Category: Recreation

Please sign our petition to rebuild the White Rock skatepark out of of concrete instead of metal at https://change.org/WRskatepark.

I grew up skating, and it was not always an easy journey. Before skateparks were around, we were treated like criminals for skating at schools, businesses, and parking lots. As a teenager in Albuquerque, I was fortunate enough to be included in skatepark construction projects which gave me a sense of empowerment and pride in my community. Now, I want the same for the skaters of White Rock.

We are petitioning Los Alamos County to request that the new White Rock skatepark be built out of concrete instead of metal ramps for many reasons:

Lower overall cost and maintenance

While the initial cost of constructing a concrete skatepark might be higher, its long-term maintenance costs are generally lower compared to metal ramps. Concrete is extremely durable and can withstand heavy use and harsh weather conditions. Metal can corrode, dent, and require more frequent repairs or replacements.

Safety

Concrete parks can be designed with safety in mind, minimizing sharp edges or protrusions that are more common with metal ramps. Also, concrete does not heat up as much as metal, reducing the risk of burns in hot weather.

Noise reduction

Concrete parks are typically quieter than metal ones, reducing noise pollution for nearby residents.

More enjoyable

Concrete provides a smooth, consistent surface that is ideal for skating. It offers good traction and a predictable surface for skaters, which is crucial for performing tricks and maneuvers. Concrete allows for more creative and customized park designs. It can be molded into various shapes and sizes, fitting the landscape and the specific needs of the skating community. It also tends to blend better with the surroundings, offering aesthetic advantages.

Moreover, we believe that this project should be driven more by local skatepark users and less by county staff. The local skateboarders know best what kind of park they need; their input is crucial for creating a space that will truly serve them well.

By involving young people in the planning process as I once was involved myself back in Albuquerque – we can foster a sense of ownership among them towards their community spaces while also teaching them valuable skills about civic engagement. Let’s give our youth the chance to have their voices heard and create a point of pride for them within our community with a new concrete skatepark.

Please support our community and sign our petition. It would also help if you email Los Alamos County Council at countycouncil@lacnm.us and Parks & Recreation Board at prb@lacnm.us to express your support.

Photo by John McHale. Skater: Erik Leonard

The Orange St playlot is a community gathering space for all ages and species.

The Los Alamos County Community Services Department (CSD) has published surveys that close Friday October 13 on underutilized amenities: two tennis courts (Nina Marsh & Canyon Rd), one handball wall (Canyon Rd), and two playlots (Orange St & Loma Linda). From the way these surveys are presented — using biased and subjective verbiage like “underutilized” and “difficult to access” — it appears like CSD has already come to a conclusion before even gathering public opinion. How then has CSD decided these amenities are underutilized? 

According to the 2023 NRPA Agency Performance Review, they reason that we have an excess of 11 courts and 14 playgrounds. Presumably, they are using data from Figure 3 in the report, which shows communities of less than 20,000 have 2,014 and 5,860 median residents per playground and tennis court respectively. While this data may support their argument, it seems to be cherry-picked. There are many other data points in the report that may contradict it.

Figure 10 shows communities of less than 20,000 have median 11.3 FTEs. According to the Los Alamos County FY24 Budget, we have 19. Figure 14 shows communities of less than 20,000 have median expenditures of $120 per capita (we spend $325), $7,495 per acre (we spend $400), and $102,135 per FTE (we spend over $250k). Nationally, 55% of expenditures are on personnel and we spend 64%. This data leads me to believe that our community invests more than average on recreation while realizing far more efficient spending per acre. In other words, our cost-benefit on these kind of amenities is really, really good.

Some other national cost figures in that report are 38% of budgets are operating expenses, funding sources are 61% taxes and 22% user fees, revenues are 25.9% of expenditures, 55% is spent on renovation and 31% on new development, deferred maintenance projects have a median value of $117,500.80% of agencies have an expressed DEI commitment. One key omission in this report — and a valid concern of our amenities — is amenity accessibility. These statistics can be helpful in planning our own goals, but as one of the most privileged communities in the nation, we should be leading the nation in community recreation quality, not just comparing ourselves to the average. We should also not use population as the sole comparator. As every Los Alamosian knows, we are not a normal population.

If you care about this issue, please fill out the surveys for the corresponding playgrounds and tennis courts by Friday, October 13. Believe it or not, citizen feedback is one of the most impactful ways to play a role in your community. As a Parks & Recreation board member, your feedback is invaluable for me to advocate for this community and inspires me to keep doing it. I’m sure the other boards and commissions would agree. You get from the community what you put into it.