Community Corner

Is Litter an Issue at the Skatepark?

Trash is not making into the cans at the Pacifica Skatepark.

 

Last Saturday was one of the cleaner days at the Pacifica Skatpark. It was Earth Day weekend, and volunteers picked up buckets of trash surrounding the skatepark including the community center’s parking lot.

But the spiffed up look didn’t last for long. By Sunday a lot of the trash was back again.

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Pacifica resident Amanda Hall took notice.

By Sunday afternoon the skatepark parking lot had it's usual amount of trash — heartbreaking after all the hard work of the day before,” she said.

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It seems that cigarette butts, bottles and wrappers aren't making it into the permanent trash and recycling cans that are provided next to the skatepark, which on some days looks far dirtier than any other park in the city. With debri – in particular discarded food and drink waste – regularly building up around the site, despite the bins nearby, residents have become increasingly concerned by the impact on the surrounding area.

“I bring my 11-year-old son here to skateboard, and it’s very disconcerting to see some of the older kids not taking responsibility for their own trash, just tossing it,” said Eliza Terwey. “Every time we come here there is trash all around the park. It’s gross, really.”

It took seven years to get the city's skate park built, and there’s nothing like it around. It’s a huge complex with a large pool, including two bowls, a half pipe, small freestyle area and tons of coping that draws skateboarders from around the area. Skating events, camps and contests are occasionally held at the park, but most of the time its open to anyone on skates.

There is no doubt that the skate park is used but with that use there has been a rise in litter in the area. This doesn’t mean to imply that the skaters are the only culprits of the trash, but reports are that since the skatepark was established litter has increased dramatically.

David McGuire, keynote speaker for the Pacifica Beach Coaltion’s Earth Day Festival last weekend, suggested in a comment on a recent Pacifica Patch article that it “looks like we need a skater education program.”

Indeed, skatepark users could be more vigilant about litter. What ideas do you have for the City of Pacifica Parks and Recreation staff to prevent so much littering at the skatepark?

Some towns have gone as far as enforcing litter violations and closing parks down temporarily after users refused to pick up their trash despite repeated warnings. Tell us what you think needs to happen in Pacifica in the comments section below.

Read more on Pacifica Patch:

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  • Earth Day 2013: Pacifica Celebrates Big [PHOTOS]
  • What do You Think About Paid Parking at the Beach?
  • New Homes For Sale in Pacifica This Week


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