By Paul Doherty Sports Editor Morgan Hill – The proposed and
long-awaited Morgan Hill Skatepark isn’t listed on the ranking Web
site sk8parklist.com, but after raising more than a quarter of a
million dollars and listening to community feedback, the park near
the Centennial Recreation Center could soon top that list.
By Paul Doherty
Sports Editor
Morgan Hill – The proposed and long-awaited Morgan Hill Skatepark isn’t listed on the ranking Web site sk8parklist.com, but after raising more than a quarter of a million dollars and listening to community feedback, the park near the Centennial Recreation Center could soon top that list.
Morgan Hill’s Department of Public Works is holding the first of two public-design workshops, 6-8pm tonight in the multi-purpose room of the CRC, 171 W. Edmundson Ave., to give skaters and the public the opportunity to tell skate park architect Brian Moore, with the Carlsbab-based Site Design Group, Inc., what they want in the new facility.
Morgan Hill Public Works Director Mori Struve, who is also the skate park project manager and event coordinator, said the new skate park is expected to cost between $500,000 and $600,000, much less than the $1.2 million the city originally estimated.
The park’s current budget of $161,000 is only getting its wheels turning, and it is undetermined how the rest of the money will be raised for the entire project, Struve said.
The park is slated to be built in the northeast corner, behind the parking lot of the CRC, but ground breaking will not take place until sometime after October when the money is raised and the City Council gives its stamp of approval.
“The Youth Advisory Committee has tried to raise some money,” Struve said.
The Morgan Hill City Council has directed the Public Works staff to work with the city and the youth on developing the skate park, Struve said.
From December of 2006 to February of 2007 the Youth Advisory Committee conducted a survey of 51 teens age 13-17 asking questions about the aspects of the proposed park.
Results show the teens would like to see a concrete park, open for all ages and welcoming to all levels of skaters.
When asked to select the top five must-haves for a skate park the survey reflected that youth want a bowl, quarter pipes, rails, benches and pyramids.
Site Design Group, Inc. has created some visually stunning skate park design examples, which will be shown at tonight’s workshop, and can also be seen online.
Interested parties can go to www.sitedesigngroup.com, and click on “Action Sports Development.”
Then type in the username “morgan” and the password “skate” to see a page with proposed concepts.
Anyone who goes to the Web site can e-mail comments, ideas, or questions to Site Design Group.
“We’re planning another public workshop in mid-August so the public can continue to have a say in the development of the park,” Struve said. “We have until October to go back to city council with the cost estimate and design, and we’re planning on getting input from the Park and Recreation Department as well as YAC before we go back to council.”
OLD SKATE PARK
Before and sometimes after getting a driver’s license, skateboards are a preferred choice of transportation for many youth.
Pre-teens and teenagers who don’t play organized sports, and some who do, turn to skateboarding for the athletic outlet and the social aspect.
While the plans for the park are underway, local youth still venture to the run-down temporary Butterfield skate park to meet friends and skate.
The city spent about $75,000 for the construction of the 8,000-square-feet skate park which became operational in January 2001, and was closed due to vandalism twice in 2005.
Only meant to last until 2005, Morgan Hill’s Department of Public Works has repaired the Buttterfield skate park for the past two years by intermittently spending between $2,000 and $3,000 a year to keep it operable, said Struve.
Fortunately, as the Butterfield skate park deteriorates past its useful life, the Morgan Hill Public Works Department is gaining momentum on the planned CRC Skate Park.
Until that takes place local skaters will have to grind it out at the current park.
