By Emily Dubinsky
Staff Writer
Manhattan Beach City Council is discussing the building of skate structures throughout the city after the many residents’ requests to create skate structures as there is not a safe place for children to skate.
Idris Jassim Al-Oboudi, the Service Manager of Parks and Recreation, is working with Manhattan beach residents and the City Council to establish areas around Manhattan Beach to build skate structures. According to Al-Oboudi, these structures will serve as much safer places to skate as opposed to in the middle of the street, where most kids skate now.
“They need somewhere safe to go and skate,” Manhattan Beach parent and an involved head in the building of the skate structures Nicole Hirshberg said. “There is nowhere for the kids to skate in Manhattan Beach”.
The city of Manhattan Beach contracted with Stantec’s Action Sports Team, a designing company, to design the skate structures. If approved, three possible locations for the structures are Manhattan Heights Park, Marine Park and El Porto.
“I am super excited for these structures to be built all over Manhattan Beach,” Hirshberg said. “Now each kid will have a skateboarding friendly environment near them”.
Skating structures that will be implemented include skate-dots, skate-spots, skate-paths, and skateable art. According to Al-Oboudi, these new structures will allow kids to get the opportunity to skate in a safe, skateboard-friendly environment.
“I really hope these plans get approved,” freshman skater Kyra Williams said. “There is no place in Manhattan Beach to skate without getting hurt or in trouble”.
According to Al-Oboudi, some residents do not support the creation of the skating structures because they think the kids will continue to disobey rules and regulating regarding where you can and cannot skate, and what you can and cannot skate on.
“Most people have a preconceived idea of what kids are going to do while skating, so that’s why they are against the building of these structures,” Al-Oboudi said.
Al-Oboudi is holding frequent meetings with residents and City Council members to discuss plans for construction until the plans to build skate structures throughout Manhattan Beach are approved. His goal is there to be skate structures not too far from every resident’s home, so that the kids will have a safe area devoted to just skating.
“One day, hopefully, people will open up their mind to the idea of a skate park, so kids don’t get in trouble or damage things where they shouldn’t be skating,” Al-Oboudi said.
Leave a Reply