Home › News › Fillmore
Skateboard facilities added to park plan
STORY TOOLS 
More from FillmoreThe Fillmore City Council has added skateboard, tennis and restroom facilities to the top of the priority list for the city's new River Park project.
By a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the council added the three items to its construction plans as the city goes out to bid on the $5.4 million park, to be built along the Santa Clara River on the city's southwest side.
A contingent of skateboard-toting kids smiled and clapped Tuesday night upon learning the proposed $702,000 collection of ramps and curves will be among the first facilities to open at River Park.
Councilwoman Cecilia Cuevas urged that the skateboard center, and a second set of bathrooms near baseball and soccer fields, be built at the 22-acre park at River and C streets.
City Manager Tom Ristau said the overall project might come in under budget, after years of construction bids topping estimates.
"Times are tough, and construction contractors are finding work is scarce," Ristau said. "We've been very conservative on our estimates, and we think we can add a few extras."
The council also voted to seek bids for the city's new aquatic and tennis center, to be built adjacent to Fillmore High School. That project has a $6.38 million budget and should be open in two years.
The new city pool will be twice the size and on the same site as the old school pool. That pool had been the summertime hangout for generations of Fillmore kids before it became run-down and was filled with construction debris in 2000.
"I grew up in that pool, and it was so depressing to see it closed," said Councilwoman Laura Hernandez, a Fillmore native. "We are so excited about the prospect of getting it opened for the kids again."
Cuevas, Hernandez and Mayor Steve Conaway voted for the motion. Council members Scott Lee and Patti Walker voted no.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.