A ban on skateboarding and other non-motorized rolling vehicles that has been in place in downtown La Center for nearly three decades received an update, which city officials said will help with enforcement measures.
During its Feb. 21 meeting, the La Center City Council voted 3-0 to approve an ordinance revising the city’s skateboarding code. The code change prohibits using skateboards, roller skates, inline skates, scooters, toy vehicles, bicycles, or vehicles similar to those, on sidewalks or public property along East Fourth Street from the Pacific Highway roundabout to Cedar Avenue.
The change further prohibits the use of any of those devices except bicycles in publicly owned, leased or operated parking lots. The code change also prohibits placing obstacles like skateboard ramps in public rights of way.
La Center’s existing ordinance on skateboarding dates back to 1996, interim police chief Bob Richardson said. The old code language was only two paragraphs long and prevented the use of a “skateboard, roller skates and roller blades” on the street and sidewalk between East Fourth Street between Aspen and Birch avenues. It also prohibited the use of bicycles on the sidewalk on the north side of that area.
The ordinance now includes electrified versions of skateboards and bicycles that weren’t clearly defined in code, Richardson explained. Though the old code said a violation was a civil infraction, there was no specific penalty in place.
“If you ran over people, there was nothing in our city ordinance that says, ‘hey, you can’t do that,’” Richardson said.
Though the area covered through the ordinance is larger than the existing area, it’s smaller than what was initially proposed. At the start of the process, the current downtown business district was under consideration. That includes properties along Northwest Pacific Highway up to West Seventh Street, as far east as properties south of the East Fifth Street and East Dogwood Avenue intersection, and also properties along Birch Avenue, based on a city zoning map.
Richardson said the area subject to the ban was singled out due to the narrow nature of the sidewalks. During special events when there are many people on the sidewalk, changing the ordinance will give the city a tool to limit the operation of the devices, he explained.
Richardson said the inclusion of city parking lots came from past experiences.
“In the city hall parking lot, we had an issue here where a skateboarder almost got hit by a car coming around the corner here by the building,” Richardson said.
The chief noted the changes won’t affect skateboarding or riding a bike outside of the stretch of East Fourth Street.
“What hasn’t changed is at the end of the day, we’re not prohibiting you from doing these activities if they’re lawful in front of your house,” Richardson said.
The ordinance also includes changes on using the devices at night. From a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, those operating devices other than bicycles have to include something reflective on the front and back of them.
Other changes include a specific prohibition on “negligent operation” of any vehicle, and a prohibition on the use of motorized vehicles on designated paths or trails in the city.
The new code allows for a fine of up to $250. During the council’s Feb. 8 meeting, councilor Sean Boyle expressed concern over that level of punishment.
“You’re not going to just be handing out $250 fines to 13 year olds that ride their bikes on the sidewalk,” Boyle said.
Richardson said officer’s first focus will be on education and encouraging cooperation, but if they respond to numerous complaints, they now have an enforcement mechanism.
“This is primarily an enforcement tool to gain compliance if all other avenues have been exhausted,” Richardson said.
