Summary of our meeting this week with Seattle Parks regarding the Dyrdek donation.

As documented here previously, the SPAC has continued to express concerns to Seattle Parks that the donation made by the Dyrdek Foundation for Roxhill Skatepark, accepted by Mayor McGinn in a televised press conference:

1.  Should not be applied to a skatepark that was already fully funded (through the Parks for All Levy)

2.  That California Skateparks (the consultant that will be performing the free design for the Dyrdek Foundation) response to the Parks RFQ for design work at Roxhill was ranked last (several other designers also submitted responses) by a diverse design selection committee.

3.  California Skateparks does not have diverse experience with designing skateparks at non-linear sites with constraints (i.e., grove of trees)

4.  We fear that the Street League obstacles will attempt to get shoehorned into the design and may not work at this site or be what the skateboarding community wants

5.  That savings in design costs will not be applied back into the skatepark such that the community realizes any benefit from the donation.

We elevated this issue to the City Council and head a meeting with the Seattle Parks Superintendent and some of his staff earlier this week to further discuss these concerns and proposed a recommended path forward.  Below is a summary email we provided to the Superintendent following the meeting.  We will be talking with the City Council regarding the outcome of this meeting.

We will provide further updates as this issue progresses.  Have a good (dry) weekend and hope to see you out skating.

Superintendent Williams,

Thanks again for meeting with us yesterday.

We just wanted to send a quick note summarizing what we discussed, and re-state our take-away from the meeting in the spirit of complete transparency.

Summary of our discussion around the Dyrdek Foundation donation and the Roxhill skatepark project:

* Parks will be moving forward with accepting the donation for the Roxhill project.

* Parks is not concerned with the issue of subverting the process that allows for public input on the selection of the designer.

* The donation came with strings attached, one of them being that the project needed to be “shovel ready” which essentially forces Parks to apply it to a project that’s already funded and underway.

* The SPAC primarily recommends that the donation go to another site identified in the Citywide Skatepark Plan.  This would also realize the benefit of Grindline Skateparks (skatepark designer selected for the Judkins skatepark) proposed “two-for-one” donation of designs for both Roxhill and Judkins, which was precluded by the Dyrdek donation.  The SPAC understands that this would require additional discussions with the Dyrdek Foundation due to the initial terms of the donation being tied to a “shovel ready” project.  The SPAC offers any support necessary with these discussions.

* If the SPAC’s primary recommendation cannot be realized, and in order for the Dyrdek donation to support in any way Seattle skateboarders and the Roxhill Skatepark, the SPAC understands that Parks will preserve all existing funds in the $600K Parks and Green Spaces Levy project budget for use at the Roxhill Skatepark or another skatepark funded through the Levy.  The SPAC looks forward to discussing with Parks and California Skateparks how best to apply the donation savings to Seattle skateparks prior to initiation of the Roxhill Skatepark design process.

Thanks again for meeting with us, and please feel free to let us know if any of this is incorrect.  We’re open to input and expect the conversation to continue.

–  Seattle Parks and Recreation Skate Park Advisory Committee