A brigade of skaters – and architects who built a skate park for
Tony Hawk – told city officials early this week they want to see
ramps, rails, steps and bowls in a skater haven on Edmundson
Avenue.
Morgan Hill – A brigade of skaters – and architects who built a skate park for Tony Hawk – told city officials early this week they want to see ramps, rails, steps and bowls in a skater haven on Edmundson Avenue.
The wished-for park is in early design phases, and the city is in the process of gathering input on what it should look like.
Parks and recreation officials expect to have final designs in place by October, at which point they’ll return to the Morgan Hill City Council to ask for money to build the estimated $500,000 to $600,000 park. Those costs would also include designs and construction of an adjacent concrete BMX park.
A second workshop is planned for 6pm, Aug. 13, at the Centennial Recreation Center, 171 Edmundson Ave.
“We want to know what you want,” said Mark Leone, senior project manager for San Diego-based Site Design Group, Inc., the company the city hired to help design the project.
Skaters at the Tuesday workshop responded to seven blueprints supplied by Leone depicting in-ground concrete parks of various shapes, sizes and themes.Â
“You have to have perfect flow,” said 24-year-old Mario Guerrero, a fan of the city of Santa Cruz’s new concrete park that features smooth angles. “Otherwise, it gets congested.”
Local resident John Fox said skateboarding celebrities such as Tony Hawk – for whom Site Design built a personal backyard park – are known to go on “skate park tours” around the country.
Hawk recently visited Santa Cruz’s park for a well-attended demonstration.
Morgan Hill Parks and Recreation Commissioner Alan Clark, who was part of the first generation of skateboarders in the late 1960s while growing up in Fremont, said skaters get a bad rap and deserve a place to flaunt their skills.
“Kids in Morgan Hill say there’s nothing to do,” Clark said, saying the project would be worth every penny. “This gives kids something to do who aren’t involved in traditional team sports.”
