Skateboard park plan put before school board

Jessica Garrison

NEWPORT-MESA -- When it comes to the clickety-clack of skateboard

wheels scraping away district property, school board member Martha Fluor

figures that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, Fluor asked fellow board members

and district officials to consider opening a skateboard park on district

property, perhaps at one of the high schools.

“I know it’s a big issue,” said Fluor, the mother of an avid

skateboarder. “But our children deserve a place to go ... and they

shouldn’t be destroying our schools.”

Attempts to open skateboard parks in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa are

on the drawing board but have been stalled because of opposition from

residents.

In the meantime, hundreds of children addicted to the rush of ollies,

360s, and kick flips converge on school campuses after school, destroying

railings, benches and steps in the process.

Fluor, citing the success of Huntington Beach High School’s

four-year-old skate park, suggested Newport-Mesa should team up with city

parks and recreation departments to convert underused district land to a

playground for skateboarders, in-line skates and even bicyclists.

It is not the first time Fluor has proposed a place for skateboarders

to go. In the spring of 1998, she proposed a park be built in Bonita

Canyon in order to alleviate the amount of skating at Andersen

Elementary. Nearby residents put an end to that plan.

Skateboard advocates hailed her proposal, while some board members

worried that it is not the best use of district land and funds.

“I think it’s great,” said Paul Schmitt, a Costa Mesa resident and

skateboard manufacturer who has led the campaign to get a skate park at

Lyons Park.

“The kids are let down so bad [in not having a place they are allowed

to skate],” he added. “Huntington Beach is a great example. They don’t

have any problems, and anything I can to do to make it happen here, I’m

100% behind it.”

School board President Serene Stokes, however, worried about the

tremendous liability the district would face if a child were to be

injured while skating on district property.

“I think the lawsuits would be horrendous,” she said. “I wish we could

do it, but I don’t think it would be feasible.”

She added that the district faces too many pressing maintenance

problems -- $127 million by their own consultant’s estimate -- to even

consider construction of skateboard parks.

“We are asking the community for money to repair our schools, and I

would not want to go to them and ask for money to build skateboard

parks,” Stokes said.