Thanks for Genoveva Chavez Community Center skate park

When city government, staff and citizens work together cooperatively, we can get it right. The new skate park at Genoveva Chavez Community Center (“‘This is gonna be nice,’ ” June 6) is proof. So many people collaborated to make this happen, it’s worth telling the story and thanking them.

It actually started in 2008 when two community college students, Ryan Lawless and Pete Gardini, started a club to support skateboarding in Santa Fe. They asked the then-Parks and Open Spaces Advisory Commission (now renamed the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, or PARC) for our support. For the first time, the skate community began to advocate for its sport. Organizing was, for them, a huge leap of faith; by nature, skaters are not joiners.

But for the past eight years, skaters showed remarkable leadership. They met with councilors, city staff and contractors. They attended City Council meetings. They helped ensure that skate park monies weren’t reallocated to other projects. They successfully advocated for a design-build contract that produced a better skate park. They participated in selecting the project contractor and in the public design meetings. They made a difference.

I’m proud of the role the commission played in helping to facilitate this process. I thank fellow commissioners Daniel Coriz, Joe Lehm and Damon Archuleta and Carlos Caldwell, who represented, encouraged and communicated with the skate community so well. Shout-outs also go to Gabe Holton, Orion Curtis, Chris Botkin, Khalil Amore, Phil Ginn, Clay Shank, Justin Britt, Collin Green, Diego Varela, Dave Rare, Seth Cox, Mateo Miller, Zadok Miller and many other skaters who participated in the process.

There are many other people to thank:

Councilor Carmichael Dominguez for giving us the opportunity to include funding for a new skate park in the 2012 bond.

Parks and Recreation Department Director Rob Carter and Parks Division Director Richard Thompson for supporting prior decisions and continually involving skate representatives in the process.

David Pfeiffer, public works facilities division director, for assigning one of his best managers, Jason Kluck, to the project. Jason did what he does so well — managed this project efficiently, within budget and on time. It sounds so easy, but we know it’s not. Thank you.

Thanks, too, to Spohn Ranch Skateparks, for listening carefully to the skaters and designing a “Santa Fe-style” skate park.

Finally, a special thank you to Councilor Ron Trujillo, who was pivotal in this project. The draft bond implementation plan called for a large water feature in Ragle Park. Many constituents, concerned that this would waste precious water in our desert, asked that the bond funds be reallocated, making a bigger and better skate park possible.

Then the skate community requested the park be located at GCCC rather than at Ragle to serve a wider diversity of users. Councilor Trujillo listened, agreed and properly shepherded these funding changes through the City Council approval process.

We can accomplish so much when city government and staff listen to and work together with constituents. The new skate park at GCCC is an example. Let’s celebrate!

Bette Booth lives in Santa Fe and works globally and locally for a more sustainable and equitable world. She chaired the city’s formerly named Parks and Open Spaces Advisory Commission for eight years.