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Skateboard park gets cold reception from neighbors
Town will approach county about Vasona
By Nathan R. Huff
Parks commissioners' efforts to find a suitable site for a skateboard park in Los Gatos ran into a wall of angry neighbors at a Nov. 17 meeting. But skateboard park supporters are continuing their efforts on a number of fronts.
The committee continues to explore two sites--the town lot at Lark Avenue and Winchester Boulevard and Blossom Hill Park--while at the same time reestablishing a dialogue with Santa Clara County, regarding the possibility of building a skateboard park at Vasona Lake County Park.
Lark/Winchester neighbors showed up in force to the Nov. 17 meeting, bringing the same energy they had to fight the PG&E substation that was built on the other side of the intersection several years ago. Neighbors of Blossom Hill Park, in smaller numbers, also showed up to voice concern over the "overuse" of the park.
"It was not a positive meeting. Neighbors looked at us as the enemy--we're just trying to explore the issue," Parks Commission Chairwoman April Maiten said, adding that some neighbors of the Lark/Winchester site were "belligerent and nasty."
Residents near both sites expressed concerns of increased noise and traffic, and a lack of supervision. Safety concerns also came up often, particularly around the Lark/Winchester site. Winchester Boulevard lacks sidewalks in places and suffers from chronically speeding motorists. Residents suggested placing the park in Campbell.
"No matter where we put this thing someone is not going to want it there," Councilman and former skateboard park subcommittee member Steve Glickman said. "Simply to say 'don't put it in my backyard, put it in someone else's' shouldn't be persuasive enough."
The meeting was part of a site evaluation being done by the commission at the council's request. The skateboard park subcommittee was formed in February, and made its report to the council in September. In front of council chambers packed with skateboard enthusiasts, the council voted unanimously to do a feasibility test on the two sites.
Once site exploration began, the commission quickly learned that the informal poll taken by skateboarders to gauge neighborhood opposition had not reflected the true sentiments of residents. Supporters had thought there would be less opposition to the Lark/Winchester site, since it is a considerable distance from residential neighborhoods and is in an area of mixed commercial use. While the commission will continue to study the two sites, it is also exploring the idea of placing the facility in Vasona.
The county originally rejected the idea of giving the town land to build a skateboard park, for fear it would create a precedent. But according to Glickman, the town could possibly get around that by donating the facility to the county park system.
"I fully intend to suggest to the town council, through the mayor, that we formally request to work with the county," Glickman said.
Vasona has always been the first choice of skateboard park supporters because of its central location, parking, and distance from residential neighborhoods. A skateboard park in Vasona could also be easily supervised from Blossom Hill Road, a plus for parents and law enforcement.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
