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(Editor’s Note: The four photos above were shot on Thursday afternoon by Culver City activist Susan Deen in an attempt to buttress her opinion on the proper location of the new Skateboard Park. She favors placing it in a grassy area of Culver City Park, per the City Council’s January vote rather than shifting it to a paved area at a higher elevation.)
I can’t understand why the placement of the new Skateboard Park is still an issue. There was plenty of public notice, community planning meetings, and several Parks & Rec Commission meetings before this item even went to City Council.
Once at Council, proper procedures were used. Everyone who wanted to speak got the opportunity. The Council voted. The vote should be final.
I am unaware of any new, compelling information that should cause this ruckus and require City Council to waste their time, and staff time on this matter yet again.
It appears that one City Council member and one Parks & Rec Commissioner are unhappy with the outcome. They are now, like four-year olds, throwing a temper tantrum because they didn’t get their way. My comment to them is, “Grow Up.”
The attached photos show their preferred location (the upper site) from the vantage point of the main road into the park (as opposed to the service road west of the park that no one uses) and from street level at Jefferson Boulevard.
Can you actually see the skate park location through the trees? I thought not.
The Council member and the Commission member, under the guise of “Save the Grass,” want to spend a lot more money (which the city currently does not have) to continually trim the trees so that there is a minimal sight line.
Or do they advocate just removing the oxygen-providing trees to “Save the Grass”?
According the Parks & Rec Dept., in the past year, there have been a total of zero requests for permits to use Culver City Park. This grassy area is a sloping hill. It is not suitable for soccer, picnics or much of anything.
I have visited that park at least three times in the past ten days. No one uses that grass. Why are we talking about saving unused grass when the safety of our children is at stake?
From street level (at Jefferson), even with the trees trimmed, there is not a direct sight-line to the Skateboard Park. The upper level is too high to see from the street. How will police be able to properly patrol the area if they can’t see it without getting out of their patrol cars?
What is more important, a pretty lawn to look at or a Skateboard Park that will be easily accessible by parents and police, and will be safe for our children?
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