03/01/2003 Report Monthly Report
March 2003
For
Skate Park Task Force
1. Meetings were held on(list dates during month)
No Task Force meetings were held this month.
2. Current activities (summarize): Staff is currently re-analyzing the sites that have been
considered in the past. A matrix was developed to aid in this process. Matt Scheidegger
prepared data for six of the sites focusing on what is needed to be done for each site
(permitting, zoning, traffic, environment, etc.)
3. Status of long-term projects:
The major long-term projects continue to be the selection of a site location for the skate
park facility and the subsequent fundraising campaign. A full-fledged fundraising effort
is in a holding position because a site has not been secured.
4. Number of volunteer hours contributed this month(noted number of volunteers and total
hours). N/A
5. Attachments (include notifications, sign-in sheets, minutes, reports,press releases,
proposals, etc.)
Oregonian—March 6, 2003
6. Any items to be scheduled for on the Council tentative agenda(list item and date):
I will meet with the Task Force on April 2 to review the criteria analysis for the six city-
owned sites. The criteria will be on the April 15 work shop agenda to review with Council.
Rich Carlson is looking for the Council to inform the Task Force if a skate park may be built
on any of the identified city-owned site(s).
7. Status of members—are there any members scheduled to have their terms expire in the
next four months? Are any members iridicating that they plan to retire, move or resign
soon? Please give details. N/A
I:WDMICATHY\BOARDCOMUNONTHLY REPORT DRAFT FORM.DOC
Lack of money, right spot
sidetracks Tigard skate park
Despite the mayor's support and many enthusiasts,
finding a place everyone agrees on proves difficult
By EMILY TSAO
THE OREGONIAN
TIGARD—Tualatin's got one.So do Beaverton,Hillsboro,
Forest Grove,Newberg,Lake Oswego,West Linn and Wilson-
ville.Lincoln City's looking to build a second one.Eugene has
five.
Skate parks are popping up around Oregon—from big-city
Portland to tiny Donald,just south of Newberg.
Everywhere,it seems,but Tigard.
Skateboarding has been gaining popularity among theyoung
and young at heart For more than a year,parents,city officials
and skaters have been woridng to build a skate park in'ligard,
with the support of Mayor Jim Griffith
But all the talk and planning has not resulted in half-pipes,
bowls or rails.Instead,the participants have been fa dn�obst-
acles of a different sort—neighborhood opposition,a Lack of
land and not enough money.
"Everybody says they would really like to have a skate Hark,
THE OREGONIAN ♦ THURSDAY MARCH 6 2003 but not in their neighborhood;"Griffith said."Every other com-
Please see SKATE,Page 5 3M SW-T a �1
Skate: Getting-from idea ofpark 'g to keds *ding rads could take ears
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Continued from Page 1 from noise to traffic to drinking to Linn's recreation director."We had two year; until the Tigard Public wanted a skate park" Wooden pending on the location,as much
vandalism. put a lot of time and effort into the Library moves to its new location, ramps went up in Woo,and about as another $250,000-could be
munity has been able to find a Lincoln City faced opposition site-selection process." said Dan' Plaza, Tigard's parks a year later concrete was poured needed for parking,restrooms and
place that their community can with the location of its first skate It took West Linn a little more manager- for a more permanent park otheramenities.
support.But we are having prob- park more than a decade ago.Resi- than two years to go from its kick- Sometimes luck helps. Janet Lane,Donald's city man- "My bigger concern them where
leets finding that" dents in an apartment complex off meeting to ribbon cutting In the tiny city of Donald,which ager,said that even though homes to put it is how to pay for it,"said
Park officials in other sties say across the street had complained Tigard,which launched its skate has no traffic light and a poptila- face the ark on two sides,there Griffith,Tigard's mayor.Skate park
Tigard's struggle is not unique.It thhatt skate Ron Plso were
the city's dig p� project in November 2001, tion of about 750,a 2,500 square- was little neighborhood opposi- offers�hoping to raise most
usually takes years for skate parks 8e has faced neighborhood opposi- foot skate park is modeled after the tion One resident opposed the of the money. But in the current I
rector of parks and recreation The pp
to�o from conception to construe- city has since relocated the park tionin
park and osed lo- popular Nude swirnmirtg pool onowl, an matt of a nud � and has since moved, she b climate,that will pmba-
"My empathy goes to the Tigard W� Unn's skate park, which Fowler Middle School.Organizers ist colony in the California desert ted' The city continues to work on
folks,"said Paul Hermon,director
opened in January at Tanner Creek have since shifted their focus else- A business donated the land a "Most were glad to see some- the project as a high priority,Grif-
Park, also faced opposition from where. few ears ago. thing for the kids to do,"she said. fith said.
At the time,the
of coommun�services in neigh- residents because of its proximity The city says it is considering the was looking to build some kind f Even if Tigard finds a location "if it turns into an impossible
boring to homes. But West Linn forged City Hall pig lot off Southwest Park said Tom McWhirt,Donald's everyone can agree on,there is still task,"he said,"we may just lay it
Neighborhood opposition to ahead with its plans to build the Hall Boulevard, a site not sur- public works director. the half-million-dollar question. aside and think about it later."
skate parks is nothing new.Resi. 10,000-square-foot park there. rounded by houses.Even if'officials "We were not necessarily look- Initial estimates show that a
dents opposed to them have cited "We did because we thought we decide to use that space,the prop- ing at building a skate park" he 15,000-square-foot skate park Emily Two:50-294-5968;
a litany of fears and concerns— were right,"said Ken Warner,Vt est erty won't be available for about said. "Rut all the kids In tn%vn wnttld erect :tint» ezai nnn n...