On Dec. 4, California State Parks announced that it recommended Cambria to the National Parks Service as a potential grant recipient to help fund the town’s skate park project.
“The Cambria Community Services District [CSD] has been selected as one of 16 projects to proceed with post-selection federal requirements to create a new skate park facility,” CSD General Manager Matthew McElhenie said.
He said the grant could put $600,000 toward the current $1.2 million project cost.
Since early 2021, a group of residents known as Skate Cambria have raised nearly $635,000 in private funds for the project. With the potential incoming federal grant, the combined amount would allow the town to build out the park on the same site where one once stood, McElhenie said, barring any delays or inflation costs.
“In spring 2020, the skate park was removed due to safety concerns related to the deteriorated condition of the park,” he said. “The site for this new project has historical significance to the community.”
Even if costs exceed the $1.2 million project cost estimate, McElhenie said the CSD board of directors committed $178,000 of their funding to the project in late 2021. The CSD also applied for and received a $47,000 grant from the SLO County Tourism Improvement District in late 2023.
The federal funds would quell concerns over the project’s future, McElhenie said, and allow the district to enact the skate park’s full vision.
“This area will feature a mix of street and transition features that will support skaters with various interests, abilities, and characteristics that welcome … bicycles, roller skates/blades, or even specialty wheelchairs,” McElhenie said. “Development will also include constructing a seating section with a shade structure, landscaping, a parking lot, and a restroom stall.”
Following National Park Service approval on the grant, McElhenie said, the district will have to participate in a grant administration workshop, receive grant contracts, and construct Cambria’s new skate park.
“A new skate park at this location will restore a critical public asset and recreational opportunity that was lost when the old park was removed,” he said. “Beyond building a skate park, this project will create a youth-friendly space where people of all backgrounds and skill levels can gather and connect.” Ī
This article appears in Dec 7-17, 2023.