Our readers say: "Many reasons for skate park"

I grew up in Redlands and I remember skate boarding all over Redlands and not getting into trouble. A skate park is the best thing for Redlands. It wll keep the skaters off the streets and the police open for more serious crimes. Why not have a Skate Park In Redlands.Its the best thing for the young and the old. It is totally amazing just sitting and watching these skaters and you don't have to pay to see them skate. And remember it will keep them off the street. Please put a skate park in Redlands.

Great points Michelle.
Allocate some space and give the kids a place to shred. Duck and Cover here comes the hatE.
05 comments under 05 different names coming soon.

There is an obvious bias towards skating that I really don't see in other sports. How many baseball fields does Redlands have? How many Tennis Courts, Football Fields, Basketball Hoops? Not one single "legal" place for kids who prefer to skate. Instead, "Officer Segway" rolls around downtown giving out skateboard tickets to kids I've seen as young as 9. What? If this same cop saw a 9 year old girl rollerskating downtown with her older sister, would she get a ticket? Silly, isn't it.
This is not just a few kids were talking about, more than you would expect. Business owners don't like skaters on there property, homeowners complain about the noise, Redlands Police appear to have predetermined that all kids who skate are criminals.
Ask yourself, if you were constantly deterred from doing the one activity that makes you happy, how would you feel?

I understand that the tranquility of the lawn bowling area may be in jeopardy. The city had donated land to the skatepark in a different area near Sylvan Park, it was even reported on Channel 13 News, then the city went and sold that same land to the owner of the adjacent apartment complex which was not on the news unfortunately. In an effort to save face, the city then offered up the area where the plunge was previously located.

The skaters of Redlands have gotten the shaft once again, lets show them that we're not just a bunch of old farts who have completely forgotten what it's like to be young.

"Skateboarding in a public facility would expose the city to liability when injuries occur."

Not true.

State law states that you accept liability when you choose to participate in a sport in any setting. You step on a skateboard, you take responsibility for your own clumsy butt.

This is like saying that you shouldn't build a ball field because a kid might get hit in the head with a fly ball to right field and sue the city in which the park is located. This is also a common misconception by private property owners.

With leased or deeded land many foundations including one that has already donated funds can assist in the build a skate area in Redlands. Without space NOTHING can happen. The city can always take back space under domain rules. The actual cost of a plaza can be done at under 100k private citizens have recreational obstacles that have been offered to the city but as no space exists they sit. Ever wonder why we have private skate areas at our homes? It is not a budget, upkeep OR liability issue its OLD ideas and OLD townies blocking a rather simple allocation of SPACE. We have idle city space and multiple parks.
skate kids get hassled and develop a fear and hatred toward our city POLICE. Nobody fights a 25.00 fine in court. 25.00 citations on kids from the helmet-less COP on his segways is a JOKE.