Peduto and his office was flooded with calls. The mayor said he wasn’t involved. He said the Mayor’s Office doesn’t typically meddle in management of city parks.

“That park had been vandalized six times,” Peduto said. “Locks had been cut six times and fencing had been damaged where people were illegally entering. The decision from the (DPW) division and the director was a minimal way to stop damage to public property. It never should have resulted in the craziness that it did with national political characters coming to Pittsburgh.”

He firmly believes a pile of sand dumped last week in the revolving doors of the Grant Street entrance to Downtown’s City-County Building was done in retaliation.

Conservative activist Scott Presler of Northern Virginia tweeted on Saturday that he organized a cleanup of the sand in the skateboard park.

SCOOP: Mayor Peduto filled in a skatepark with sand &

a group of concerned citizens are cleaning it up.

450 30th Street, Pittsburgh, PA pic.twitter.com/AgnZWfClW7

— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) May 9, 2020

Police arrived to stop the cleanup, and nobody was arrested, Peduto said.

“The skate park is closed,” the mayor said. “They could have been cited.”

Peduto said a lot of the criticism over the park is coming from people who believe coronavirus restrictions are unconstitutional. He said he’s received an increase in death threats since the pandemic began.

“It’s unfortunate, but it’s now customary with the job,” he said, adding that he and the city police Intelligence Unit regularly monitor social media. “It’s a very tense situation for everyone and I’m aware that with some people they may not intend what they’re saying, but it is followed up appropriately by Public Safety.”

Pittsburgh closed playgrounds and other recreational facilities to prevent public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

The city on Friday will announce what recreation facilities will remain closed and which ones can open during the summer, he said.