Skaters ask city leaders for Kofu Park repairs
A group of local skaters asked Lodi City staff to consider funding for lights, a restroom and overall improved structures at the Kofu Skate Park Wednesday night.
“The skate park is in desperate need of TLC,” Chelsea Taylor said during public comment. “I don’t know if you were here for the big rain storms we had a few months ago, but all of the ramps were under water for quite some time and took a long time for them to dry out. We weren’t able to use the park or enjoy it at all.”
Taylor said the storms in October — which brought down nearly 3.5 inches of rainfall — caused additional damage to ramps, bowls and half pipes at the park that were already in a state of disrepair.
“A lot of times, the skate park is already torn up, like after months of rain and just people skating it,” Adam Dunlap said. “It gets repaired, but (the damage) comes back like two months after. Right now we have bowls and a half pipe ... most of the time my friends and I can’t skate on it because we just fall from the cracks.”
Those who spoke during public comment also asked if the restroom onsite could be open while skaters used the park, and if lights could be installed for those who want to skate past sunset during daylight savings.
Dunlap said because the restroom is not open, some people have used a corner of the park as a place
to relieve themselves. In addition, park patrons do not want to walk to local businesses and be refused access to restrooms there, he said.
Steve Virray, park project coordinator for Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, said there are times when the restroom at Kofu Park is open, but it’s typically for special events or baseball games.
“During daily use, the restrooms are typically closed due to the vandalism and graffiti we’ve had in the past,” he added. “We’re not saying it’s from (skateboarders), but we get middle school and high school kids walking through when school gets out, and that’s basically when we see the vandalism at the parks.”
City manager Steve Schwabauer said there is a plan to make some repairs at the skate park, which will begin in the summer.
“There is a plan and materials acquired to do some significant welding and replacement of the material on top of the ramps,” he said. “There will be some additional steel added to the structures because its failing under the weight of the bikes right now. So a major project is pending, and parks has a plan to get all of its staff out there all at once and knock it out relatively quickly.”
Schwabauer said the parks department currently has $40 million in a deferred maintenance program of which the skate park is currently not part. He said putting the park on the list is a challenge, because the department has a lot on its plate to repair or renovate.
“We are picking away at some of those things and we are making significant improvements for the first time this year, dedicating $7 million to parks projects,” he said. “But totally replacing the skate park is not on the list at this time, nor is putting lights there. Putting lights in the park is probably a half-a-million dollar project — not at all cheap. There’s a lot to be done in the parks, a lot of demand on the parks.”
Councilman Doug Kuehne said while installing new lights would be a costly venture, maybe staff could use existing facilities at the park similar to what’s at the nearby tennis courts.
“At the tennis courts, you push a button and lights come on for designated period of time,” he said. “You mentioned it’s a halfmillion dollar project to get lights out at the skate park. Would it be possible or less to get two lights at the tennis court area to face the skate park so skaters could just push a button so at least they could have some lighting instead of a full-blown lighting project?”
Schwabauer said staff will look at ways to place lights at the park, as well as other improvements that could possibly be made within budget constraints.
No action was taken because the topic was discussed during public comment.