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# Disgusted with parks and rec board
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/disgusted-with-parks-and-rec-board/
- Published: 2002-06-26T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:22:53.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*By Chuck Allord*

Editor: I’m thoroughly disgusted with Santa Monica’s Parks and Recreation Commission. At their recent meeting, they recommend banning smoking in all public parks, then they approved a location for a skatepark that most of them don’t like.

While they are so concerned about the public’s health in regard to smoking, they ignore the consequence of our city’s many drunks and transients who urinate and defecate in the parks on a daily basis. While that “health hazard” is ignored, we ban smoking — but not completely. The parks and recs chair suggested that Palisades Park not be included because tourists who come into town on buses might need a cigarette after a long ride. What sense does that make?

What really upsets me is their recommending to city council to approve a location for a new $560,000 skate park in Memorial Park.

Skateboarding originated in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park area — sometimes referred to as “Dogtown” in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Skateboarders used Ocean Park streets, beach parking lots near Pacific Ocean Park and Cactus Park for their sport.

The city’s staff report warns that the beach would be a “bad location” for a skatepark because the City of Santa Barbara took 10 years to get Coastal Commission approval for their beachfront skatepark. The truth is that the city council in Santa Barbara debated the skatepark for eight years before approving it and sending it to the Coastal Commission for their OK. When Santa Monica wanted a transit mall it received Coastal Commission approval within a year and a half. So, comments about a beach skatepark taking too long to be approved is typical city bull.

The thought that a second $560,000 skatepark would be built at a later time on the beach is like waiting for the city to fix-up another beachfront recreational facility: 415 PCH. Not in my lifetime.

Most of the commissioners agreed that Memorial Park was not the best location for a skatepark but felt that it could be completed at 14th and Olympic quicker than on the beach. But what is the rush all of a sudden? One of skateboarding’s founders, Tony Alva, advised the commissioners, “Don't rush it. Do it right.”

One commissioner suggested taking a few months and poll skateboarders and others as to what they wanted but another commissioner cut off debate by suggesting that it was not necessary to wait or find the best location. This was a good idea that was ignored.

The parks and recreation commission needs to stop showing its ignorance and do its job. Supervising public health is not their job. Finding the best place for a skatepark is and it should be at Cactus Park.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 26, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/062602.pdf?ref=smdp.com)