Skaters will see Costa Mesa’s skatepark more than doubled in size along with new features like a clover pool, pump track, snake run and a quarter pipe.
While the skatepark will keep its original footprint – including obstacles like the kidney pool, a bowl and existing street obstacle area – the total square footage is expected to more than double from 15,000 square feet to 34,000 square feet.
That’s on top of a new street area that’s slated to feature things like quarter pipes, a grind rail and manual pad where skateboarders can ollie or kickflip up onto a platform and manual – ride on two wheels – across it.
“It’s one of the most popular skateparks in the county,” Costa Mesa Public Works Director Raja Sethuramen said during the April 7 council meeting. “The project goal was to actually double the size of the skatepark, however the final design ended up with almost 19,000 square feet of expansion.”
City council members voted unanimously to approve the expansion project.
“I’m really happy this project is moving forward,” Mayor John Stephens said at the meeting. “I think it’s going to be a great, beautiful project.”
At least 23 out of Orange County’s 34 cities have a municipal skatepark, where people can practice their skills on ramps, in pools and on street obstacle courses without having to worry about traffic or trespassing and getting injured on private property – one of the chief concerns in the early days of skateboarding.
Cities were also reluctant to build skateparks until late 1990s, when a 1997 state law was passed that shields municipalities from liabilities by declaring skateboarding a hazardous activity – largely preventing injury lawsuits from being filed against towns like Costa Mesa.
[Read: Skating Across Orange County]
Costa Mesa’s skatepark expansion, capped at $3.4 million, is slated to come from a mix of funds.
According to a staff report, $1.7 million is from COVID bailout money from Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley’s discretionary spending, $100,000 from park development fees, $300,000 from the capital improvement fund and nearly $1 million in leftover money from other capital improvement projects.
Staff are asking that the remaining $500,000 is earmarked in next fiscal year’s capital improvement fund.
Sethuramen said the skatepark expansion should be finished by next April, adding that it will feature Orange County’s first concrete pumptrack.
Pumptracks are courses featuring small banks, inclines and declines that people can use to skate through without having to push the skateboard – instead using their legs and balance to maintain speed while navigating the banks and slopes.
Such tracks are a good way for beginning skateboards to get comfortable taking banks while honing their balance and technique – all while maintaining speed.
Sethuramen said residents were overwhelmingly positive of the expansion proposal.
“I’ve attended many of these kinds of outreach meetings and this is probably the only one where the audience clapped after the video was shown – so it was received very well,” he said.
While Costa Mesa’s skatepark only allows for skateboards, that could soon change.
Councilman Loren Gameros asked city officials to rethink the policy of no bmx bikes or scooters at the skatepark.
“I think that would be great and it would be greatly appreciated by the community. And to be honest I don’t think that the skating community would mind sharing that. Because I know you don’t want them together at the same time, but a six hour block a couple days a week would be great.”
Spencer Custodio is the civic editor. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio.
