Salt Lake Valley Board of Health Director Gary Edwards apologized for the eruption the ban caused - it spawned Web sites, online petitions and thousands of angry e-mails - saying the "data" does not support a noise-ordinance-based ban on sport ramps.
"We now have another constituent group we are well aware of," Edwards said, telling the board numerous is "too small a word" to describe the number of complaints.
The skateboard constituency was not hard to spot. Two boys, ages 9 and 4 wore bright shirts with the word "criminal" in block letters on the front. A blonde-haired boy with baggy jeans made a similar statement. His shirt advised: "Skate Utah (just not in your own backyard)."
Still, residents who own ramps were pleased with the decision, which remains in effect until April 1, 2009. Over the six months, county officials will study the noise issue, hold more public hearings, then present a new recommendation.
"I'm pleased with how that went," said Rick Shaffer of South Jordan. "It sounds like the board is open to consider all sides."
His wife, Mikey, was more direct. "They didn't really think the writing of the law through," she said. "You can go buy ramps at Target."
On Aug. 7, the board voted to ban sport ramps in private yards as part of a noise regulation overhaul. The move came after complaints from some residents who neighbor backyard ramps.
The Salt Lake City Council, inundated with complaints even though it didn't enact the rule, is crafting a statement that calls for more transparency on public-policy matters. Health board Chairwoman Nano Podolsky said any skateboard ramp updates now will be posted on the board's home Web page as well as an online skate site registered since the controversy. She joked the board also may want to include any ramp rules in Salt Lake City Weekly, an alternative newspaper.
But Royal DeLegge, the environmental health division director said the prohibition should never have slipped through.
"Internally, this should not have happened," he said. "I accept responsibility for that."
Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said he is well aware of skateboarding's popularity, but insisted there must be a balance to keep the neighborhood peace.
"It's unfortunate that we end up having regulations because of neighbors that are inconsiderate of one another," he said.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to come up with something that works for everybody."
Corroon says he takes his own boys, 5 and 6 to skate parks, and noted the county supports everything from new skating facilities to the popular AST Dew Tour.
Brian Baade, a Salt Lake City resident who addressed the board this morning, called it "crazy" that skaters still must defend their sport before government bodies.
"It's a legitimate sport, but for some reason in the eyes of the public, it remains this little fringe thing," he said.
Ramps, he argued, are no nosier than swimming pools. What's more, traditional sports like baseball, basketball and soccer have declining numbers, he noted, citing numbers from the National Sporting Goods Association, while skateboarding is growing. Given Utah's rising obesity level, Baade said banning ramps that encourage the sport "seems asinine."
For at least six months, the health board seems to agree.
