Skaters in Marin County are petitioning for a new skate park in Mill Valley to replace the old and outdated skate park near Mill Valley Middle School.

The petition, made public in early September, has been gaining support around Marin and beyond. It has over 300 signatures, and will be sent to Mill Valley Mayor Andrew Berman for consideration.

Among the hundreds of skaters petitioning for the new skate park are sophomores Michael Gonzales and Karl Tietze, as well as senior Cody Blanc.

“All the skate parks that are in Corte Madera and Mill Valley are very run down, and there’s a lot of safety issues,” Gonzales said. Blanc expressed a similar concern, saying that the current Mill Valley skate park is the most run-down in Marin. “The floor is all rocky and hard to skate on. The ramps are just all beaten up,” Blanc said.

Tietze said that more skaters are avoiding the old Mill Valley skate park, and are skating on the streets. “I know a lot of people have gotten in trouble and even fined for skating on the streets of Mill Valley,” said Tietze.

As for the new skate park, Gonzales said he doesn’t want to see metal ramps, and like many other skaters, wants smooth concrete to skate on.

Tietze hopes to see aspects of the park that will be similar to the street. “I think it would be cool to have things that would simulate street spots, so that would keep people off the streets more.”