Skate park construction about to air

Deirdre Newman

Skateboarders finally saw the fruition of their hard-fought battle to

get a skate park in the city at the groundbreaking of the Costa Mesa

Skate Park at TeWinkle Park Wednesday.

Construction of the 15,000-square-foot skate park is set to start

in October and be completed within six months.

About 100 people gathered at the corner of Arlington and Junipero

drives, near the Bark Park, where the skate park will be built to

commemorate the groundbreaking.

“I remember about six years ago, kids were drawing out what they’d

like to see in a skate park design,” Councilwoman Libby Cowan said.

“We adults didn’t follow through as quickly as we’d like. They got a

lesson in civics. But today shows ... we do listen and react.”

The enthusiasm coursing through the crowd was interrupted by two

Mesa del Mar residents who booed and shouted at the speakers during

the ceremony.

They said they weren’t notified of the groundbreaking and are

concerned about the negative effects the skate park may have on their

neighborhood.

“We are against it because of the environmental impact of taking

out trees and the parking situation,” resident Jeannine McGhee said.

“The whole neighborhood was totally against [the park]. We made some

suggestions of alternate sites.”

The City Council approved the skate park last October after

skateboarding enthusiasts like Jim Gray had pushed for a park for

more than a decade.

Wednesday, Gray credited the city of Newport Beach for motivating

skateboarders to mobilize in an organized fashion.

“After the Charle-Hamilton site [in Costa Mesa] fell through, the

mayor of Newport Beach said skateboarders are a defiant subculture,

and there will never be a skate park in Newport Beach,” Gray said.

“So we formed a coalition to show how passionate we are. It was

difficult, because skaters are an independent breed.”

Not all neighbors of the park are against it. Casey Swanson and

his son, Sam, 6, are both thrilled that a skate park will be in such

close proximity to their house.

“Right now, he just skates in the driveway,” Casey Swanson said of

Sam. “He’s gone to the mobile skate park a few times, but I’m glad

there’s a permanent facility where he can develop his skills. I’m

excited about it.”

Other skaters were equally enthused.

“I think it’s neat,” said Tori Schmitt, 10, whose father Paul is

another leading skate park advocate. “I can’t wait to use the skate

park, because I really like skating, and I’m really tired of driving

a half-hour to Laguna Niguel.”

Only one tree in the park will be removed to make way for the

skate park, public services director Bill Morris said. Once it’s up

and running, even critics will be impressed, recreation manager Jana

Ransom contended.

“There’s going to be some people opposed to it still, but I think

after it’s up, people will see it’s a tremendous facility and [will]

provide kids with an opportunity to do something good, not bad,”

Ransom said.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers government. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.