Sidewalk Ban OKd Despite Protest From Skateboarders

Fearing that they are being pushed out of the city, skateboarders staged a peaceful protest Monday evening in downtown Ventura before marching up California Street to City Hall.

There, they urged the City Council to hold off on enforcing a ban on skateboards, in-line skates and bicycles on downtown sidewalks until plans for a skateboard park can be realized.

“We just want a place where we can skate,” said Adam Esquivel, 13, one of about 100 skateboarders who packed the council chambers.

But their pleas could not persuade city leaders to stray from their course. The council unanimously voted to give final approval to the ban, which will go into effect July 31.

Before the vote, Councilman Steve Bennett encouraged the young audience to come back later this month when the board is scheduled to discuss a possible location for a skate park.

“I don’t think there is any question that skateboarding is a sport and needs a park,” he said.

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The protest earlier in the evening involved dozens of teenagers and adults who congregated at their favorite skate spot at the corner of California and Santa Clara streets.

“We just wanted to show how many people there are out there who skate,” said 17-year-old Amal Mongia, a Buena High School graduate who helped organize the rally. “If you are going to ban it, do something for us.”

John Jackson and his 10-year-old son, Jesse, joined the protest.

“It’s awful what they have done to the kids, banning skateboarding before they have someplace to go,” said Jackson, whose son carried a sign that read: “We’ve waited long enough, where’s our skate park?”

“He’s a skater,” Jackson said. “He needs a place to go.”

The short rally and subsequent march to City Hall were the latest twist in Ventura’s skate saga, which started last month after the council introduced a regulation banning skateboards, bicycles and in-line skates.

Police and merchants pushed for the ban after watching near collisions between skaters and pedestrians in the newly renovated downtown area.

But a week after introducing the regulation, the council voted to change the ordinance to exempt in-line skates--which triggered an angry response from business owners and police officials who helped draft the plan.

Last week, the council agreed to overturn that decision and include in-line skates in the list of prohibited activities.

Throughout the various twists and turns, skateboarders have been the silent minority. They have appealed to city leaders in the past to move ahead with plans for a long-promised skate park, but have seen few results.

Finally, their frustration turned to anger, they said, and the protest was organized.

“They said they were going to build [a skate park], and they are taking forever,” said Darius Jue, 17, a senior at St. Bonaventure High School who organized the event with Amal. “I want them to do it before I am old.”

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City leaders say their promise to deliver a skate park is still good. The city has earmarked $350,000 for such a facility, and park officials are trying to find a suitable site.

The issue is scheduled to come back for council consideration on July 29.

“I think the fact that the money has already been set aside should be very encouraging to them,” Councilman Jim Friedman said before the meeting. “The council has committed to building a skate park . . . we are not about to just forget about this.”