SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — No matter the season, Van Aken District is a popular spot to sit back and enjoy the sunshine in Shaker Heights, whether you're a teen or an adult.
But a recent Facebook post from the district sent a reminder to teens and parents heading into the summer: "Please keep in mind that anyone under the age of 17 requires a parent or legal guardian to be in their company at all times."
“I didn’t even know about the 17 year old rule; I didn’t know anything about it,” Ellen Frank said.
The post quickly gained traction from proponents and opponents online, and visitors at Van Aken shared similar sentiments as those online.
“They can come here, and they can patronize the shops. They should be able to be here as long as they are not causing trouble; what’s the problem?” Michelle Miller said.
“Unfortunately, we are at a point and time in our society teenagers need to have some adult supervision in public spaces,” Lori Sanford said.
As the post started to attract more attention, Van Aken clarified in a comment:
"We want to provide some needed clarification on this post. We have unfortunately seen a number of issues with many unchaperoned youth that led to us being more vocal about our procedures. This includes: vandalism of common spaces, trespassing in restricted areas, and fighting.
The Van Aken District has always had an age regulation, however it was not something that was actively put on display. It continues to be a place that welcomes all members of the community, especially its youth. We are not changing anything about the way things will be enforced. If your child is here engaging as a patron, enjoying the space as it is meant to be, and not being disruptive, they are welcome.
We apologize for any ambiguity on our part and are certainly not trying to punish the majority of youth that have and regularly enjoy the District as it is meant to be. The Van Aken District thanks you for your understanding and support to make it a place that continues to be safe and enjoyable for dining, shopping, living, working, and gathering."
“I always said with my friends I wish my kids would’ve had a place like this to hang out at when they were in high school and middle school,” Frank said. “From everything I’ve seen, the kids are just hanging, laughing and having a good time.”
Others pointed to incidents at Pinecrest in Orange, where large groups of unruly teens had to be dispersed by police. That district later enacted a similar age restriction.
“A time restriction, or maybe it should be a restriction in terms of the number of kids, but unfortunately, kids have demonstrated that they have intended to do some bad things in large groups,” Sanford said.
Thursday night, police and security were out patrolling Van Aken, and some visitors said they believe that alone will deter any issues.
“If you have police supervision, just police presence, you don’t have to have a lot of it. Just stroll through, and that presence keeps all of that down,” Leonardo Melton said.
RELATED: New parental escort policy and no cruising policy are now in effect at Crocker Park
Crocker Park in Westlake also recently instituted a rule where minors must be accompanied by and adult. Watch more in the player below:
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