Skate Park Passes Milestone

by Scott Peters
October 2003

I am pleased to report that on September 23rd, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved plans for the Rancho Penasquitos Skate Park. This has been one of my top 10 priorities in Council District 1 and I believe that the park will provide a great place for children to play. This approval follows near unanimous approvals from the City's Planning Commission and Park & Recreation Board as well as the PQ Planning Board, Town Council and Recreation Council. The final approval of the skate park by the City Council is an important milestone. The community has been working on this project for over 6 years and I am glad that we were able to move an important step closer to its opening.

The City Council approved a 20,000 square foot skate park on a 44,465 square foot parcel of land next to the 24-Hour Fitness Center in the Stater Brothers shopping center. The site was donated to the City by Caltrans, which has also agreed to enter a cooperative agreement with the City for the use of parking spaces in their park and ride lot adjacent to the site. The site was chosen by the PQ recreation council after conflict arose over a proposal to put the project at Hilltop Park. The new site will increase park space in Rancho Penasquitos by utilizing a parcel that is now home to vagrants, and allowing the remaining space at Hilltop Park to be used for passive recreation.

The site is already utilized by skateboarders who skate in the parking lot and hang out at a popular local skateboard shop in the center. The site offers parents the ability to drop their children off at the skate park and go grocery shopping or work out and it is my hope that the skate park near the shopping center will be the first step towards renovating the center. Also, the site is located near two major highways and is on a bus route, which will make the site easily accessible without pulling traffic into residential neighborhoods.

The park is designed as a street course with a mixture of concrete and wood structures and a landscaped buffer around the entire perimeter consisting of trees, shrubs, and ground cover to help blend the project with the surrounding neighborhood. The park is designed for all ability levels from beginners to the more advanced skaters, and will be a place that allows older and younger kids to practice the sport together. The total project cost is estimated at $1.3 million. We've secured about half of the funds, and are looking at State Park bonds and sponsorships to complete the funding of the park.

I would like to thank all of the members of the Rancho Penasquitos community that have weighed in on this project. I would particularly like to thank the Recreation Council, Planning Group and Town Council for their support. This project illustrates how problems can be solved and great things accomplished when the community comes together to support our kids.