Plans for a new skatepark were approved by San Juan Capistrano city officials on Tuesday, April 5, a $3.3 million project in the talks for 15 years.
Setting the final design is the latest step forward for the nearly 1-acre skate park facility on the southwest corner of the former Kinoshita Farm property, near a new public trail and the city’s sports park and community center.
The project’s construction contract still needs approval in June, and then the park could be completed late this year. Adding a skate park to the town’s facilities was identified in 2007 as a priority among recreational needs in the community, but plans repeatedly wiped out through the years.
“The vision for a San Juan Capistrano skatepark has been many years in the making and was a true community effort. Everyone involved should be proud to see this long-awaited priority project move forward,” Mayor Derek Reeve said in an e-mail.
“This new community amenity will not only serve our local skateboarders, but also provide for a play structure for our younger youth, shaded gathering areas for parents and spectators, and additional trail connectivity,” he said.
Most speakers at Tuesday’s council meeting were in favor of the project, which would be the largest in south Orange County. There were some concerned about losing more of the city’s agricultural history and its closeness to homes.
Brandon Phillips, who holds skate and surf clinics with Vert Performance, talked about the popularity of the board sports in the Olympics, which will also be including in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“I guarantee, if we build a skatepark, there will be a future Olympian, maybe in this room, maybe coming from San Juan, at the biggest stage on Earth in Los Angeles,” he said.
Skater Mo Henderson, who lives across from the proposed park location, has been involved with the skate community for 40 years, which she called a “like-minded community that loves to give back,” a kindness she personally experienced with the support she received while battling cancer.
“All my skateboard friends put together a fundraiser and had a huge turn out and it was amazing,” she said.
But those fundraiser events had to be held out of town in San Diego.
“We had to do it in Oceanside because there’s nothing here,” she said. “We leave San Juan and buy gas there, spend hundreds of dollars on lunch and entertainment in other cities, instead of our own neighborhood.
“The community has been fighting for this for years,” she said, “decades actually.”
Last year, the City Council picked Grindline Skateparks to design the park. The plan calls for a mix of features that would be usable by scooters and BMX riders as well. Restrooms and the playground for younger children are also included.
A presenter from Grindland gave a look at the project’s features, with about 20,000 square feet of skate-able concrete. It will have a blend of street features, emulating what can be found in urban environments, such as curbs and railings. A bowl inspired by an iconic backyard pool called “Haunted Hole” will be built.
Matisse Reischl, the city’s senior management analyst, said safety concerns were considered, including the decision to build near the city’s community center to allow staff to monitor the grounds.
Hours of operations will be 8 a.m. to sunset year-round and city staff will secure the facility at sunset each day, she said.
The city’s environmental consultant analyzed the predicted noise that would be generated from active use of the skate park, reporting the levels at the nearest residences would be less than both the city’s daytime and evening exterior noise standards.
Reischl also noted no music amplification will be allowed.
Eric Bodge, who has family who lives near the location, showed up to the meeting in support.
“What was great was the skate community was in such full force, it was very evident,” he said. “It was a very celebratory mood, there were a couple of people in opposition, but it looked like the council took those into consideration and there were good solutions.”
Bodge, who said he often drives to San Diego to skate, said San Juan Capistrano’s plans look like the right mix for intermediate skaters like himself, newbies who want to learn and pro skaters perfecting their skills.
“It was exciting to see this is happening, now let’s move forward so everyone can use this,” he said. “For decades to come, so many people will get to use the park. It’s a resource for the whole community.”
