By Ashley Cohen
Staff Writer
The Manhattan Beach City Council gave the Parks and Recreation Commission permission on Jan. 7 to explore the feasibility of building a skate park in Manhattan Beach.
The Parks and Recreation Commission is researching locations, reaching out to the community for support and appealing for funds for the construction of the skate park. The idea was first discussed in 2001.
“The members of the Parks and Recreations Commission are very excited,” City Council member Mark Burton said. “It has been high on their agenda for over a year.”
According to Burton, Manhattan Beach skateboarders often get in trouble with law enforcement and business owners for skating on sidewalks, streets and in parking lots. The closest skate parks are in El Segundo, Hermosa Beach and Venice.
“Having a skate park in Manhattan Beach will benefit business owners, law enforcement and Manhattan Beach skaters,” skate park advocate freshman Shane Crow said. “The skaters will have a place nearby to go without destroying property and upsetting other people.”
This year, Crow and his father, Richard Crow, have raised awareness for the necessity of a skate park in Manhattan Beach.
“We attended a couple of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation meetings and one city council meeting,” Richard Crow said. “They were very supportive, so we tried to gain awareness for the cause through social media and asking skaters and parents to attend meetings.”
Burton estimates the skate park will cost from $400,000 to $1 million and cannot be built without funding from sponsors.
“I want this to be a high quality skate park, even if it takes a little longer to get grants and sponsors,” Burton said. “We want to do it right the first time.”
City Council member Tony D’Errico does not believe that building a skate park is a priority for the city.
“I do not want staff time used on this project right now,” D’Errico said. “It’s impossible to put this in front of our budget process. This isn’t the time, frankly.”
The Parks and Recreation Commission will continue discussions on this subject in May.
“We do not have to reinvent the wheel, and this does not have to be a painful process,” Richard Crow said. “Plenty of cities around us provide great examples of skate parks. All we have to do is convince the City Council to put this plan into action.”
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