Skate Park Site Rejected by Council

Dashing the hopes of dozens of skateboarding youths, the City Council shot down a proposal to build a skate park at Promenade Park near the beach and downtown Ventura.

Frustrated skateboarders shook their heads in disbelief as they walked out of the council chambers after a two-hour discussion late Monday night.

They had hoped that the panel would listen to their repeated pleas to create a legal place to skate after imposing strict laws prohibiting skating and other activities around the city.

“I really wanted a skate park,” said 11-year-old Patrick Altman. “I am pretty discouraged.”

“They are just delaying, delaying,” said Patrick’s mother, Lorraine Altman. “I am very disappointed. The children are paying the price for this.”

Ventura skateboarders have waited for nearly two years for the council to make a decision on long-awaited plans for a skate park. The council already agreed to earmark $350,000 in its current budget for such a facility, telling supporters recently that establishing a skate park was a top priority.

But Monday night, the council voted 4 to 3 against a staff recommendation to designate Promenade Park as the site for a skate park.

The council majority criticized the location, saying that additional studies should be conducted before settling on the beachfront site.

They also pointed to a new proposal to build an as-yet-unspecified development behind the park, an idea that surfaced publicly for the first time Monday. And some council members said they sided with nearby residents, who complained that a skate park would disrupt the peaceful character of the beach promenade.

“I don’t think this is the best place for a skate park,” Councilwoman Rosa Lee Measures said before the vote.

Earlier in the meeting, Measures said voting in favor of the site would be a “knee-jerk reaction,” and she advocated conducting a “needs assessment” study first.

“I support a skate park,” she said, “but I think it is premature tonight.”

Measures and other council members who voted against the Promenade Park location were harshly criticized by their council colleagues, who said the city’s youngsters have waited patiently for them to take action on this matter.

“I really believe we have delayed long enough,” Councilman Jim Friedman said. “They have waited a long time, and we should award their patience.”

Friedman, Councilman Steve Bennett and Mayor Jack Tingstrom voted in favor of building at Promenade Park, which was selected after a lengthy study of all Ventura parks and some school district properties.

“We have taken a look at every park in the city,” Tingstrom said, voicing the same frustration as some of the 30 or 40 skateboarders in the audience.

About a month ago, the council voted to ban skateboarding, bicycling and in-line skating on downtown sidewalks. Last week, the council agreed to post a similar ban at two shopping centers in east and central Ventura.

“I think they should open a park for us,” 13-year-old Mike Torres said after the meeting.

Added 13-year-old Andrew Juliano: “We are getting kicked out of every other place.”