Drive southbound on the Bothell-Everett Highway and just before the intersection with Trillium Boulevard, look over to the right. At any given time, a variety of teens on skateboards can be seen attempting their tricks in a place designed just for them.
According to Lynn Devoir, Mill Creek’s recreation director, the skateboard area at Mill Creek Sports Park has been a huge hit with more than just teenagers since it opened Jan. 26. She said she’s seen a mother there with children as young as five using the facility, and Devoir said she’s even seen two middle-aged men skateboarding.
“I’ve probably seen about 25 or so during the afternoon,” Devoir said about how many skaters were using the facility. I’ve heard that in the evenings there’s been upwards of 40 kids out there.
“Sometimes along Bothell-Everett Highway I’ve seen kids walking toward the park carrying their skateboards.”
Mayor Terry Ryan is also pleased with the park’s instant popularity. He visited on a recent Tuesday about midday and saw plenty of children and teens using the facility.
“The kids looked like they were having a good time,” Ryan said. “This is an investment that I’m proud of. I’ll never be sorry that we invested in kids.”
Ryan said community support for building the park was strong. Its presence might eliminate the presence of skateboarding youth from area shopping centers, something that apparently wasn’t much of a problem at Mill Creek shopping centers.
“We’ve had a few (skateboarders) passing through, but we haven’t had any problems,” said Jim Koumaros, store director for the Mill Creek Albertsons location. “No one’s brought it up to me as being a problem.”
Some neighborhoods in Mill Creek, as well as local schools, have had some problems with skateboarders in the past, according to City Council member Mark Bond. Bond, a transit officer for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, said that the McCollum Park park and ride lot wasn’t terribly popular either with local skaters, unlike similar lots in Everett and Lynnwood.
“McCollum, for whatever reason, hasn’t been a problem,” Bond said.
City officials, however, do have one safety concern about the park: people bringing BMX bicycles to the facility and riding. Bicycles aren’t allowed at the facility for safety reasons. The park wasn’t designed for bicycles, just skateboards and in-line skaters.
“Bikes and skateboards don’t go well together,” said Devoir. “We’re trying to let kids know that it’s not allowed.”
On that end, the city plans to install additional signs stating that bicycles aren’t allowed at the facility. Devoir also said the city wants to direct riders to the BMX dirt track facility at McCollum County Park, which is a half mile northwest of the Mill Creek Sports Park.
An official grand opening for the skateboard park will take at an unspecified date this spring and is being planned by the city’s Youth Advisory Board. The ceremony would be the first of what could be several events at the park. Devoir said there has been some preliminary discussions about having skateboard demonstrations and competitions take place at the facility.
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