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Seattle, Washington |
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06:37 PM PST on Saturday, March 6, 2004
SEATTLE - A popular skateboarding park in Ballard is in jeopardy of
being shut down. The park on 22nd Avenue NW and NW 57th Street was never
meant to be a permanent skater hangout, but it looks like the Ballard
Bowl is fast rolling toward extinction with no way in sight to put on
the brakes.
The skateboard park has grown in popularity since it opened, but the
problem is that the skateboarding park was always meant to be temporary,
as a new Ballard Civic Center Park is set to go in.
“Everybody needs a city park with walkways and benches - I'm all for
that - but us skateboarders need a place to do what we need to do,” said
Todd Winkleman.
The skateboarders are uniting by holding a support rally and signing a
petition, asking Seattle city leaders to keep the skateboard park in
place.
The Ballard community has spent the past 10 years coming up with a
development plan for its city core. While they are sympathetic, the
skateboard park just isn't part of that location plan
"We have even made some some recommendations to the city - there are
some locations under the Ballard Bridge that could be suitable, in which
case there would be covered skating," said Beth Williamson Miller,
ex-director of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.
Skateboarders say there's no place in the country like the Ballard Bowl.
But if it is demolished they’ll do what they always do - just keep on
rolling.
You can vent your feelings about the Ballard bowl at a public hearing
Tuesday night starting at 7 p.m in the Segway building next to the
skateboard park.
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