OPINION: Edmiston, Smarting From Camping Decision, Eyes Skate Park

Malibu's skate parks -- temporary and permanent -- are in the target of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The jefe, Joe Edmiston, is not happy about losing the camping lawsuit, and he has the skate park at Bluffs Park in his gunsights.

Edmiston says a skate park is not a permitted use at Bluff Park. He worries that the "temporary" wooden ramps proposed for the parking lot would become permanent. And he says the proposed site of the permanent skate park, on the south side of Bluffs park, is supposed to be a grassy area and nothing more. 

I drove all the way to Dodger Stadium Monday night for the monthly meeting of the Conservancy/Mountain Resources Conservation Agency boards. I had wanted to ask for a letter opposing the Rancho Malibu hotel. As is often the case, I was the only person from Malibu there. The city has an appointed representative -- didn't see him.

The skateboard park was NOT on the agenda. But the Conservancy's on the Malibu camping was. The board met behind closed doors to discuss the Malibu court case with its lawyers, and emerged to say they "had given direction to its attorneys" on the case. The camping issue is far from over.

The next item was the executive director's report, and Edmiston was still clearly upset about Malibu. He told the board that he "wants the board to be aware that this will be an issue coming up in the future." And he gave a very negative report on our skate park -- he made it sound like a land grab to prevent beachgoers from parking at Bluffs and hiking down to the beach.

"There is a question of location. Why do they have to have to put it immediately in front of the main entrance to Bluffs Park?" he asked. "Also, how temporary is temporary? (Chuckle). We all remember that the Malibu Little League was supposed to be temporary."

Edmiston told the board that deed restrictions still held by the "Recreation Authority" restrict the types of "recreation" at the "park."

"In terms of restricting uses, the whole idea was not necessarily to turn this over for every kind of municipal park use, but simply the uses that had been grandfathered in, in terms of the Little League area, just general green space."

The proposal, he said, "does call into question the deed restriction. The deed restriction also applies to the area where they want to put the permanent park, which is the southern boundary of the portion that was transferred to the city. 

"Those are issues we are going to be addressing."

One of the board members pointed out that the MRCA has skateparks on its land but operated by the City of Los Angeles, and that skateparks have been approved elsewhere. He said that was a good thing.

"I do not think we have a policy on skateboard use," Edmiston said. The MRCA board member said he supports skate parks, and told Edmiston "we will be watching this."

The public comment period came up next, and I threw out my planned speech on the Rancho Malibu project. I explained to the board the history of and the fact it was open to everyone, not just Malibu residents. I explained that an extensive effort turned up no other spot for either a temporary or permanent skate park. I explained that even skateboarders have a right to coastal access, and that the permanent skateboard park on the oceanview bluff would allow thousands of people to enjoy the coastal breeze and view while having great fun and exercise.

A few board members thanked me for that perspective, which Mr. Edmiston obviously does not share. His view is that the parents of Malibu sit on the city council that denied him the camping facilities for inner city kids -- why should he support a skate park for Malibu kids?

It is so sad that the dysfunction and lack of communication between Malibu and the Coastal Conservancy festers and rots and causes misunderstandings like this. Joe was not informed about the background of Papa Jack's, or the inclusive, organic growth of support for the Bluffs Park facility, until I told him about it. The City of Malibu and the Coastal Conservancy people HATE each other and have for decades. This is sad.

So, back to the ramparts. Skateboarding community, an agency of the State of California wants to shut down your skate park before it is rebuilt. What do you have to say?