Plans for Cambria Skate Park get big boost as State Parks recommends project for key grant

Cambria’s hopes for a new skate park got some big air on Monday when State Parks announced it has recommended that the National Park Service award $600,000 in matching-grant funds to the project, which would get the park to its funding goal of $1.2 million.

The plans would give Cambria its first permanent, concrete skate park after a temporary, unpermitted one was shut down in 2020.

Skate Cambria already has raised $625,000 from various sources, including a $178,000 commitment from the Cambria Community Services District, plus grants from several tourism boards.

The group is continuing to fundraise through its website and events, with money raised being held by the nonprofit Cambria Community Council.

“This is beyond exciting news for the community, beyond the concrete. This takes it over the finish line,” Juli Amodei, Skate Cambria’s project manager, said by phone soon after the news was released. “This is for all our partners, our champions, the people who believed that this project can get done. What a gift to our community!”

The State Parks release said more than 79 projects were evaluated in the grant process — $154 million worth — with only $35.6 million in the National Park Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund grant pot this time around.

State Parks recommended 16 projects for the matching National Park Service grants. Others ranged from $207,500 for a community park in the tiny town of Cobb to $6 million each for the cities of Chico, Pico Rivera and Santa Clarita.

Knowing that Cambria’s project was one of the 16 that made the cut at the State Parks level was icing on the cake for Amodei and Matthew McElhenie, general manager of the Cambria Community Services District, who were among those collaborating on the project’s application.

Amodei lauded the extraordinary outpouring of support and effort by the community, “especially Dick Clark and his team at the community council,” she said. “They are among the heroes in this,” along with everybody from skaters and their families, committed North Coast residents who likely will never get on a board or skates, and the skating enthusiasts themselves.

Cambria’s project “has a good chance to make it through the next step,” said McElhenie, referring to the federal approval process. “That would be a pretty amazing accomplishment for such an unusual project for this kind of funding.”

National Park Service grant would help replace a beloved park

The project proposes building a skate park in the vacant asphalt lot and adjacent dirt parking area near the county library.

A previous unpermitted park built by community members at the same location served several generations of skaters, but it was removed in early 2020 due to safety concerns and its deteriorated condition.

Since then, the community and Skate Cambria have been fundraising to build a permanent skate park.

According to the State Parks’ press release, “The project is to include 6,000 square feet of undulating concrete deck designed for skateboarding.

“This area will feature a mix of street and transition features that will support skaters with various interests, abilities, and characteristics that welcome other skate park-friendly activities like riding scooters, bicycles, roller skates/blades, or even specialty wheelchairs,” the release explained. “The development will also include constructing a seating section with a shade structure, landscaping, a parking lot, and a restroom stall.”

The release called it a “youth-friendly space” and “a high priority for the community,” which has limited recreational facilities for young people.

The GM also credited the community’s “passion for the skate park, for our youth. It was a really nice, grassroots effort. And it was unique,” he said. “I think there are not a lot of this kind of requests at the state park level.”

Besides providing an athletic, recreational outlet for skaters and skateboarders, McElhenie said, “it provides an opportunity for families to come out, watch their kids enjoy skating, rollerblading and recreation in general.”

It’s unknown how long the next steps will take

“Now we’re moving on to the post-selection federal requirement phase,” McElhenie said. “My understanding is, we are in a very good position to acquire the funds if we make it through the federal approval.”

He’s estimating that it could be mid- to late 2024 before an announcement is made.

If the project gets final approval from the National Park Service, then it would need county approval.

The permit process has been in the works for some time and is going well, Amodei and McElhenie said. They’re confident the project will be OK’d.

“We’ve been working very closely with county Public Works,” Amodei said.

After all the approvals are in, Skate Cambria and CCSD would seek proposals to build, award the contract and start construction.

“It was an all-out-race to get it completed,” he said. “We’re incredibly excited and proud, looking forward to wrapping this up.