Commentary: Costa Mesa is in need of another skate park

It’s a perfect time for a new skate park in Costa Mesa. With an estimated 6.44 million skateboarders in the United States it is among the most popular youth sports, and demand for places to skate should only increase.

Skateboarding is free and the equipment is affordable, while skate parks also add value to a city.

Recreation outlets are always a plus point for a city and adding a skate park only makes Costa Mesa more attractive. A new skate park will enhance Costa Mesa by offering a safe, supportive and positive environment for our skating community.

Having a skate park that is located on the Westside would make it more accessible for skaters, less of a commute for parents and decrease user congestion at the Volcom Park.

The skate park doesn’t have to be large like the Volcom Park at Tewinkle. The park could be proficient without a bowl or pool, perhaps simply rails, ledges and drops.

If designed properly, such parks are inexpensive to maintain, especially when land acquisition is unnecessary, no demolition would take place and the project offers long-term value to the city. Skate parks are community places where people can interact.

According to the Tony Hawk Foundation, skate parks should be located near where people walk by as visibility serves a park well.

A skate park, for example, at Lions Park would be centrally located and near the Westside, close to neighborhoods and also the police substation and fire department, should the need arise. Lions Park offers street parking and visibility for parents. And while it is close to neighborhoods it’s far enough not to bother residents with noise. A new park would have set hours of operation and be gated and fenced to mitigate noise from users.

The typology of the skate park could be a “skate spot,” which is a smaller functional scale park of 2,500-5000 square feet. A smaller-sized park limits noise and also is easier to integrate into an existing location, not to mention reducing construction costs.

Municipalities such as Portland and Los Angeles have created citywide skate park systems. These systems are a general plan for a network of skate parks throughout those cities.

Costa Mesa is the active apparel capital and home to several skateboarding companies, such as Vans (which announced plans to move here), RVCA, Hurley and Volcom. We should play up on our title and create a city wide skate park system for youth and adults to enjoy.

CHRISTOPHER BUNYAN ran for Costa Mesa City Council in the previous election.