Delridge gets 1st skate park
Mon, 08/04/2008
More than 10 years after members of Grindline were kicked out of Schmitz park for attempting to build a skateboard bowl under a bridge, the local skateboard park design company has been selected to create West Seattle's first public skatepark at the Delridge Playfield.
The new skatepark will be implemented by the Seattle Parks and Recreation department as a part of Seattle's Citywide Skatepark plan, which established the new park at Lower Woodland earlier this year.
The Delridge Playfield was chosen as a site for the program partially because of the existing activity in the area. Studies have shown that skateparks in open, lively areas deter negative behavior and bring communities together. Existing amenities such as restrooms and lighting also made the playfield an ideal location, among other criteria.
After interviewing four design companies, Grindline was selected when the company demonstrating its familiarity with the location. Delridge Playfield is just two blocks from the West Seattle company's first office.
"Grindline has a personal commitment to the project because it's in their neighborhood," said Kelly Davidson, project manager with Seattle Parks and Recreation.
Grindline has designed more than 70 parks nationally and is recognized for their revolutionary design methods.
At the project's first public meeting on Wednesday, July 30, Grindline and Abbotswood Design Group, the project's landscape architect, presented their design methods to more than fifty members of the local community. Attendees were especially enthusiastic about Grindline's methods to incorporate the aesthetic of the surrounding area into the skatepark's design.
"We really want to make sure the community is happy with it, because they're the ones impacted the most," said Micah Shapiro, Grindline's sales manager and lead designer.
Fred Ogram of Abbotswood guaranteed that none of the trees in the park would be removed, describing them as opportunities to provide shade for the park users. Instead of installing unnatural concrete rectangles, Shapiro said he plans to include green space in his design, so that the skatepark might be aesthetically pleasing.
"I think it's really amazing that the local skateboarders who started the modern skate park revolution right in West Seattle are getting the opportunity to finally provide a park for us," said Matt Johnston, a member of the Skatepark Advisory Task Force.
The focus of the first community meeting was to determine which section of the playfield would be most appropriate for the skate park. The overwhelming favorite among attendees was the Northeast corner of the park, along Southwest Genesee Street and Delridge Way Southwest. The area is currently an open, grass-covered space with several trees.
Compared to other possible sites along 26th Avenue Southwest, this spot has less exposure to adjacent home and easy access from the parking lot or bus stops on Delridge Way.
Nancy Folsom, a resident near the park on Southwest Genesee Way says she wouldn't mind the skatepark being across from her home.
"I like that it involves all ages, and it's very fun to watch," Folsom said.
Folsom was not alone in her enthusiastic response. Many of those who attended the public meeting were overwhelmingly supportive of the project. While he has helped develop skate parks all over the city, Johnston said that he had never seen a community so proactive with their support, as well as their concerns.
"It was mind blowing to see all those people at the meeting," Johnston said. "I felt totally uplifted."
Besides the majority of supporters, some local neighbors of the Delridge Playfield expressed concern Wednesday night that the skatepark could result in criminal activities. But Johnston suggested that the skatepark would activate the area and drive negative behavior away.
"The most attractive place for crime to occur is an empty park," Johnston said. "And that isn't a skate park."
Johnston went on to testify about the mentorship he has seen at skateparks. He hopes that Grindline's final design will include features that attract older skaters so they can positively influence younger park users and act as adult supervisors.
To help facilitate new skateboarders the Delridge Community Center plans to offer skatepark programs including board checkout so that people can try skateboarding for the first time at the park.
"In my day kids were playing basketball with their dads," said Pete Spalding of the Delridge District Council. "Now, kids skateboard with their dads."
Still, other community members have expressed concern regarding graffiti, which has plagued many parks across the city. But Johnston feels that as long as it is removed quickly, the park will not be used as a canvas.
There has also been concern that there will not be enough available parking for skatepark users. But Davidson claims many of the skatepark's users will travel to the park via public transportation or their own skateboards. According to the City, the average age of a skateboarder in Seattle is just 14 years old, so few would be able to drive to the park anyway.
As the Parks and Recreation Department continues to consider which section of the playfield will be most appropriate for the skatepark, they have requested a budget of $600,000 from the city for construction. Grindline estimates that amount would provide a park that measures approximately 12,000 square feet.
By comparison Grindline's new skate park at Lower Woodland is 17,000 square feet and cost approximately $1 million.
The park's completion date will depend on the funding and selection of a contractor, though it could be finished by the end of 2009.
Many supporters, including Spalding and Johnston, have encouraged the community to contact Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and members of the city council before the city budget is finalized in November.
"(The community) should come to meetings, get involved in fundraising and be happy that the city is giving them a gift that is going to improve the community," Johnston said.
Rose Egge may be reached at 932.0300 or rosee@robinsonnews.com