Skate park surprises, pleases city leaders

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Councilman Gary Monahan said he was surprised to open

the paper Wednesday morning and read that his city had ventured into a

collaboration with Newport Beach to create a skateboard park.

“It doesn’t mean we’re not, it just means I haven’t heard about it

yet,” Monahan said.

Monahan was not the only council member out of the loop. Mayor Linda

Dixon and Councilman Chris Steel also were not aware of the discussions.

Newport Beach Mayor Tod Ridgeway’s announcement Tuesday night about

initial talks between the neighboring cities was a surprise to most of

the Costa Mesa City Council, but each member welcomed the idea.

“I believe we have all sorts of activities and programs for our youth,

and this is another one that needs to be addressed,” Dixon said.

Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder said talks between the two cities

had been going on for months at the Parks and Recreation Commission level

but had not reached the council.

“The discussion may just be a lot of shared frustrations about the

inability to find a suitable location,” Roeder said, adding that he was

aware of a couple of meetings between the two commissions but was unsure

of the outcome.

Roeder said he tried to call his Newport Beach counterpart, Homer

Bludau, on Wednesday to see what Ridgeway had in mind but did not have

any luck.

Dixon, who supported previous efforts to build a skateboard park in

Costa Mesa, said she would be happy to work with Newport Beach on a

collaborative project or with anybody who might have ideas for one in her

city.

“I continue to support the idea,” she said. “I am disappointed that we

haven’t heard any recommendations from the council members who felt the

last site was inappropriate.”

Last year, Costa Mesa council members halted plans for a skateboard

park at the corner of Charle and Hamilton streets as the plans reached

their final design stages. The site was dropped by a 3 to 2 vote, with

Dixon and Councilwoman Libby Cowan dissenting.

Monahan said Wednesday that his vote then -- and any future votes --

would hinge on one thing: location.

“I’ll be more than happy to push a skateboard park when the right

location is found,” Monahan said.

Steel, who also voted down the Charle Street location, said he has

pushed for a joint venture for more than a year but had no information

about the likelihood of sparking such a partnership. He said he would

like to see a skateboard park somewhere on the Westside.

“I’ve been trying to elevate this to a higher level to see if we can

nail this down,” Steel said.

Residents in both cities have been waiting for a skateboard park for

more than a decade. Costa Mesa officials gave the idea serious

consideration in 1998 when state law changed to protect cities from

serious liability.

Since then, hopes for a park have wavered from the possibility of one

at Lions Park to Charle Street to the most recent talks between Newport

Beach and Costa Mesa.

Proponents don’t care whether they get their park as a result of a

team effort or one city: They just want one.

A large group of residents was scheduled to make a silent showing of

support Wednesday night at the Costa Mesa parks andrecreation master plan

meeting.

Dana Cook, who supports a skateboard park, said her city leaders need

to realize that many kids ride skateboards. The city’s traveling skate

park is a step in the right direction but doesn’t address the roots

skateboarding has in this community.

Skateboarding is not going away, she said.

“The mobile skate park is really just a Band-Aid,” Cook said.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. she may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .