Capitola Skatepark meeting Jan 26 th

Capitola votes to send skate park back to designer

CAPITOLA - More than 40 people spoke Thursday night before the City Council including neighbors, skateboarders and parents on the proposed skate park.

But every member of the City Council had a different view on what the park should look like.

City Councilman Kirby Nicol proposed to send the project back to the drawing board, design it for pre-teens, with a size that is 6,000 square feet instead of the proposed 9,000 and features that are less noisy.

Councilman Dennis Norton argued for a 7,000-square-foot park, but Nicol would not accept an amendment.

"I'm not going to support the motion," City Councilman Sam Storey said, prompting applause.

The council voted 3-2 to send it back. Harlan and Storey opposed it.

"The story isn't written," said Termini. "We're waiting to hear from the skater community."

After the vote, Tricia Proctor, a mother of two kids who skateboard, said, "I'm not disappointed. I'm happy to have the support of the council. I do think the smaller size will be a bit harder to raise money for."

Her son Zac, 12, said, "It could have been bigger, but 6,000 square feet is still enough."

Evan Bomango, 10, was happy the city picked Monterey Park.

"I think it's really good for my neighborhood," he said.

After the vote, Capitola resident Gerald Weizenbach, 49, said he wished the council would go for a small kiddie skate park at Monterey Park and something for advanced skaters on McGregor.

"I love board sports," he said.

Best chance for a Skateboard Park! Vote Nov. 4

If you vote and live in Capitola vote for Mike Termini and Dennis Norton for Capitola City Council. They believe in the future of Capitola. Both want a skateboard park and to bring back the Capitola Classic event. Both are backed by the Sierra Club and want to plan for the future of Tola. Unlike the current mayor who is a skater hater, Tiki hater and pro development.

The three properties recommended

The city has identified three public parcels for possible use as a skate park.

The properties are:
* The drainage basin at 38th Avenue and Brommer Street.
* Upper Noble Gulch Park near Bay and Monterey avenues.
* The McGregor lot formerly used as the summer shuttle parking lot, next to New Brighton State Beach.

The City Council will hear testimony on the sites at a hearing Thursday. Copies of a staff report on the issue will be available today. Copies can be picked up at City Hall, 420 Capitola Ave., or on the city's Web site at www.ci.capitola.ca.us

Capitola scraps McGregor Drive lot for skate park, eyes Nobel Gulch Park

The city, which has no money set aside to build a skate park, also needs to explore ways to finance the project. The estimated cost of the planning, design and permitting is $50,000 to $100,000, depending on the site. The construction costs would vary from $200,000 to $300,000 for a 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot park, plus the costs for any site improvements such as restrooms and parking. City officials are considering donations, fundraisers and allocating some money from its contingency reserves.

Full article:
By Soraya Gutierrez
Sentinel staff writer

Sentinel Update Feb. 29, 2007

Great turn out at the Capitola City Council meeting on February 22, 2007

After going to the meeting and listening to all the kids wishing they could have a skate park in there neighborhood, it brought back memories of all the decades I’ve waited for a good skate park in Santa Cruz. Ironically the meeting was the evening of the same day as the Grand Opening for the Santa Cruz Skate Park. Our local kids need a place to skate. As a young teen skater we use to have to drive to Modesto and Sacramento to skate. That was a 2 1/2 hour – 3-hour one-way trip. In the mid 70’s we would drive to San Jose and skate 3 parks a night. San Jose had a park on Winchester Blvd. Bascom Avenue, Sunnyvale Saratoga, Milpitas, Newark, and Alameda. The only thing we had was Soquel Skate Park, which had bad transitions and poor concrete (sorry Ed). It sucked to put it lightly. Derby wasn’t any better. For a short while we had the Frederick Street Park but some kids got hurt and the city cut it in half and took the speed and fun out of the place.

I hope to motivate and inspire skaters in this community to keep the pressure on and to keep going to these meetings. You are the future of our community. I’d like this blog to be a spot where we can keep the local skate community posted on what is going on.