By Hallie Winchell, Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 1:01 PM PST
World Photo by Lou Sennick During the Coos Bay City Council meeting Tuesday night, Brian Menten spoke to the council about potential plans to build a new skateboard park in Coos Bay. Discussions have centered on building a larger skateboard facility in Mingus Park.
It was standing room only at the Coos Bay City Council meeting Tuesday night, when more than 40 adults and young people came out in support of the ongoing efforts to expand the Mingus Park skating area.
Following the recommendation of the Coos Bay Parks Commission, for the city to approve expanding the current skatepark in Mingus, the council heard from the Citizens for Bay Area Youth and some staff from the Coos Bay School District, in support and opposition to the project.
C-BAY board member Brian Menten spoke at length about the skatepark, fielding questions from the council, the audience and responding to issues raised by the Parks Commission. He told the council that an expanded skatepark would attract skaters from thousands of miles away. One of the best skateparks in Oregon, located in Newberg, is 29,000 square feet, he said, and Reedsport's skatepark a mere 13,000 square feet. The area C-BAY has selected is more than 37,000 square feet.
"We want to build the best skatepark in Oregon. That's our goal," Menten said.
Funding isn't an issue for a project like this, he told the council. C-BAY already has raised $40,000 toward the project.
Although the council made no decisions at the meeting, councilors listened again to C-BAY's proposal to install a more challenging and developed skatepark. It would entail removing the tennis courts, horseshoe ring and basketball court beside the softball fields alongside Commercial Avenue. The Parks Commission recommended the project at its Monday meeting.
Menten outlined the reasons the group and the commission were supportive of the Mingus Park location. Issues included accessibility, safety and community presence. It's also easily patrolled and already established as a skatepark.
Coos Bay resident Tarah Cartwright, who's the mother of two skaters, couldn't agree more.
"Location is everything. For the success of businesses and the skatepark alike, location is essential," she said.
Cartwright also said she supported the park because it would be in a high-traffic area and she felt the open space would deter possible troublemakers and drug dealings.
Challenging young people
Oregon is a huge supporter of skating as a sport, and is the one state with the most public skating parks in the country. Many companies and organizations provide grants to help communities install or expand skating parks to keep young people involved in the sport, off the streets and out of trouble, Menten said.
As it is now, Coos Bay ordinances and private property law bars skaters from using public areas like sidewalks, parking lots or other well paved areas. However, the lack of challenges at the current skatepark encourages skaters to do just that.
"Farrs True Value probably has the most problems with skaters on their property because they have a really cool loading dock," Menten said, causing ripples of laughter through the crowded council chambers.
While he didn't come out and say it, Menten alluded to the disparaging comments Thrasher Magazine leveled at the Coos Bay skatepark - calling it "a certified piece of suck," - and encouraged the council to think of the larger impact a high-quality skatepark could have on Coos Bay.
"Right now, myself and others must travel to far off places for competitions and to increase the skill of our skaters," Cartwright said, before adding that she and other parents support the businesses in towns where there are superior skating facilities.
"A park here would bring Northwest skating back to Coos Bay," Menten said.
Trading places
The Parks Commission was hesitant to recommend the project without ascertaining the community's use of the tennis courts and basketball court, but at the meeting Monday, the evidence seemed to weigh heavily for the skatepark.
In a month, the tennis court was used only 10 times, and the basketball court only once, while the skatepark was used 89 times.
Although Parks Commissioner Nancy Jarvis pointed out that this was February and March, and outdoor courts are used very little until the spring, the commission still voted to recommend the courts be removed and the skatepark expanded.
Councilor Jon Eck, who also serves on the Parks Commission, said that the commission was frustrated with the constant resurfacing and upkeep of the tennis courts. It costs about $10,000 every two years.
The council faced the same dilemma as the commission, balancing the location for the skatepark, and removing several activities from Mingus Park.
"I'd like to see (the skatepark) happen, but I'm very opposed to putting it in there," said Councilor Roger Gould.
Councilor John Muenchrath didn't agree.
"I frankly think the site you've selected is ideal for safety, and it's well established for the skaters in the area," he said to Menten.
A significant debate centered on the tennis courts.
"That facility is very important to our tennis program," said Greg Mulkey, Marshfield High School athletic director. "At no time am I against skating or skaters. I believe all kids need activities, just not at the cost of another activity."
Mulkey admitted that the tennis courts in question are not preferred by his tennis players, as the courts behind the park are in better condition and quieter, but he didn't support the loss of the courts.
According to Eck the commission had considered transferring the tennis courts to another park.
"It sounds like we need to address both issues, adequate tennis facilities and an adequate skatepark," said Councilor Jeff McKeown.
Of the many young people in attendance, only a few approached the podium and addressed the council.
One young man from North Bend said he "considers it a crime" that the Bay Area doesn't have a superior skatepark to smaller towns, including Powers, which is looking into building a skatepark of its own.
Skaters comment
After the presentation and public comments on the skatepark, skaters, young people and adult supporters stood out in the cold to discuss the issues raised by opposition.
Kayla Peterson, 14, of Coos Bay, said she thought putting the skatepark downtown at Mingus made the most sense.
Chris Cartwright, 13, of Coos Bay, agreed, and said the current skatepark is not very challenging.
"It's too small. It kind of stinks. You get bored easily and then you go somewhere else to skate, and get into trouble," he said.
Menten said he thought the city councilors were very supportive of the concept.
"I was excited about the city's reaction. I felt like they wanted to be involved," he said.
Sixteen-year-old Jessie Clausen, of Coos Bay, said she thinks the tennis courts up behind Mingus Park should be expanded.
"I agree with most of the council members as far as the dilemma about the tennis courts, and concerns about the noise at the skatepark," she said.
Clausen was floored by the cost of maintaining and resurfacing the tennis courts, and said that costs for the skatepark would be very minimal by comparison.
"If you built a skatepark, the skaters would maintain it," she added.
The council made no decision Tuesday, waiting on the official recommendation from the parks commission before moving forward.
From:
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2006/03/08/news/news01030806.txt