LAGUNA BEACH : Council to Consider Skateboarding Park

After months of discussions and pressure from skateboard enthusiasts, the City Council next week will consider whether to create a skateboard park.

City law bans skateboarding on sidewalks and the beach boardwalk, leaving skateboarders few options for enjoying their sport.

And some residents have voiced concern about seeing skateboarders in the street, said Councilman Wayne L. Peterson, who is leading the drive to find a safe space for skateboarders.

“Nobody else was doing it, and I felt it was something we needed to do,” Peterson said. “The City Council has sort of talked about it off and on for a while but couldn’t find a location.”

Now, several possible sites have been identified where skateboarding ramps could be built. Peterson has suggested the frontage road leading to Ben Brown’s restaurant or one of five city parks--Alta Laguna, Old Top of the World, Moulton Meadows, Bluebird or Heisler.

Peterson said he will propose that the city staff evaluate each site and make a recommendation on how the city should proceed. The council is expected to consider Peterson’s concept Feb. 14.

Pat Barry, the city’s recreation director, said a group of about 30 skateboarders and several parents attended a Parks and Recreation Department meeting in September to ask that the city find ways for skateboarders to enjoy their sport safely and legally.

In response, the department studied other cities’ handling of the problem, including the two skateboard parks built by Huntington Beach.

The staff has not explored the costs involved in creating a place for skateboarders, Barry said.