HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-01-27; Parks & Recreation Commission; ; SKATE PARK POLICIES UPDATEz
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PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION -AGENDA BILL
AB# 0114-3
MTG. DATE: 1/27 /14 SKATE PARK POLICIES UPDATE
STAFF: CALARCO
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive a staff report and presentation on mixed use of skateboard parks.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
[R) INFO
□ ACTION
Mick Calarco, special projects manager, will present a report on mixed use of skateboard parks.
~ EXHIBITS:
~ 8 1. Mixed Use of Carlsbad Skateparks report (electronic copy with hyperlinked references included)
<(~), CITY OF
·• CARLSBAD
Memorandum
Jan. 27, 2014
To: Parks & Recreation Commission
From: Mick Calarco, Special Projects Manager
Via: Chris Hazeltine, Parks & Recreation Director
Re: Mixed Use of Carlsbad Skateparks
INTRODUCTION
At the Dec. 4, 2013 special meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission, commissioners
asked staff to research and report on the feasibility of allowing "all wheel" mixed use (BMX,
mountain bike, scooter, skateboard, roller and inline skates) at Carlsbad skateparks.
Much of the information on the subject -both in support and against mixed use -is largely
anecdotal and is based on individual user experience and observation.
BACKROUND
Wikipedia defines skate park generally as a "purpose built recreational environment made for
skateboarding, BMX, and aggressive inline skating." This definition implies that a certain level of
mixed use is expected within the skatepark community, and is consistent with observed use
patterns in the city.
The Parks & Recreation Department manages, programs and maintains two unsupervised
skateparks, one at the Safety Center and the other at Alga Norte Community Park. Carlsbad
Municipal Code section 10.58.060 prohibits a person from riding anything other than a
skateboard, roller skates, or in line skates at the skateboard park.
There is a request from the BMX community (primarily) for access to skateboard parks;
however, there has been a surge in popularity of scooter use and demand for scooter access as
well. The department received a petition signed by more than 50 scooter users to allow access
to the skatepark.
This memo summarizes research and findings as it relates to the pros and cons of mixed use of
skateboard parks.
Parks & Recreation
799 Pine Ave., Suite 200 I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-434-2826 I 760-434-5088 fax I www.carlsbadca.gov
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Parks & Recreation Commission
Jan. 27,2014
Page 2
ISSUES
There are at least four major issues or subject areas related to mixed use of skateboard parks.
The primary concerns generally are, 1) fear of collision and personal injury, 2) damage to
skate park infrastructure, 3) liability concerns, and 4) park design. Each one of these issues will
be explored further in the following sections.
Fear of collision and personal injury
There is a concern (real or perceived) that where mixed use is permitted in skateparks, an
increased risk for potential user collision and injury exists.
According to a July 2, 2010 article in the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, Parks, Recreation &
Community Services Director Rick Gould said, "The reality is, skaters collide with skaters; BMX
riders collide with skaters; and skaters fall down without anyone colliding with them," Gould
said, noting that there have been 'very few injuries' since the park opened in March 2009." At
least a dozen users (from professional to novice) who were informally interviewed for this
report responded that they "look out" for each other and take turns on the bowls and other
features to minimize the risk of collision.
In a July 2009 survey conducted by Bikes Belong, respondents were asked about how bikers and
skaters integrated. Sixty-seven percent surveyed said they let bikers ride anytime and
unrestricted schedules worked best.
Charles Strawter, principal landscape designer for the Alga Norte skatepark wrote in a Dec. 30,
2013 email, "The crash up potential is relatively low because there are minimal crossing flow
lines in the street area and the street area is separated from the bowls."
Kanten Russell, co-designer and Action Sport group leader expressed his concern for mixed use
in his Jan. 1, 2014 email, "I am concerned with the high speed of bikes in the skatepark. They
will be travelling much faster over the flow section in the street area and collisions might be a
concern."
In a telephone conversation with Denny Cooper, he expressed concern that the transition area
between the upper (streetscape) and lower (bowl) portions of the park could become
dangerous if BMX riders were allowed.
The City of Scottsdale, Arizona risk manager determined in assessing their skatepark, "Because
BMX bikes can go faster, jump higher, have pegs, handlebars and pedals the impacts of a crash
with another may be much more severe."
/ 7
Parks & Recreation Commission
Jan.27,2014
Page 3
In a July 2011 press release, Deputy City Manager, Debra Rose wrote, "Although BMX bikes
have been allowed at the Etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest since 2004, recent concerns over
liability, insurability, and governmental immunity have prompted the City to prohibit BMX bikes
for the foreseeable future. When these concerns may be resolved is unknown at this time."
Miki Vuckovich, executive director of the Tony Hawk Foundation noted that the Foundation had
not been able to document a sufficient number of incidents to suggest there was a problem
with permitting mixed use. Miki said, "The ebb and flow of use seems to work itself out and
everyone just gets along. The highest and best use of skateparks is to provide access to safe
places and access to active, healthy lifestyles for all users."
Damage to skatepark infrastructure
Damage to skatepark infrastructure from skateboards, bicycles and scooters is a legitimate
concern. Charles Strawter commented about potential maintenance concerns. He wrote,
"Much of the damage from bikes that I have observed comes from pegs chipping concrete
under the metal edging. The edging design in this park has addressed the issue by using a c-
channel construction that protects a much larger surface area."
Charles continued, "The one issue that I do see in allowing joint use by BMX riders in the
skatepark is the potential to damage to the pool coping on the kidney bowl. The pool coping is
one of the elements in a skate park that can be replaced ... and will eventually need to be
replaced as the park ages over time (depending on use), but one careless BMX rider can do
enough damage to create a need for repairs."
Skatepark Association International (SPAUSA) founder, Heidi Lemmon, wrote in a Jan. 3, 2014
email that they have been surveying skateparks throughout the United States for many years
and have not discovered any evidence that bikes and scooters cause any more wear and tear
than skateboarders (from skateboard trucks grinding) or inline skaters.
Damage concerns from mixed use may successfully be mitigated by requiring park friendly pegs
and pedals on bikes, retrofitting the park with protective materials where needed, and planning
for routine maintenance.
In the coming weeks staff will be researching the builder's skatepark warranty and
consideration should be taken to see if uses other than skateboards, skates, and in line skates
are specifically excluded or will void the warranty.
I
Parks & Recreation Commission
Jan. 27,2014
Page 4
Liability concerns
Certain measures have been implemented at the state level which may minimize the city's
liability exposure as it pertains to skateparks. The first is section 115800 of the California Health
and Safety Code. In summary, the law provides that skateboarding at a public skateboarding
park is a hazardous recreational activity, if all specified conditions are met, including if the
person skateboarding is 12 years of age or older. The Health and Safety Code (and State Bill
264) may be viewed in its entirety here.
Section 115800 of the California Safety Code does not include BMX or scooters by definition;
however, California Government Code section 831.7(bl(3) classifies bicycle racing or jumping as
a hazardous recreational activity. Scooters are not specifically mentioned or included in CGC
section 831.7. This may make scooter access to skateparks problematic from a potential liability
standpoint.
In speaking with the assistant city attorney, there is no consensus that CGC section 831. 7
applies to activities in skateparks or vice versa. Additional research is needed to make a final
determination in this area.
Several municipalities currently allow mixed use of skateboard parks. One notable and
successful example is the City of Long Beach, California. In a July 2011 report, City of Long
Beach staff stated to the City Council that, "The City Attorney's Office has opined that this
action [allowing mixed use of the skatepark], as it would be a trial, would not increase any
potential liability to the City."
That same year, the Council approved a change in the Municipal Code to allow a one year trial
period of permitting the coexistence of skateboards and BMX bikes in all city skateparks except
El Dorado Skate Park. The long Beach Municipal Code was amended to include non-motorized
recreational apparatus with wheels -any type of recreational or sports apparatus without a
motor that is propelled by human force and moves on wheels, such as a bicycle, skateboard,
scooter, in-line skates, etc.
The City of Lake Havasu, Arizona, recently opened Patrick A. Tinnell Memorial Sports Park; a
40,000 square foot, unsupervised, mixed use skateboard park to great fanfare. Brian Allen,
special events coordinator for the City of Lake Havasu wrote in a Jan. 15 2014 email, "[W]e had
a big grand opening event with senators, a congressman, the Mayor, City Council, Rob Dyrdek
spoke, pro skate and bike teams were there, there was a tribute to a local fallen soldier (the
park is named after him), etc., then, at the end, they cut a ribbon, yelled, "Let's ride!" and
before the podium and the hundreds of chairs were cleared the place filled up with bikes,
board, and scooters."
Parks & Recreation Commission
Jan. 27, 2014
Page 5
Park design
When considering mixed use, it is important to examine park design. Was the skateboard park
designed for mixed use? Were a variety of users involved in the design process from the
beginning? An important factor in the success of mixed use appears to be inclusion in the
design and planning process from the beginning.
Skaters, as a group, have been lobbying government to build skateparks for many years. When
BMX or other users demand access to skateparks (during the design and development process
or after the fact), those demands can create an environment or attitude among skateboarders
that, "we were here first," or "build your own park." Kanten Russell commented about Alga
Norte skatepark, "Also keep in mind the skateboarding community is the group that pushed to
get the park and was the primary group that had input on the design."
Department skateboarding instructor and former Parks & Recreation Commissioner, Denny
Cooper, commented that he had never encountered issues between skaters and bikers, but was
concerned that there may be issues between the two groups as they both vie for the same
space at Alga Norte. Denny suggested that in his opinion it would be best for the city to build
separate parks (or limit BMX/scooter use to the Safety Center skatepark) for each activity, if
feasible, but deferred the final decision to the experts in this area.
According to Charles Strawter, Alga Norte skatepark was constructed to allow for mixed use,
with the exception of the pool coping on the kidney bowl.
The Parks and Recreation Department's needs assessment and comprehensive action plan has
identified a BMX park as one of the top 25 community needs within the facility amenity priority
rankings. One of the short term action items suggests the department conduct a feasibility
study on the potential for programming, partnering and operational success for an outdoor
adventure activity park. A BMX park may very well be a future element of this type of park.
CONCLUSION
In a 2008 position paper, "Does SPS Support Bikes in Skateparks?" Skaters for Public Skateparks
staff wrote, "Safety of the users and damage to the facility are the most common reasons for
excluding BMX from skateparks. While this argument is absolutely true -bikes do damage the
skatepark and do introduce risk, the same can be said of skaters."
Kanten Russell noted that the City of Encinitas would be offering mixed use at their soon to be
opened 13,000 square foot skatepark, and staff could direct users there. Kanten acknowledged
that scooters and bikes will attempt to use the skatepark at Alga Norte no matter what, but
that we should wait to assess the park and make any changes to the municipal code until after
the initial hype wears off.
Parks & Recreation Commission
Jan.27,2014
Page 6
Miki Vuckovich strongly endorsed mixed use now. Skateparks, he said, were a "better
investment if they serve the entire community."
Should the Parks & Recreation Commission request it, further research should be conducted to
determine what is in the best interest of the City of Carlsbad, and make an informed
recommendation to the City Council as it relates to mixed use of skateparks, especially as it
pertains to liability, maintenance, and safety concerns.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
Videos
• BMX use of Alex Road Skatepark
• Skateboarder grinding Alex Road Skatepark
• BMX grinding Alex Road Skatepark
cc: Sue Spickard, Recreation Services Manager
Kyle Lancaster, Parks Superintendent
Liz Ketabian, Park Planner