Not the same old grind

Local skateboarders are expected to have their own skate park by fall.

A 7,000-square-foot skateboarding park is to be built at Bill Quake Memorial Park, making Arlington the latest Snohomish County city to offer boarders a place to ride.

It's taken several years to get the park to the concrete stage, said Paul Ellis, who handles facilities maintenance and construction for the city's General Services Department.

"It's been in the works for about three years. I've been working on it for about a year," said Ellis, who has visited other skateboard parks to learn what works and what doesn't work in building them.

The City Council approved the skate park's funding of about $340,690 on July 6. Most of the money is coming from city sources, although the project has received some donations from citizens.

The design is by Grindline Skateparks, a West Seattle business started by Mark Hubbard in 1992. Grindline has done about 50 skate parks around the country. The park is going to be a major asset for the city, said Chris Raezer, a parks commissioner and a key proponent of the skate park.

Raezer grew up in Arlington and started skateboarding when he was 13, using parking lots and streets. "That's pretty much what kids have to do now," he said.

But in recent years, several Snohomish County cities have built skate parks, including Everett, Granite Falls, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Snohomish and Stanwood.

One of the most unusual features of Arlington's skate park will be a 16-foot-diameter "full pipe," or full circle, that looks somewhat like a giant culvert with an enclosed end. Skilled riders could become completely inverted in the pipe, Raezer said.

"As far as we know, it's going to be the first one in Washington state," he said.

Raezer and several other residents began pushing for the skate park after they noticed parks being developed in other cities. Eventually, he recommended the city contact Grindline.

The park will be at Quake Memorial Park, 18501 59th Ave. N.E., near the airport and Weston High School.

Raezer said that once the park is finished, it's expected to draw skateboarders from a much wider area than just Arlington.

The skate park is going be about 60 by 110 feet and will provide a drop of about 12 feet, Ellis said. There'll be two sections, with one part forming a bowl and including the full pipe and the other offering street features, such as steps, railings and sidewalks.

Bids for construction could be presented to the City Council for approval in August, Ellis said. A contract would be awarded shortly after, and construction is expected to take about two months, he said. Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com