No more skate park delays

Oh my goodness, here we go again. Another change for the skateboard

park.

Supporters are still confident that the park will be built soon.

But if history is any indication this could easily be another

long-term delay.

And the longer the skate park takes, the more people it hurts.

Kids that were waiting for the skate park when the YMCA got involved

and the issue was first before the City Council about three years ago

are likely off to college by now. The notion of a skate park has been

bandied about for more 10 years. The idea was first broached by

former Mayor and Councilman Wayne Peterson. He said he was driving up

Park Avenue the first time it occurred to him that a skate park was

essential.

He said he saw some kids racing down the street on their

skateboards.

“If they’d come upon a car .... They still do that because we

don’t provide them with any opportunity,” he said.

He said YMCA-run skate parks in other cities are examples that it

can be done safely and efficiently in Laguna, but the parks are too

far for Laguna kids to use.

But even after the council decided a skate park was a good idea,

the process was full of obstacles.

Back in August 2000 the City Council considered constructing a

skate park at Big Bend off Laguna Canyon Road. They decided the

entrances and exits were too dangerous and voted to reconsider the

location.

Then, after years of considering Bark Park a viable spot, the

council voted last March not to build the park there, and decided to

reconsider Big Bend. Now, it seems, the city is assuring the YMCA

that the area will be safe enough to locate a skate park there.

It sounds like a setback but Peterson said it’s for the best.

“Bark park doesn’t meet the rules,” he said. “There’s no phones,

not enough parking ...”

Larry Nokes, chairman of the Orange County YMCA, also didn’t take

the vote as a negative development. He said he doesn’t know why the

city decided against Bark Park, but has been assured that it is not a

stalling tactic and is confident that the next steps in the skate

park development will go smoothly.

He added the YMCA has a contract with the city to put the skate

park at Bark Park and was already working on design plans based on

that location, but he said he’s happy with the Big Bend proposal.

“I think it’s picturesque,” he said. “I’m not sure what the city’s

motivations were for insisting so strongly it be moved, but I’ve been

assured they did not do it for purposes of delay.”

The city is contributing about $75,000 toward planning and

development of the park; they will wave certain costs for permit fees

and the YMCA of Orange County is raising money to fund the

construction of park and will run the park.

Peterson said one of the bad things to come from another change is

that would-be supporters get hesitant about giving funds.

“Raising money all stops again,” he said. “I’m anxious to start

helping them raise money.”

Though Nokes said he is confident that the park is on its way, he

also said it has never been this difficult to get a skate park in.

“Wayne has been working on this longer than most human beings have

the patience for,” Nokes said. “This has been difficult from a

variety of perspectives.”

“We think a skate park, based on success in other towns, would be

a great thing with Laguna Beach, particularly since we have a vibrant

surfing and vibrant skate culture, and tremendous amounts of

interest.

“I’ll be happy when first the shovel full of dirt comes out of the

ground, until I see that happen I don’t know where it will be.”

Through the ever-changing dynamics of the Laguna Beach City

Council, the skate park has been generally supported for years. It’s

commendable that the council is not fighting the idea of a park, but

let’s hope they don’t just postpone it to death.