Jessie Medina is a local skateboarder who recited a commonly heard belief Monday among young people in Hollister.
“I believe this town needs something for our kids to do,” Medina said Monday before a packed crowd at the Hollister council meeting.
In making his case for a new BMX facility next to the current skate park, Medina acknowledged being a mischievous kid growing up. Then he met new friends and started skateboarding. And then he shortly realized there weren’t many places to skate without being harassed – outside of the skate park at Veterans Memorial Park.
The same goes for the BMX riders. For years, there has been a conflict of uses at the skate park with skateboarder and bicycle riders sharing the space. Now the BMX riders will finally get a home, too.
Hollister council members Monday unanimously approved spending $78,000 on a BMX facility next to the current skate park. The consideration now moves on to the county board of supervisors, which is set to weigh spending another $22,000 as a match.
Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velazquez on Monday indicated he and others should attempt to persuade the county into matching the full $78,000 – which would bring the total government contribution to $156,000 instead of $100,000 as currently planned.
“I’m trusting everybody here’s going to go after that money,” Velazquez said to fellow officials and the crowd of project supporters.
City officials’ decision came after many supporters, including Medina, spoke in favor of the new obstacles for BMX-style bikes at Veterans Memorial Park on Memorial Drive. There have been safety problems with mixed uses at the skate park, which opened in 1998, while local BMX users have argued they have to leave town in order to find challenging enough facilities.
Council members’ unanimous approval came after a recommendation of support from the city’s parks and recreation committee as well. The city plans to use park-development funds – as opposed to money from the general fund that pays for most compensation – in paying for the upgrade at Veterans Memorial Park primarily featuring portable obstacles. Much of the cost – $50,000 – is set to go toward resurfacing of the current basketball courts, said Laura Miller, a parks commissioner who has spearheaded the effort. Some other costs will include removal of fencing, and the addition of portable bathrooms and some sort of shade mechanism.
The project also will involve a volunteer committee that makes recommendations on how to spend the money. Those involved hope to launch the project soon and have it done within 90 days from that point.
“It’s pretty amazing what these kids are doing out there,” Miller said. “They’re definitely athletes.”
