Repairs to Carson City Battle Born Memorial will cost $45,000

Fixing damage caused to the Battle Born Memorial by four teens will cost upward of $45,000.

Director of Administration Patrick Cates said Tuesday the cracks to three of the black granite slabs and damage to the edges resulting from them riding their Razor Scooters and BMX bicycles across the flat surface will require replacement of all the granite, not just the damaged pieces. He said the problem is that granite is a natural stone and it would be almost impossible to guarantee a match between the new pieces and the existing ones.

“The governor said he wants it restored to the way it was when he dedicated it,” said Cates.

The other issue, he said, is Gov. Brian Sandoval wants it repaired before he leaves office in January. That, Cates said, may depend on the weather.

The teens caused the damage just three days after that Nov. 9 dedication ceremony.

Estimates for the granite alone, he said, are “a little bit less than $45,000.” And replacing or fixing the granite won’t be the only cost. After that, Cates said, Public Works has to figure out a way to prevent anyone else from riding on that surface and causing more damage. For teens and skateboarders, he said, that flat polished surface is just too tempting.

He said Public Works is now reviewing options to prevent a recurrence.

“I’m not sure what it’s going to look like but we definitely want to do something,” he said.

That would mean some sort of fencing or other barrier to keep boards and bikes off the granite. He said they’re talking with the artist who designed the memorial looking for a solution.

The artist’s original concept was a reflecting pool but that was nixed because, Cates said, “maintenance on it would be a mess.”

The perpetrators have been identified through video of them at the scene collected by security cameras. No charges have yet been filed but they could face anything from misdemeanor malicious mischief to a gross misdemeanor under NRS206.125. That statute states, among other things, anyone who knowingly vandalizes, defaces or otherwise damages religious structures, a cemetery or “other facility used for the purpose of burial or memorializing the dead,” is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. The penalty could be anything from a fine of $400-$1,000 and 100 hours of community service in addition to restitution for all damages.