City wants ideas for skate park
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Parks and Recreation Department leaders are seeking the input of local skateboard aficionados for the city's first planned skate park.

To get ideas from future park users, the city has scheduled a design workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Sat., Oct. 27 in the community center at City Hall, 799 Moorpark Ave.

The City Council approved the park in April as part of the Poindexter Park expansion project that will also include a basketball court, a play lot designed for preteens and picnic amenities.

The city wants to build a park that will attract and challenge all Moorpark skateboarders.

"Our goal is to provide a constructive, fun outlet for local skateboarders so that they don't have to travel out of town to enjoy their sport," said Mary Lindley, director of the Moorpark Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.

The 14,000squarefoot concrete in-ground park could include steps, a bowl, half pipes, rails and more. If people share their ideas on what they'd like to see incorporated into new the skate park, it's more likely to be successful, she said.

"Their input is going to be critical to the success of this particular skate park," Lindley said.

Construction on the final design will begin in early 2008 and should be completed next summer.

The city has a mobile skate park that's open weekly at Arroyo Vista Park, but its portability limits the options available to skateboarders, said Lindley. About 70 skateboarders registered to use the mobile facility and an average of 25 come each week.

"It's pretty low because the portable park is not as challenging as the kids would like to see," she said.

Since skateboarding can cause damage to property, the new skate park should provide relief to business center owners, the city and the school district because kids will have a designated, safe place to enjoy their sport, said Lindley.

Jordan Tyler, a 17-year-old Moorpark skateboarder, agreed.

"I want the city to hurry up with this process," he said. Right now local kids use business parking lots and schools to do their tricks because they don't have a place dedicated to skate, Tyler said.

For more information about the workshop and the future skate park, call Lindley at (805) 517-6216.