West Park Rebuild Feasibility Survey / www.venturaskateparks.org / 805-628-3823

This survey and article take approx. 7 minutes to complete. Please make your opinion heard!

Summary

By Chris Long

Owner, Serio Skateshop (2013-present)

Founder, Ventura Skatepark Improvement Committee (2000-present)

After 24 years of grassroots community activism from the skateboard community, the City of Ventura has finally been awarded a 2 million dollar grant for the expansion of West Park, located on the south side of Harrison Recreational Field in Ventura's Avenue district. but the hard work is not over yet.

Now is the time to make our voice heard. As the skateboard community who will use the park, we must ensure that a proper skatepark contractor is hired, and that the design will reflect the needs of the local community.

The original "skate track" features a meager 3,500 square feet of usable area. It was built in 1997 by a driveway company and suffers from outdated design patterns that limit the potential of intermediate / advanced skaters while inhibiting the abilities of beginning skaters. This is why we need to work hand-in-hand to make sure the park is built correctly this time.

In a well-designed skatepark, beginning skaters should have room to learn the basics away from the challenges presented by more advanced elements. Also, intermediate / advanced skaters should be able to skate without interference from beginning skaters.

Perhaps most importantly, design elements must sufficiently engage intermediate / advanced skaters, else they will eventually lose interest and return to the streets, skateboarding on public property and unfortunately encouraging the same problems the skatepark was intended to solve.

Please complete this short survey and tell us what types of elements you'd like to see in the new park, and give us your opinions about pads, security, and artistic embellishments in the park.

Question Title

* 1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rank the current Ventura skate tracks?

How do Ventura's current skate tracks compare to neighboring communities like Oxnard, Fillmore, Ojai, etc.?

Question Title

* 2. How often do you use the current skate track at West Park?

2 or more times per week

1 to 2 times per month

Maybe 3-6 times in a year

Never

Question Title

* 3. How often would you use a properly-designed, professional grade skatepark at West Park?

Daily

3-6 times per week

1-2 times per week

1-2 times per month

maybe 3-6 times per year

never

Question Title

* 4. How old are you?

6-11

12-17

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

Question Title

* 5. What's your name? (Optional)

Question Title

* 6. How often do you skate?

Daily

3-6 times per week

1-2 times per week

2-5 times per month

Once a month

Maybe 6 times per year

Never

Question Title

* 7. Do you live in Ventura County?

Yes

Question Title

* 8. Where do you live? Check all that apply

City of Ventura, East End

City of Ventura, Mid Town

City of Ventura, West Side

Oxnard

Ojai

Santa Paula / Fillmore

Camarillo

I don't live in Ventura County

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 9. Do you live within a half-mile of West Park?

Yes

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 10. The new skatepark will take approximately 2-5 years to design, fund and build. Do you support immediate “bandaid” improvements to West Park by replacing the wood-chips with concrete by the end of 2018?

Yes, a flat-ground area with simple, concrete elements would be nice to skate while the new park gets designed, funded and built

No, I would rather wait 2-5 years and keep West Park exactly how it is now, with the wood-chips

Question Title

* 11. The new skatepark at West Park should be:

100% street elements, i.e. rails, stairs, gaps, ledges, manual pads

100% transition elements, i.e. bowls, quarterpipes, banks, snake runs

75% street and 25% transition

75% transition and 25% street

Approximately 50/50

What are some examples of well-designed skateparks you've been to?

Question Title

* 12. Which of the following best describes how you feel about the new skatepark at West Park:

We should knock down the current skate track and build a completely new park

We should build a completely new park, but also include a section containing a modern version of the current bowl (i.e. correct transitions with legitimate coping)

We should build a completely new park, but build it around the current park, leaving the current park exactly how it is now

Question Title

* 13. What elements would you like to see in the final design? Select all that apply:

Pool / bowl

Transitions under 5 feet tall

Transitions over 5 feet tall

Vert

Flat Rails

Ledges

Stairs / Handrails / Hubbas

Manual Pads

Spines

Pool Coping

Hips / Corners

Escalators

Banks

Gaps

Euro / Step-up Gaps

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 14. Should the new skatepark allow BMX bikes and scooters?

Yes, we should try to accommodate as many groups as possible

No, because bikes damage coping and scootering makes it impossible to properly skateboard in the skatepark

Question Title

* 15. How do you feel about paying an entry fee at the new skatepark?

I won't skate it at all if I have to pay

I won't skate it as much if I have to pay

I wouldn't mind paying a dollar or two

The park should have an entry fee over $5

Question Title

* 16. Should pad rules be enforced at the new skatepark?

No, since pad rules aren't currently enforced. Also, neighboring cities like Ojai, Santa Paula, Moorpark, Westlake, Newbury Park and Camarillo don't enforce pad rules at their skateparks, either

Yes, the new park should have a "pad-guard"

Question Title

* 17. If scooters and bikes are allowed, how would that affect your use of the park?

Don't care, I would skate it the same either way

I would definitely want to skate less if bikes and scooters were present

Question Title

* 18. If pad rules and entry fees are enforced, how would that affect your use of the park?

Don't care, I would skate it the same either way

I would definitely skate less if pads and fees were enforced

Question Title

* 19. What are your favorite skateparks in Ventura County? Check all that apply:

Ojai

Oxnard

Santa Paula

Fillmore

Piru

Camarillo

Newbury Park

Westlake

Moorpark

Question Title

* 20. What are your favorite skateparks outside of Ventura County?

Question Title

* 21. Should the new skatepark at West Park have lights?

Yes, the park should be lit at night and open until 10:00pm

No, I don't want to skate at night

Question Title

* 22. Would you volunteer to help with regular cleanup at the new skatepark?

Yes

Question Title

* 23. I own or represent a business or non-profit that could assist with design, fundraising and/or building the new skatepark, and I am willing to get involved.

Yes

Please list business name and type of services you can offer, along with contact information:

Question Title

* 1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rank the current Ventura skate tracks?

Question Title

* 2. How often do you use the current skate track at West Park?

Question Title

* 3. How often would you use a properly-designed, professional grade skatepark at West Park?

Question Title

* 4. How old are you?

Question Title

* 5. What's your name? (Optional)

Question Title

* 6. How often do you skate?

Question Title

* 7. Do you live in Ventura County?

Question Title

* 8. Where do you live? Check all that apply

Question Title

* 9. Do you live within a half-mile of West Park?

Question Title

* 10. The new skatepark will take approximately 2-5 years to design, fund and build. Do you support immediate “bandaid” improvements to West Park by replacing the wood-chips with concrete by the end of 2018?

Question Title

* 11. The new skatepark at West Park should be:

Question Title

* 12. Which of the following best describes how you feel about the new skatepark at West Park:

Question Title

* 13. What elements would you like to see in the final design? Select all that apply:

Question Title

* 14. Should the new skatepark allow BMX bikes and scooters?

Question Title

* 15. How do you feel about paying an entry fee at the new skatepark?

Question Title

* 16. Should pad rules be enforced at the new skatepark?

Question Title

* 17. If scooters and bikes are allowed, how would that affect your use of the park?

Question Title

* 18. If pad rules and entry fees are enforced, how would that affect your use of the park?

Question Title

* 19. What are your favorite skateparks in Ventura County? Check all that apply:

Question Title

* 20. What are your favorite skateparks outside of Ventura County?

Question Title

* 21. Should the new skatepark at West Park have lights?

Question Title

* 22. Would you volunteer to help with regular cleanup at the new skatepark?

Question Title

* 23. I own or represent a business or non-profit that could assist with design, fundraising and/or building the new skatepark, and I am willing to get involved.

Question Title

* 24. Do you have any additional comments and/or suggestions?