Skateboarders and Scooter Riders Show Up In Force at Commission Meeting

Can skateboarders and scooter riders coexist? That was the question the Scotts Valley Parks and Recreation Commission were faced with on Thursday night when a skatepark turf war spilled over into the city council chambers.

Around 75 people showed up to the commission’s monthly meeting to share their thoughts on whether or not the Tim Brauch Memorial Skatepark in Scotts Valley should allow scooter riders. Over 30 people spoke to the commission, many of them young kids, giving input on both sides of the debate.

The issue of skateboarders versus scooter riders has become bigger in the past month after many children received scooters for Christmas and started using them more frequently at the skatepark. On Dec. 27, police went to the skatepark following a complaint that there were scooter riders and the scooter riders were asked to leave.

According to Park and Recreation Division Manager Conrad Sudduth, scooters are not currently allowed at the skatepark, although he said they are not actually disallowed either.

“When the skatepark was originally developed [in 2004] and when consideration was done on who was going to use the skatepark there were different types of users that were considered and discuss. They included skateboards, roller skates, inline skated and bicycles,” Sudduth said. “Only one of those four was excluded from use and that was bicycles. Scooters existed back then but they weren’t something that people were really using in the skateparks at that time so it wasn’t even discussed. So scooter were never disallowed in that regard, but they were never allowed in the city ordinance either.”

Sudduth added that though a lot of people are looking at the situation as a scooter/skateboard conflict, it is really more than that. It is an age/skill conflict, with many of the scooter riders being younger children and a large number of the skateboarders being older teenagers and even adults.

“It really should not be about what you ride, it should be about park etiquette,” said 13-year-old Scotts Valley Middle School student, Trevor Theissen. “I’ve been riding a scooter for a long time and I try to educate the younger kids. I’m not just out there taking mindless runs.”

Many of the young scooter riders told the commission of how they are bullied at the park by skateboarders and made to feel not welcome.

Scotts Valley Middle School student Wayne Evans, 11, said that he now feels safer on a scooter after he ran over a bottle cap thrown into one of the bowls at the skatepark by an older skateboarder while he was on a skateboard. He busted his knee and had to be taken to the emergency room.

“You have more control on a scooter,” Evans said. “But some skaters purposely run into me and we both get hurt, but they always end up laughing at us. It’s not fair. The skatepark should be a community place.”

Sponsored skateboarder Camillo Arana, 17, said that while he understands how the young kids feel, they are often in the way of him being able to do his job.

“Most of us skateboarders want to make our living off of this. Scooters, no offense, but you guys can’t do that yet. It has not progressed to that level yet,” Arana said. “We have to practice every day. That’s our mindset. Scootering is fun. I get that. There is a place for it but not at a place where some of us are practicing our jobs. That’s the difference. When I go to the bike park I can’t skate there, it’s a bike park. It’s the same concept.”

For adult skateboarder Paul Merrell, this issue if more about safety.

“The problem with skateboarders and scooters getting along is the velocity of travel. If anyone has seen Camillo [Arana] out there, he is flying around the park at super high speeds doing all kinds of tricks. It’s really dangerous when he comes flying out of the bowl and there is another little kid getting ready to drop in on a scooter. You can’t do anything at that point except collide with the scooter kid. You really can’t avoid it, it’s going to happen.”

But for the many families and scooter riders in attendance at the meeting, the issue boils down to getting along and learning to share what is considered a family park.

“To say that one group can have it and one group can’t is confusing to me to say the least,” said Scotts Valley mom Jill Hitchman. “Also, the fact that police are now coming and threatening to cite kids for using the park–I’ve actually gotten a call from my 12-year-old son saying, ‘Mom come and get me, the police are coming,’ because he’s riding a scooter. I think that’s ridiculous in a community that is so family oriented.”

Several people suggested designating certain days or hours that would be for scooters only, or to hire a monitor at the park to make sure the riders follow the rules and etiquette of the park. However, Sudduth said that neither of those were viable options. If a skatepark is staffed, the city’s liability is increased dramatically if someone is hurt. And as far as designating days, Sudduth said that he spoke with SVPD Police Chief John Weiss who said it would be problematic for officers to enforce.

“On Tuesdays the scooter people would call and complain and on Wednesdays the skateboarders would complain,” Sudduth said. “[The police] don’t have the time to go out there and enforce those rules. They have difficulty enforcing what is out there now.”

After listening to over an hour and a half of public comment, the commission voted unanimously to recommend that the city council change the ordinance on use at the skatepark to allow scooters equally but to look at the safety concerns raised and possibly educate the riders on the rules and etiquette of the park.

“As we as a community grow and change and age, the needs and uses of our facilities have changed to accommodate that,” Commissioner Wendy Brannan said. “I understand that this was originally built for skateboarders, but we never thought that we would have this new use of scooters, so I think that it is something we need to look at and figure out how we can accommodate them.”

The matter will come before the city council on Feb. 1 and the council will hear public comment on the issue before making a decision.