Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism And Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Skate community and Chamber urge moonlight 'crowning jewel' skate facility at retreat
Summary
Skate community leaders, citing Encinitas' skate heritage, urged the council to study and pursue a Moonlight Bowl skate facility to boost tourism and local identity; presenters offered precedent examples, feasibility discussions, and partnership interest from local business groups.
Skate advocates and the Chamber of Commerce urged the Encinitas City Council to consider an iconic skate facility at Moonlight to support tourism and the local skate community.
Doug Marker and other speakers described Encinitas as a global skateboarding center that lacks signature infrastructure to capitalize on its cultural brand. "The Moonlight Bowl would be the crowning jewel of the city," one commenter said, asking the council to fund feasibility work and to engage with state permitting bodies when necessary.
Presenters recognized coastal and state regulatory constraints — including likely review by the Coastal Commission for state park and beach‑adjacent projects — and emphasized the need for feasibility studies before requesting significant capital investment. The local Chamber representative framed skate infrastructure as an element of strategic tourism that can stabilize off‑season business activity and preserve community character.
Council and staff noted the request and identified parks and tourism planning tracks where feasibility work could be folded into the 2026–27 priorities; no funding decision was made during the retreat.
Next steps: staff to assess feasibility, Coastal Commission constraints and potential funding/partnership models; Council asked staff to include skate planning where it intersects the park master plan and tourism strategy.
