Foster City to get Skatepark

City approves skate park’s construction
August 04, 2009,08:53 AM Bill Silverfarb

Councilman Art Kiesel sided with two of his colleagues last night to approve the construction of a skate park at Leo J. Ryan Park next to the Vibe teen center.

The city will construct the skate park at a cost of $259,000, a price Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Miller described as extremely competitive. The money for the project comes from the city’s Redevelopment Agency.

The project’s cost caused Kiesel to side with Mayor John Kiramis and Vice Mayor Rick Wykoff two weeks ago to delay the project because of the state’s poor economy.

Kiesel requested the item be re-agendized so the council could hear what alternatives there were to constructing a skate park.

The Parks and Recreation Department presented four alternatives to the council last night including the original plan. The second alternative was to redesign and rebid the skate park at a cost of $225,700. The third alternative was to convert the space into an open courtyard at a cost of $165,700 and the fourth alternative was to build the park at a later date and leave the lot of approximately 8,000 square feet unfinished at a cost of $23,000.

After hearing the cost estimates, Kiesel decided building the skate park now was the best alternative.

“Young people have worked hard in this city holding fundraisers to help defray the costs,” Kiesel said. “It’s been on the burner for three years. It’s a pretty difficult decision. But I recommend the skate park be built.”

Both Koelling and Frisella were pleased with Kiesel’s decision. Frisella is the council liaison to the Parks and Recreation Department and Koelling is the council liaison with the Youth Advisory Committee. Both have worked closely with teens over the past couple of years to help bring the skate park to reality.
“A ‘yes’ vote doesn’t mean we don’t understand the economic climate,” Frisella said.

Koelling said the park should have been built a long time ago.

Wykoff and Kiramis were both staunch in their views, however, and said the money could be spent better somewhere else or simply saved.
Both councilmen called Miller’s staff report “biased.”

Wykoff wanted to know why a community garden wasn’t considered as an alternative for the site.

The council heard from the public before making its vote. Only one of six speakers cited costs as a reason to shelve the project. All the other speakers, however, were in overwhelming support of the skate park.

Evelyn Long, chair of the Senior Advisory Committee in Foster City, encouraged the council to approve the park.

“Us seniors plan on skating too and giving the kids a run for their money,” Long said.

Tim Curry, a father of two, said the park is an investment in Foster City’s youth.

“I can’t support this enough. I can’t think of money better spent. It will help kids feel like they are a part of the community,” Curry said.

Several members of the Parks and Recreation Commission also spoke in favor of the park, including Steve Okamoto, Dick Keeley and Steve Morris.
Commission members pointed out to the council that skateboarding has become more popular than baseball for today’s youth.

“The older generation shouldn’t underestimate the recreational needs of the current generation,” Keeley said.

Morris said the council may have shelved the idea two weeks ago because of the timing of the state budget and concerns over state takeaways at the local level.

“If the skate park doesn’t get built now, it will never get built,” Morris said.

Okamoto encouraged the council to build the skate park now because it’s a buyer’s market.

“This is a buyer’s market and we are the buyers,” Okamoto said.

The mayor did not agree, however, saying there is no evidence the overall economy will be improving any time soon.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.