Skateboard park plan rolling slowly along

Elise Gee

COSTA MESA -- Spurred by growing frustration with skateboard park

delays, the City Council on Monday pushed staff to make solid

recommendations for a location for the facility.

Plans had been underway this year to build a 10,000-square-foot

skateboard park at Lions Park at the corner of 18th Street and Park

Avenue. But in May, residents pleaded with the council to reconsider the

location because of concerns that too much green space would be lost.

On Monday, council members got renewed pressure from skateboard

enthusiasts who pleaded with them not to wait any longer.

“We really want the project to proceed wherever the location’s going

to be chosen,” said Jim Gray, who has been an avid skateboarder for more

than 27 years. “There’s a lot of kids that every day, every week that

goes by, they’re just begging and dying, ‘Please, please, build our

skateboard park.”’

Before residents voiced concerns about the Lions Park location, city

staff had anticipated that construction on the skateboard park would

begin as soon as December. The council decided to reconsider the location

after residents in the Lions Park Assn. raised concerns about the

cumulative consequences the construction of a skateboard park and the

Downtown Community Center would have on Lions Park.

“We need (a skateboard park,)” said Lions Park Assn. member Bill

Turpit. “But it needs to be in a place that doesn’t eliminate other

important uses or needs in the community.”

Turpit said he and other residents didn’t want to lose open space at

Lions Park because it is used by many families who picnic there. He said

they also were concerned about drainage problems that could be

exacerbated by the construction of a skateboard park.

After those concerns were raised this summer, city staff was asked to

come up with a report looking at alternative sites within the city. They

presented rankings of more than 60 sites within the city to the council

Monday.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan initiated a motion Monday asking staff to

come back by the second council meeting in November with solid

recommendations for locations. She also asked staff to start discussions

with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for possible skateboard

sites at middle and high schools.

In addition, staff was asked to begin collecting public input on

possible skateboard parks at TeWinkle Park and the Civic Center. Cowan

also asked staff to come back with a long-term plan outlining possible

locations for two to three more skateboard parks in the city.

Although Cowan’s motion was passed 5 to 0, Councilman Joe Erickson

said he did not totally agree with the route the city was taking.

Erickson, who describes himself as an advocate for the legitimate

sport of skateboarding, said the city needed to “get off the dime.”

“It’s frustrating for me to simply ask for another report,” Erickson

said. “I think we need to be upfront with our young people that if we

don’t have the political backbone to build a skateboard park we should

just say that. We shouldn’t ask for another report.”

Paul Schmitt, who owns a skateboarding business and has offered to

donate $10,000 to the construction of a park, also spoke at Monday’s

meeting.

Schmitt said that participation and faith in government by young

people has been dwindling since the process stalled. He added that he

still considers Lions Park to be one of the best locations in the city

because of its accessibility, central location and visibility.

Erickson said that come November, the city might find itself back to

square one.

“I’m afraid that anywhere we decide to locate the park, there are

going to be residents that don’t want to have children and skateboards

near them,” he said.