HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-09-1991 Parks and Recreation Commission Agendatt;,.n
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CAB t~~ 04 ~~~° BOO C~~
13777 FRUITVALE AVENUE • SARATOGA, CALIFORNIA 95070
(408) 867-3438
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Karen Anderson
Martha Clevenger
Willem Kohler
Victor Monia
Francis Stutzman
AGENDA
SARATOGA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MEETING
TIME: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1991 - 7:30 P.M.
PLACE: SARATOGA COMMUNITY CENTER {Senior Day Care Room)
19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, California
TYPE: Regular Meeting
A G E N D A
I. ORGANIZATION
A. Roll Call
B. Minutes (Meeting of August 5, 1991)
C. Posting of Agenda (Agenda was posted on the City
Hall Kiosk on September 4, 1991)
II. OLD BUSINESS
A. Beauchamps Park Playground Equipment
B. Skateboard Park Location
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. Master Plan Priority List
IV. COMMISSION AND STAFF REPORTS
V. COMMUNICATIONS
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~ n®g~ 13777 FRUITVALE AVENUE • SARATOGA, CALIFORNIA 95070
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COUNCIL MEMBERS:
9 / 5 / 91 Karen Anderson
Martha Clevenger
Willem Kohler
Victor Monia
M E M O RAN D U M Francis Stutzman
T0: Parks and Recreation Commission
FROM: Secretary, Parks and Recreation Commission
SUBJECT: MEETING OF MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9,-1991
II.A. The Commissioners are being asked to review playground
equipment for Beauchamps Park.
Recommenda.t~on: Review the three plans submitted and
determine which will best meet the Park's needs.
II.B. As Council rejected the proposed Civic Center skateboard
location, the Parks & Recreation Commission is being asked to
consider alternate sites.
Recommendation: Direct Recreation Director to contact her
counterparts at W. Valley College concerning possible location
of skateboard park on campus.
III.A. Commissioners should review their copies of the Parks & Trails
Master Plan and be prepared, during this meeting and the
October meeting, to establish improvement priorities for the
Parks and Trail System.
Please let Marlene know if you will be unable to attend this meeting.
(867-3438) ~~ ~
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Closing kateboard ~ .
^ ^ ^
~~ is ng choke .
.Recent injuries make clear that Greer Park ~,
'~ -facility is too dangerous to be operated as a
•~ ~' CIrV-St)!)tLCnr'P/~ rv~rvntinrr nrnornm r
aced with what appears to be a significant risk of serious in-
~ury and unexpected added supervision expenses, the Palo
Alto City Council is tentatively scheduled to reconsider the
wisdom of operating the Greer Park skateboarding facility at its
pug. 24txteeting.
3 The skateboard facility, built at a cost of just under S 100,000 ~ ,
and opened in March of thisyear, -has proved a big ,hit with
"skateboarders. So big,. in fact, that it has become such a regional
~ draw that it's not unusual to find kids from Santa Crux and
i ;Southern California enjoying it along with the locals.
1 ~ But problemsr began with the park almost as sootftas it opened.
~ ,j?irst, the city attorney advised. the Council that a state law de-
cigned foe commercial skateboard-park operators could be inter-
preted to apply to Palo Alto, and that the pity had co require .
skateboarders to `wear
helmets, kneepads.. and Fun aS it 1S t0 itS )Ilan
elbow pads. Although .y
pules to that effect users, thepark isnever- ,
already were in place, .~leleSS a ~.SQSter Walking " 1
the state law led the city
to immediately assign to happen, and we see ~~
two ,recreation depart- little that can be done to
>xtent employees co redrteethedan er.
monitor the facility be- g
tween 8 a.m. and 8p.m. .
every day, the estab-
lished hours of opera-
~iion.
'~ Then, as the City Ctruocil was reviewing the city budget in
may and June, concern was expressed over the fact that the facil- .
uY had.beert built with the e~ of being self-regulating
a~gid now would cost some 54,000 a year in on-going employs-. ,
~expenees: Frustrated because budget constraints were forcing it '- ;:
to cut other programs, the Coturcil arbitrarily cut the budget to.
525,000 aad ordered its staff to figure out an appropriate solo-
3i~• ' .
Fiaally~. ~d most distutbiu~, catge wlwt everyone. feared
~~.
most:`two serious socidents. In one case, twQ skateboarders, R~.
both wearing- helmids,-oollidod and left oue is a onma for;two
days. The outer, occurring after the 8 . ~iosit18 t~agF, sera, ~ `_
one to Stanford Hospital with head,inju~. ,
And, to make matters worse, stepped .up: monitoring of tfkrr ~ ,;:~
cility by the,city revealed. that skateboarders were :using ~ ~. '~:
park-often without helmets aAd safety pads---all night long~
Two somewhat related issues. face the C' Council. First, caa "~
areasonable-degree of safety be assured for who use the
park,. thereby minimizing the rtsh Of sets tn,I . resuihng
liability for the city? And second, gi~-en the but ~~'
necessary supervision costs, can ~e city `establish a fee ~w R`
order w recover i . cysts from the skateboarders themselves?
The principle of fees for public ~ services. is booomiag "well- ~.
entrenched. in Palo Alto, and we see no t+eason why an hourly fee
shouldn't be ests~ished if the skateboard park is W continue r
operaating. Anyone who has v~itsd the facility: heated at the ~:
e f ~Gr+eer P off Colorado Avenue, :can immediately
~wetots appeal an~`d~tauq' ueness. Bpt age of program
blame to simply abso•i of.the~ wake d facility. I3y do>ng,
so we're allowing:theskateboard'park Wrob fiitt~jttg b+4tq,
popular, established programs and senaCes.'` 'z_ ..
But'the more critical issue is whether the skateboard park is •-
sufficiently safe. If common sense was ant enough w amsvex that ';
question, them the rec;eat acxidents slauld be; Fun as it into its ~.
marry users the park is nevertheless a duster waiting. W hap* r , ,
pen,'and we see ittle that can be done to reduce the danger.
Sooner or later, a skateboarder will be pwmattently injur+od or
killed using the facilt~.r ".:, h .
Asdifflcult as it into disappoint a s1r~Weboarders who per='"
suaded the City Council w apprcrye the P~ :in the first place, wq,
don't think.the city has any choice; but tacbs~e the park. Fcnm- ~,.
Vises that.t would be self-regulating bykuscrs has beenproven
false, and it is now `obirious that tha+e ie ~bouandal frisk of sari-
ous injury' even W ,the ~tnost skihOd ~ sl~atelrprstrtit:rs. !
Skateboarders may- very w~.rtKx~rt to concoctutg their own;;
backyard daredevil challeugesthe resps~ity is tltea ap-
propriately back on the ptar~ots. =~ ciq-.. ~.
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