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.”