LAGUNA NIGUEL : Panel to Hear Ideas for Skateboard Park

The city is considering building a skateboard park where teen-age skateboarders could safely practice their twists and turns without bothering local merchants and customers by hanging out in parking lots.

An architect will present a concept design for a wooden skateboard park at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Monday.

The skateboard ramps and tunnels are proposed for Crown Valley Community Park, said Kerry Bartelt, the parks and recreation director.

She said the idea is to model the park after a YMCA-managed skateboard park in Encinitas, where some Laguna Niguel skateboarders have traveled to hone their skills.

“There would be exciting things for them to do in a managed situation,” Bartelt said. Safety is ensured, she added, because “they check if you have elbow pads and a helmet.”

Bartelt said there is no cost estimate yet for such a park. A concrete skateboard park in Huntington Beach cost $80,000, she said.

All teen-age skateboarders are invited to tell the recreation commission what they would like to see in a skateboard park. The commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers, 27801 La Paz Road.