Skate park wins political backing

[davidinalameda]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/04/BAGA7E2JCD1.DTL

The young volunteers who built a skate park below an Oakland freeway without Caltrans' approval picked up some powerful allies Wednesday in their effort to keep the state from demolishing the concrete structure.

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, offered to help the skateboarders save their park, which they began building without permission more than a year ago on land owned by the state.

Caltrans officials -- who discovered the Bordertown skate park under the MacArthur Maze last week -- have warned the skateboarders that they plan to demolish it next Wednesday, because the land is needed for equipment and material storage during the year-long construction of a new on-ramp to Interstate 580 at MacArthur Boulevard near San Pablo Avenue.

Boxer has also weighed in and is going to try and get federal funds to buy the property from Caltrans

[wryter2000]

1. I've been following this

I live in Oaktown. Everyone agrees that the skate park is beneficial for the whole community. Even the initial guy from Caltrans who came out and looked at it said he'd try to get the demolition put off or find another location for the kids. The liability issues have to be enormous, though. I sure hope they can find a solution.

[davidinalameda]

2. as with any park

the liability issue is huge

but I'm sure it can fall under existing city insurance policies

I think that the Caltrans people had a knee jerk reaction and immediately said no without really thinking about it

they could have handled it much better than they have

[proud patriot]

3. What a great story

I sure hope it can be saved . These kids are
skating and not , well ,, you know up to
mischievous stuff.

The fact that they worked hard and built this
should be rewarded IMHO.

[wryter2000]

4. Mayor Moonbeam

Mayor Moonbeam will think of something, I'm sure. This sort of thing is right up his alley.

[Tom Joad]

5. what mayor moonbeam thinks of

I live in the general vicinity.

Mayor moonbeam is focused on his run for attorney general, for which he will do anything.

Like for example, support oakland cops when they open fire on anti-war protesters right here in Oakland. Yep, so called "less than lethal" weapons used against peaceniks and labor leaders in April 2003(by the way, the way these weopons were used it very well could have been lethal, instead it only caused a few life-long injuries.) I was locked up for almost 20 hours at the time of the police attack.

Mayor moonbeam = Mayor Daley 1968??

[wryter2000]

6. Welcome to DU

:hi: howdy, neighbor!

[slutticus]

7. They have reached a compromise apperently...

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/05/BAskate05.DTL&hw=skate+park&sn=001&sc=1000