City Rolls On Skate Park

Ojai city manager outlines plan at special meeting; new lease with OUSD unclear

By Nao Braverman
After more than 10 years of pleading from local skateboarders, and hurried fund-raising efforts by the nonprofit group, Skate Ojai, the city could have an in-ground concrete skate park ready for use by mid-April 2009.
That’s if all goes exactly as planned, which is not likely, admitted Ojai city manager Jere Kersnar.
He outlined the details of what he calls a very aggressive timeline at a special meeting at City Hall council chambers Tuesday night, regarding plans for the long-awaited Ojai Skate Park. Bringing together the City Council, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and members of Skate Ojai, the meeting solidified plans to build a preferably 10,000-square-foot in-ground concrete park, on city-leased Ojai Unified School District property.
City staff already sent out requests to design firms earlier this month and are deciding which firm, out of a small group of finalists, to hire for the project.
While such plans have been hanging in the air for some time now, community members became skeptical after hearing that some key aspects of those plans had not been confirmed.
Without Skate Ojai’s total dollars collected, the City Council had indicated at a previous meeting that they were not sure there would be enough money in the end to build an in-ground concrete facility. They had suggested the possibility of building a modular park should the funds come in less than expected.
The other variable was the tenuousness of the park’s location. Most plans for the park since the idea was first discussed have been to place it at the current skate park location at the Park & Ride lot at 414 E. Ojai Ave. The property, which belongs to OUSD, has a lease agreement for the next 14 years with the city of Ojai. While the School District board agreed at a 2003 meeting to allow the city to build a permanent park at that location as part of the lease extension, members of the board have recently expressed a change of heart.
But at Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Council affirmed that they would not let those variables hold them back from getting the skate park construction started.
With $361,000 raised for the project, $11,000 more than the estimate for a concrete facility, City Council members were convinced that they had enough funds to build an in-ground concrete park.
“We did extensive research on this. We had four designers assure you yesterday that our funds were enough. I think we have reassured you in 10 different ways that we do have enough money for a concrete park,” Judy Gabriel, a member of Skate Ojai, told the council.
As to the location of the park, Mayor Sue Horgan said that after some research into previous meetings, she was certain that the school board had previously agreed to have the property used for an in-ground concrete park.
“In December 2003 the city requested an extension, and the school board extended the lease on school board property until 2023; and extended property for an in-ground, concrete skate park,” said Horgan. “There was no discussion about an alternative location.”
An analysis of the lease agreement between the school board and the city by city attorney Monte Widders confirmed that the lease did include plans for the construction of an “enlarged” and “improved” skating facility. These terms, according to Widders, presumably referred to a permanent skate park.
The lease agreement also calls for an additional 3,500 square feet of adjacent property to be used for the expanded park as well.
Councilwoman Rae Hanstad reminded the public, however, that the council wants to work with and not against the School District. “I just want to remind everybody that the original skate park was a collaboration with the School District as a willing partner,” she said. “I think it is important that we rebuild a relationship with the school board and I believe that the Skate Ojai committee can help make that happen.”
A number of residents chimed in their support of a permanent concrete park at the Park & Ride lot.
Among them was Ojai skateboarder Jacob Sessing, followed by four members of his skate team, and Bill Gilbreth representing the Rotary Club of Ojai. Gilbreth explained that the Rotary Club, one of many donors for the project, had requested the park be built at the Park & Ride location and emphasized the commercial benefits of having a skate park downtown. As to the concerns of school board members who are considering commercializing the property, commercial stores and a skate park are not incompatible, they would likely even complement each other, he said.
Holly Delaney, a Solvang resident who had jump-started efforts to build Solvang’s now 4-year-old concrete park, agreed. Delaney, who owns a skate shop and women’s boutique in Solvang said that the park absolutely complements her businesses. The men and boys need something to do while the women go shopping, she said.
Longtime Ojai resident Rudy Petersdorf was perturbed by the possibility of building a permanent structure on a 14-year lease, and Sasha Wolfe mourned the loss of much of the Senior Community Garden. Wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat adorned with real and wilting carrots, beets and sunflowers, she spoke about losing a precious garden in an era when food is growing scarce. The Senior Garden, which is right next to the current skate park, was always meant to be surrendered to the park should it expand, said Gabriel. But council members asked staff to report further on the fate of the garden.
City Council made a motion affirming their preference for a 10,000-square-foot concrete in-ground skate park to be built at the Park & Ride location. The motion passed unanimously, and was followed by several bursts of applause.
A designer for the skate park is expected to be hired Tuesday. A community meeting regarding the park is planned for September. If all goes perfectly, designs for the project will be presented to the Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission, and the School District board for a formal approval in early October, according to Kersnar. If construction bids go out by the end of November, actual construction could begin in mid-January, he said. But as Kersnar warns, there are a number of variables that will likely delay the process.
Gabriel said she hopes the designs will be finished before the elections in November.