VENTURA : Teens Ask Officials for Skateboard Park
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With pressure mounting from merchants and a renovated California Street beckoning, city officials in Ventura are studying alternatives for the skateboarders who slide their way across downtown.
At the first meeting of the city’s new skateboard committee, three Ventura City Council members listened to the concerns of the teen-age skateboarders and vowed to try opening a skateboard park somewhere in the city.
“It’ll probably be in one of our existing parks,” said Councilman Jim Monahan, who sits on the committee with Councilmen Steve Bennett and Jack Tingstrom.
“Most of the kids [at the meeting Wednesday night] were either from midtown or the west side, so we’ll probably focus on that area,” he said.
Monahan said the committee will ask the council for $6,000 to do site-selection and design work before requesting the $60,000 or $80,000 a skateboard park is expected to cost.
Merchants in the newly renovated downtown area have complained to the council that skateboarders scare away potential customers.
Under the city’s existing skateboard ordinance, the sport is permitted anywhere there are no signs posted prohibiting it.
Earlier last month, the council declined a request by Bennett to set aside $75,000 for a future skateboard park. But Monahan said he is confident the park will eventually be built.
“It’s a good way to give teen-agers a place to go and skateboard,” he said.
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