Skateboard park plans may be sent back to drawing board
Jennifer Kho
COSTA MESA -- Although Councilwoman Karen Robinson’s attempt to scrap
the already approved plans for a skateboard park was rejected Tuesday,
the issue is far from over.
On Wednesday, Councilman Gary Monahan -- who was absent from Tuesday’s
meeting when the council deadlocked on a proposal to start anew with
plans for the park -- requested another review of the project.
Councilman Chris Steel joined Robinson in opposing the site at Charle
and Hamilton streets, which means Monahan -- who previously voted for the
project -- could be the necessary third vote to reverse the council’s
October approval of the skate park.
“It’s just a horrible site for a skateboard park,” Monahan said. “If
we’re going to have one, the kids deserve a better spot. We could build
two to three small parks for the price we’re going to spend on the Charle
and Hamilton park. Fiscally and from a safety standpoint, I believe it’s
a bad site.”
Councilwoman Linda Dixon and Mayor Libby Cowan have continued to
support the Charle and Hamilton streets site.
“It’s the prerogative of any City Council member to call something up
for a rehearing,” Cowan said. “But I think we’ve rehashed this. We’ve
made a decision. We need to support this and go forward. I can tell you
that any site will be deemed unsafe or unwanted by the people in the
neighborhood. I think the [park] is an amenity to add to a neighborhood
that doesn’t have a lot of public amenities.”
City officials and residents have for more than two years debated 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 the state law
changed to protect cities from skateboard liability.
Council members approved a skate park last year at Lions Park but
changed their minds after neighbors pointed out potential flooding and
traffic problems.
With designs for the Charle and Hamilton park now in the final stages,
city staff are less than a month away from bidding for a contractor to
build the park -- although plans may be tossed back to the drawing board
if the council votes to reverse its October decision.
Residents continue to express emotional opinions about a skateboard
park and its location. A number of Costa Mesa skateboarders said they are
frustrated that there may be yet another delay in the city’s attempts to
build a park.
“This has got to get finished,” said Chuck Hultz, a Costa Mesa
skateboarder. “This is ridiculous. It is not worth going over it all
again, and I’m shocked the new council members have the power to do that
so soon. . . . Having to skate across the street to get to the park has
to be safer than what they’re doing now -- skateboarding in the street
every day. How can not building a skateboard park be safer?”
But other residents said they were worried the city’s haste to placate
skateboarders could cost the children their safety.
“I felt relieved that our efforts were actually being heard and our
point of view actually being acknowledged,” said Hector Jiminez, who
lives near the site. “Now it’s seeping in and, once the [council members]
realize how grave this error will be, we feel we can win them over.”
Connie Duddridge of Costa Mesa said a skateboard park is necessary but
not at the current site.
“I hope [Steel] gets with the program and figures out that [the
skateboard park] is something the kids here need,” she said. “But I’m
glad the issue is being given more attention because the site is far from
being a great location, in my opinion and my kids’ opinions.”
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