3 Sites Considered for Skateboard Park

After an exhaustive search, the city’s recreation committee has targeted three possible sites for a skateboard park, two of which are on the high-profile property known as the Village Entrance.

The first site choice is on Forest Avenue next to City Hall, where city vehicles are now parked.

The corporate yard is to be moved in coming years to allow redevelopment of the Village Entrance, a curved parcel that sweeps around Forest Avenue and Laguna Canyon Road.

The committee favored the city-owned site because of its central location and because it is near the Police Department, Recreation Director Pat Barry said. “They felt it was a safe area,” he said.

The committee’s second choice is at the opposite end of the Village Entrance, along Laguna Canyon Road, where city employees now park.

The third choice is at the Act V parking lot, which is farther north on Laguna Canyon Road. The city expects to move the corporate yard to that lot, which is large enough to hold other development.

The committee unanimously approved the options Monday and will present recommendations Sept. 2 to the City Council.

Committee members have been searching for more than two years for an appropriate site. Some options--including Heisler Park--were dropped because of objections from residents.

Barry acknowledged that the recommendations could spark controversy. “It could be a bit of a fight in terms of certain people’s vision of what the Village Entrance should be,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Laguna Beach’s recreation committee has named three locations as the best spots for a skateboard park--two are near Village Entrance and the other one farther out on Laguna Canyon Road.