Modesto officials weigh La Loma roller skating rink proposal. Here are the key issues
Roller skating is alive and well in Modesto.
That was the message city parks and recreation officials heard from skaters and their supporters during a recent meeting for an outdoor roller skating rink at East La Loma Park.
Officials say while a rink is promising, it is a proposal at this stage and a final decision has not been made. City officials still need to look at solutions for the concerns raised by some residents who live near the park.
Several dozen roller skaters and their supporters attended the April 29 meeting held over Zoom.
They talked about the need for a rink since the 2005 closure of the indoor Roller King. They said Modesto’s roller skating community has never gone away, and it’s one that welcomes everyone and provides a wholesome, healthy activity.
The roller skaters started using East La Loma Park in March, first the tennis courts and now the volleyball court and nearby basketball court. They gather on Sunday afternoons, dancing on their skates as they listen to music from speakers. The city is considering building the rink nearby at the site of the park’s former playground.
“We’ve got kids who’ve never skated to 60-year-old ladies who are trying to skate again,” said Brian Cromwell, who started the Facebook group Modesto Skates last fall, in an interview.
Cromwell and his group are working with the city on the proposed rink.
He said the Sunday skates typically draw 50 to 80 skaters but can draw as many as 100. The city is working with Modesto Skates on finding skaters a temporary home because of the potential conflict of skaters and basketball players using the same space.
Residents complain about noise
Several residents from the nearby Oakridge townhouses raised concerns at the meeting. The proposed site for the rink, just to the west of the basketball courts, is about 200 feet from the closest townhouse, according to the city.
Residents complained about hearing the music in their homes and on their patios during the Sunday skating events. They also said a roller skating rink would worsen the parking at the park, which can spill over onto nearby residential streets.
Parks Planning and Development Manager Nathan Houx said at the meeting that based on what he heard it did not sound as if people oppose the proposal but are concerned about the noise and traffic.
The city is working to solve those concerns. He invited Oakridge residents to help the city conduct sound tests as part of the city learning more about the proposed rink. Houx said the city also could consider other sites in the park for the rink that are farther from the townhouses.
And one speaker at the meeting brought up using what are called directional speakers. Unlike conventional speakers, which send sound over a wide area, directional speakers target the areas where the sound is heard.
Houx said the city has considered other parks for the roller skating rink but likes East La Loma because it’s a popular regional park with the Dry Creek Trail running through it. That means people can use the trail to reach the park.
City will hold another meeting
Houx said the city will hold another meeting in the next month or so to update the public on the proposed rink. A date has not been set.
Modesto also needs the community’s help with funding, materials and/or labor to build the rink. Cromwell said he and other Modesto Skates members are more than willing to help. The Facebook group has more than 2,700 members.
The city is considering a paved surface for the rink with an oval stripe to guide the skaters. The rink would have benches and be surrounded by trees and other landscaping. There would be what are called berms — slightly raised ground — around the rink so it appears as if it is in a shallow bowl.
The idea is to create separation between the rink and the rest of the park. The city also could enclose the rink with a fence to allow for roller hockey.
Houx said it is too soon to give a timeline for the rink. And the project could not move forward without City Council approval.
