BMX bike riders could be left in the dust if the city builds a
skate park.
City officials to weigh the pros and cons of bikes and staff attendants at the proposed skate park
morgan hill
BMX bike riders could be left in the dust if the city builds a skate park.
Originally recreation leaders wanted a dual-use facility, but new concerns over injuries and liability are causing them to think twice.
The same concerns are popping up in a discussion on whether to staff the planned park with attendants whose salaries would cost the city $40,000 to $70,000 a year, a move skaters may reject outright.
“Nobody wants a little ‘police park,’ ” Morgan Hill City Councilman Greg Sellers said, adding too much supervision could curb use. “That would be unfortunate.”
The fear is skaters will go where the grown-ups are not, possibly avoiding an expensive city-funded park.
Hours of operation are still up in the air. At this point, the council still needs to come up with $460,000 to fund the facility, which could open next year near the Centennial Recreation Center.
Sellers noted the highly independent skater community has already adopted the plaza by the new library as the city’s hottest spot.
Councilman Larry Carr also seemed leery of too much supervision during a presentation by recreation official at last week’s council meeting. Carr expressed an attitude of trust toward skaters but seemed open to further discussing the issue of staffing.
“Hopefully the skateboard community would buy into the park, and help keep it safe,” Carr said.
Morgan Hill Recreation Director Steve Rymer said the city would need to balance safety needs with the desire to give skaters and BMX bike riders what they want.
The council will discuss how to pay for the park next month, and recreation officials are already taking a deep look at how the potential facility would be operated.
Of 32 parks reviewed by city recreation officials, 11 are staffed and 21 post signs without supervision.
Only one of the parks allows bikers and skaters without staff on hand to enforce the rules. Four staffed parks allow bikes at specific times.
Safety Rules
Because the proposed park would be right next to the Centennial Recreation Center, recreation officials believe skaters (and their parents) may be likely to pop in to report problems.
To avoid placing a burden on the center’s staff, officials said hiring attendants for the skate park might be a good idea. But that could lead to a usage fee to cover the $40,000 to $70,000 a year cost, according to one early estimate.
Some newer skate parks in Southern California charge a fee for this reason, according to a memo written by city recreation manager Chris Ghione.
As for injuries, California’s Health and Safety Code provides cities with limited immunity if certain measures are met, namely that skaters are 12 years old and safety rules are posted.
Many cities with public skate parks also pass an ordinance requiring safety gear.
However, the law provides no extra immunity for in-line skaters, BMX bike riders or other types of users. Additionally, the Association of Bay Area Government has noted that mixed-use parks (bikes and skateboards) are an increased liability risk, according to Ghione’s memo.
Ghione noted many cities that operate skate parks like the one Morgan Hill is considering building post signs prohibiting bikes at the facilities.
Wile scheduling times for these two uses would be ideal, Ghione told the council last week that posting signs would not likely keep bikes out without staff on hand to enforce the rules.
The council will hear more about the possible operation of a skate park during its Wednesday, Nov. 7, meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
Ways to pay for the park will also be discussed the same night.
If you’re interested in providing feedback and ideas on the proposed skate park, send emails to ch**********@***********ca.gov.
SKATE PARK SAFETY CONCERNS
- Bikes aren’t covered: California’s health and safety code doesn’t provide extra liability for cities that allow bikes, in-line skaters, or other types of users at public skate parks.
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Rules: Many skate parks are unsupervised, the city will weigh the pros and cons of providing attendants to enforce rules.
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Age: A number of parks require skaters to be at least 12 years old.
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Rejection: Some city officials fear skaters would go where the grown-ups are not, possibly avoiding a fully staffed city-funded park.
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Fees: A usage fee may be required if the park is staffed to cover the $40,000-$70,000-a-year cost.
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Feedback: The city welcomes your input and ideas on the skate park. Emails can be sent to ch**********@***********ca.gov.
Fundraiser to honor local skater who died in 1998 car crash
cody mcdevitt – special to the times
Morgan Hill
They were two 19-year-olds getting ready for marriage. It was Feb. 1, 1998 when the engagement ended. Timothy J. “T.J.” Carpenter was killed instantly when the 1965 Chevrolet Malibu he was traveling in spun out of control because of wet road conditions on Watsonville Road.
“I almost lost my own life, but I was fortunate,” said Josette Benavidez-Hatcher, who was sitting in the back seat and was Carpenter’s fiancee before he died. The two had been high school and junior high sweethearts. She’s 28 now.
As the 10-year anniversary of his death approaches, a fundraiser will be held in his memory. It will take place at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center on Nov. 23. The proceeds will go to the skate park that could get city funding if it’s approved next month.
Benavidez-Hatcher and Carpenter’s 32-year-old sister, Melissa, are the planners behind the event.
“He was a skateboarder, and when we were in high school, he attended the city council meeting to get the skate park built. It wasn’t built until years later after he had passed away,” Benavidez-Hatcher said, referring to the interim skate park on Butterfield Boulevard.
Yet it was the day of his birth, and not the day of his death, that gave family members and loved ones the inspiration to hold an event in his honor.
“Melissa called me on T.J.’s birthday, which is Sept. 3. She said, ‘You know what would be pretty cool … I understand they want to rebuild the skate park in Morgan Hill.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’ She said, ‘I think it might be cool to do a fundraiser.’ We kind of hoped that if we raised enough funds that we could get the skate park named after him. We started contacting people, the mayor (Steve Tate) and the advisory committee. They said they were more than happy to help with it.”
Last week, the council gave T.J.’s friends roughly $1,600 to hold the event.
Carpenter wanted to do something so people could remember T.J.’s life, but she felt it could be something more, something that could help people who never knew the kid they grew up with.
“I was going to hold a get-together to celebrate his life, and I had known about the city doing the skate park thing,” Carpenter said. “I figured, ‘Hey if we’re going to get together, why don’t we just charge people and give the money to the city?’ And it kind of blew up into this big thing.”
Organizers hope to raise more than $5,000 at the event.
There will be a slide show in honor of T.J, as well as a speaking area for people to share what they remembered of him before the accident. The city will consider putting in a plaque in his memory at the park.
“I think it’s wonderful that a community member has stepped out and helped out the community,” said Julie Spier, community services and planning manager at the Community and Cultural Center. “Ten years later we’re still talking about him. I don’t recall T.J. directly, but there was a lot of talk about it in 1999 regarding a new skate park.”
KNOW & GO
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What: A fundraiser for the potential skate park in Morgan Hill
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When: 6-10 p.m., Nov. 23
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Where: Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill
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Why: It’s a memorial service to T.J. Carpenter, an avid skater, who died in a car accident in 1998.
