VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The new year came with a lot of winter weather, but despite all the snow, families in Virginia Beach missed out on a snow day tradition at the biggest hill in the city.
Sledding at Mount Trashmore has been banned for years, but that could change.
Council Member Rocky Holcombe said he’s asked the city manager to look into whether sledding could make a comeback.
“I drove up there and looked and I said, ‘There’s got to be a way we can figure something out,'" Holcombe said. “I’m looking at all that six inches, seven inches of beautiful snow on Mount Trashmore, thinking ‘Man, some folks could really have a good time.’”
Mount Trashmore sits in Council Member Michael Berlucchi’s district and Berlucchi said he supports Holcombe's push.
“People want to have fun! They want to go outside, enjoy the snow," Berlucchi said. "Mount Trashmore is the largest hill in Virginia Beach and every time that we get any substantial amount of snow, people look to Mount Trashmore and think about how much fun they could have sliding down Mount Trashmore on the snow.”
So with this support for sledding, why is it banned in the first place? Well, it’s a slippery slope, literally.
Back when sledding was allowed at the hill, there were injuries and lots of them. Tiffany Russell, the city’s interim communications director, said it’s a liability.
“Dangerous ground conditions or weather conditions – that’s something the city is mindful of," Russell said.
But Russell said city leaders have now assembled a team to research how to potentially allow sledding, safely.
“From Parks and Rec to emergency management services and legal, looking at that, evaluating the history of sledding in Virginia Beach," she said.