Councilwoman wants review of skate park

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- New City Councilwoman Karen Robinson has requested

another review of plans for a much-debated skateboard park which was

approved this fall.

“I’m not challenging the skate park, I’m just calling it up for

review,” Robinson said. “I’d like us to be sure that we have the best

location and that we have explored all the safety issues given the lack

of parking ... I want to be sure that we’re sure that we’ve thought about

all that.”

Robinson said she was prompted to bring the skate park back for

discussion after Costa Mesa resident Laura Cocroft spoke at a Dec. 18

council meeting about a Daily Pilot article on a 32-year-old woman who

was hit Dec. 6 while crossing the street near the skate park site.

“I’m so excited they are relooking at it,” Cocroft said. “That

location is ludicrous.”

City officials and residents have for more than two years debated over

the location of the park. The city has been interested in building a park

for 10 years and began looking at locations in 1998, when state law

changed to protect cities from skateboard liability.

Last year, the council approved plans to build the skate park at Lions

Park, but later backed off when neighbors objected. The council approved

a new -- though still highly controversial -- location at Hamilton and

Charle streets in October. With designs in their final stages, city staff

plans to bid for a contractor to build the park in a month.

But those plans could be put in hold if Robinson and Councilman Chris

Steel, who was also elected in November, get their way.

“I also wanted to request a review of the skateboard park,” Steel

said, adding that he is against the Lions Park location. “I have a lot of

questions about the whole idea of the skateboard park at this time, such

as about possible repercussions, whether it is a long-term thing, whether

there’s really solid support for it, liability, parking and all that kind

of stuff. I just want to be more reassured. I’m not against it

necessarily, but without more information, I would vote no on it. I don’t

think it’s the best location. I think the decision was a bit premature,

that the council acted in haste.”

Councilwoman Linda Dixon, who voted for the skateboard park in

October, said the decision was not premature and the site is a good one,

with fast food, public transportation and telephones nearby.

“I can say that we’ve studied every single park in Costa Mesa,” she

said. “While the [site on Hamilton and Charle streets] is not an ideal

location, I think it’s a wonderful start and will give the youth

something they’ve been longing for for 10 years. We are a very urbanized

community that has been almost entirely built out. We don’t have the

luxury of a lot of available open space and we’re trying to do the best

we can for our youth with what we have. I hope this doesn’t hold us up, I

hope the kids don’t lose faith in the City Council and I hope [Robinson]

will see that we’ve studied this and that we’ll move forward.”

However, Councilman Gary Monahan -- who voted for the park in October

although he disagreed with the site -- could be a third vote to halt the

process. Monahan said he still thinks the park belongs at Lions Park

Mayor Libby Cowan could not be reached for comment.

Costa Mesa resident Jim Gray said the city’s children have waited long

enough.

“The kids have been waiting forever,” he said. “I just got the revised

plans and it would be pretty stupid of the city to want to spend the

money twice and start all over again.”