TULSA, Okla. — Sounds of skateboards, scooters, and more have been a part of Quickie Mart Skate Shop's legacy throughout its time on South Peoria Avenue, especially at the alley beside it decked with ramps for practicing.
"And skate lessons," owner Ed Taylor told 2 News. "We feed (visitors). If they don't have skateboards we give them skateboards (and) safety gear."
One sponsored local athlete with his own poster displayed in front of the store is 18-year-old Isaiah Bridges, a 2023 BMX scooter wheelie champion who practiced there most of his childhood.
"There was a lot more fights (around me) when I first started coming here," Bridges said on Nov. 24. "But the same kids that was fighting and I had seen getting in trouble...I would see eventually picking up a skateboard or scooter or bike, and then coming here and started riding. And they lowkey kind of transitioned from that lifestyle and bettered themselves from this."
But the sound of metal clanging from boards and wheels, even after attempts at noise reduction, hasn't stopped noise complaints from neighbors over the last few years.
In addition, fines and notices from the City of Tulsa Code Enforcement for little things (lighting angles, displaying posters with the business logo, and inclines for practicing) around the property keep piling up.
Code enforcement considers the inclines and ramps specifically as unsanctioned outdoor entertainment and assembly. To the city inspector, it blatantly breaks coding laws.
The mayor's office's board of adjustment considered a permit for a special exemption for the graphics, fencing, ramps, and lessons, though.
"Unfortunately, there are five people, and the vote has a quorum. There has to be three. One was absent," Taylor said of the meeting on Nov. 19. "So (the vote) was 2-2, and therefore we lost."
After spending around $30,000 to try to fix or drop all violations, Taylor must get rid of all the ramps and inclines by Dec. 3. He's trying to sell them all for $10K, but even after that, he's not sure the business will survive.
Longtime employee Jesse Fox hopes more people get to know the south Tulsa spot he said he grew up with.
"(Taylor) forks out thousands and thousands of dollars for the community," Fox said. "I don't see how we're not trying to help."
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