HUNTINGTON BEACH : City OKs Funding for Skateboarding Plaza

City and school district officials have approved plans to build a community skateboarding plaza at Huntington Beach High School and to make improvements to the entry of the school’s football stadium.

The agreement may be the first in the nation in which a city has agreed to pay most of the cost for a public skateboard area at a school, Community Services Director Ron Hagan said Monday.

The skateboard area will be located on the east end of the campus, next to Main Street. It’s expected to be completed when the school year starts next September. The project is expected to cost $185,000 with the city paying $125,000 and the Huntington Beach Union High School District paying $60,000.

The city’s portion of the expense will come from redevelopment funds because the skateboarding and stadium entry constitute public use, according to Hagan.

The 80-by-70-foot skateboard plaza would be located near the stadium, away from classrooms, Hagan said. It’s intended to eliminate unauthorized skateboarding at the high school and at the plaza at City Hall, both incurring about $20,000 in damage a year from the activity, according to Hagan.

Plans at the stadium include new ticket booths, landscaping, security lighting and a new stadium sign.

Officials are asking the district to permit the city to use the stadium up to 10 times a year without having to pay a fee.

School district officials previously have authorized use of the stadium up to four times a year without charge and are expected to increase the use to 10 times. Trustee Jerry Sullivan said the school has incurred a great deal of damage from skateboarders and expects trustees to approve the increased use.