First Step Toward Helmeted Skaters May Be Taken at Tonight’s Meeting

If you drive by the Culver City Skateboard Park on Jefferson Boulevard, you would notice something.

Kids skating without any helmets or pads.

Since the soft opening last year, the posted rules have been ignored. Only on two days has Culver City tried to enforce the posted rules. Those two days were the Saturday Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting last year and the day after.

Since then, all rules have been flatly ignored.

Park Patrol and staff sit on benches on the upper playground and watch skaters skate without helmets. They and the police have no control of the Skateboard Park.

The kids control the Skate Park!

From underage drinking to smoking and fighting, all rules are openly ignored.

I have gone to City Council meetings and Parks and Recreation Commission meetings since last year to complain that it is not teaching kids respect for laws and rules when they can get away with ignoring all the posted Skateboard Park rules.

I even told them and showed them video of the out-of-control Skate Park. I have told them how the city of Irvine enforces their rules.

At the April 1 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, I recommended, among other things, that Culver City should spend Los Angeles County Prop. A money to facilitate enforcement of the Skateboard Park rules.

The Prop. A money cannot be used to pay salaries but can be used to build infrastructure.

My idea was to do like the city of Irvine does. They have a hut built right next to their Skateboard Park. Inside the hut is a Parks and Recreation employee who rents out helmets and pads.

One dollar for a helmet, one dollar for knee pads, one dollar for elbow pads and free wrist guards(you must wear wrist guards if you are under 12, I think).

I suggested to the Commission that they use the Prop. A money to buy safety equipment and to build or buy a similar hut to house the equipment.

Since the kids who use the Culver City Skateboard Park have no respect for authority, I also suggested they install two one-way turnstiles, one for entrance only and one for exit only.

The entrance-only turnstile would be controlled by the attendant. It would effectively keep illegal bicycles from entering and prevent anyone without safety equipment from entering.

Guess what is happening at tonight’s special Parks and Recreation meeting:

The Commission will be discussing an important agenda item and would like your input on:

“Recommendation to City Council Regarding a ‘Wish-List’ of City Park- Related Projects Eligible for Los Angeles County Prop. A Excess Funds.

Item No. 3 is:

3. Skate Park Development —

Construction of Recreation Hut to provide accommodations for staff to register and supervise skaters at the park.

Prop. A funds: $128,270

Additional Funding: $18,808 Prop. 40 RZH Block Grant / $17,922 Prop. 40 per capita (total of $36,730).

Project total: $165,000

If you are tired, as I am, of kids ignoring the rules and endangering themselves, then please do like I am doing.

Go to the meeting tonight and tell the Commission, “Enough is enough. Let’s do whatever it takes to crack down on the rules at the Skateboard Park for the safety of the skaters.”

Recommend that the Parks and Recreation Commission recommend to the City Council to use some of the Prop. A money to build the infrastructure, to facilitate supervision of the Skateboard Park.