Lace Up Those Skates: Roller Rink Approved for Murrieta

Murrieta residents will be able to lace up their roller skates and hit the rink as soon as Nov. 1.

Epic Rollertainment, an indoor roller skating rink and entertainment zone, was approved Thursday by Murrieta city officials.

Demolition inside an existing building at 39808 Avenida Acacias, Suite K, that formerly housed a furniture store, is set to begin Monday to make way for the 11,000-square-foot wooden rink, said owner operator Shauna Grammatico.

“We just decided this would be something that would be amazing for our community,” the 34-year-old Grammatico told city planners during a public hearing.

Grammatico, a 12-year Murrieta resident and mother of two, said the venue she will own along with her husband, Joe, is something she has dreamed of opening for at least a decade.

“We have such a rapidly growing area...And now I think we are playing catch-up as far as the business and entertainment aspect of it.”

The rink would obviously be a draw for the area’s youth, she said, but their plan is to ensure it is comfortable for families and residents of all ages.

“This is something I feel the whole community can get involved with...anyone from 2 to 92 can get on roller skates,” said Grammatico, who worked at roller skating rinks as a young adult growing up in Phoenix, Ariz.

An opening date of Nov. 1 is what they are shooting for, she said.

Once completed, the rink will be located to the right of the entrance to the 28,000-square-foot facility. To the left will be an entertainment zone that will include a game arcade, cafe and themed party rooms.

City staff had reviewed the application beforehand, and recommended their approval. At the end of Thursday’s brief hearing, city officials granted a minor conditional use permit in order for the project to move forward.

Epic’s hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday, according to City Planner Aaron Rintamaki.

City Engineer Bob Moehling, who served as the city official for the meeting and gave the ultimate approval, quizzed Rintamaki as to whether those hours correlate with other businesses in that center.

Rintamaki said yes, that Aces Comedy Club and Brewligion are open until midnight on weekends.

A resident who lives nearby expressed support for the venue, but had some concerns she hoped the city would consider addressing.

“I think it is awesome that we are going to have something to do,” said Barbara Swartz, who lives on Lacebark Drive in the housing tract directly behind the center. “My kids’ biggest complaint is there is ‘Nothing to do in Murrieta.’ So I think that’s awesome.

“My concerns really are not that big...but I know we are going to be drawing from other areas... and those people coming from outside don’t have a vested interest in the community as we have.”

Swartz expressed worry that once the rink closes at midnight, youth would hang out in the area until 1 or 2 a.m.

Her other concern was that the exit from the center to Los Alamos Road was not well-lit and that the rink would bring more traffic, complicating an already difficult-to-maneuver intersection.

“My son has already been in an accident there...so if that could be addressed so that traffic flow there was better we would all appreciate that,” she said to city planners.

City Planner Cynthia Kinser clarified that the entrance and exit—a five-way intersection near the Shell gas station and IN-N-OUT—is not city property and is the responsibility of the center owner.

Staff pointed out that when Miguel’s Jr. went in, stop signs were installed, and said they would continue to work with property management in an effort to improve the intersection.

The rink's approval is final unless it is appealed within 10 days, Kinser said.

About the security and safety for visitors of the rink, Grammatico said she has already been in talks with the Murrieta Police Department. She has also visited several existing rinks as far away as Arizona to learn more about how they staff theirs with security such as local officers.

“We are looking into a very top notch security system for our facility because I want to bring back that comfort level so a parent can drop their kid off at a roller rink and be fine and not concerned about their safety,” Grammatico said, adding that it will be a “no tolerance” facility from the start.

“We are really just trying to bring back a lot of the nostalgia from our youth but in a 21st Century way,” Grammatico said.

Instead of seeing children such as her own “hop on their Xbox,” she said the rink will bring a needed entertainment option to the community.

She added that the rink will employ about 50 people part-time. A job fair will be announced at least a month before the venue's targeted opening date of Nov. 1, she said.