Still Searching for Skateboard Site

City officials said they will have to start over on finding a site to build a skateboard park.

Officials had hoped a park could be built at Stanton Park, owned by Southern California Edison Co. An architect had even prepared plans for a park at that location. But late last week, City Manager Terry Matz learned that Edison prohibits skateboard facilities on its land because of liability fears.

Matz said that previous discussions with Edison officials had been positive. It was only when the issue was referred to Edison’s legal department that company officials told them about Edison’s policy.

“It’s a big disappointment,” Matz said. “We really saw that site as a good location.”

Plans to build a skateboard park in the city began in February when residents and skateboarders began urging the council to build a park. Residents said they objected to the noise and commotion caused by skateboarders using city streets. Skateboarders said they needed a place of their own so they won’t have to disturb neighbors and local businesses.

City officials said they have funding to build a skateboard park, but no site. This is the second time an outside agency has rejected Stanton’s plans to construct a park. In June, Savanna Unified School District said the city could not build a park on tennis courts that Stanton leases from the district. Stanton Park was the city’s next-best hope.

With both the tennis courts and Stanton Park unavailable, city officials will begin scouring the city once again for potential sites, Matz said. The city leases all of its parks from Edison and thus has no available open space on which to build a skateboard park.

Matz said that he hasn’t given up hope of finding a location. Buying or leasing open space is a possibility. However, since Stanton is a built-out community with little available land, finding land may be difficult.

Judy Silber can be reached at (714) 966-5988.