By Joe Rivano Barros
Mission Local
When the SoMa West Skate Park opened under the Central Freeway earlier this month, skateboarders greeted it enthusiastically, crowding the park with kickflips and ollies at all hours of the day. But to the chagrin of some neighbors, all hours of the day means all hours of the day.
Neighbors are less than thrilled by what they deem excessive noise coming from the park, both during its normal operating hours (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and well past dark. The park’s 5-foot fence and lack of security make late-night skate sessions a frequent occurrence.
“During the day, I can deal with skateboard noise,” said A., a Stevenson Street resident who did not wish to be identified for fear of future trouble. “For me it’s just an issue at 4 in the morning. Just don’t. Don’t hop the fence and skateboard. It’s real simple.”
Neighbors call the police on a nightly basis and say they’ve received prompt responses, but know the cops cannot come out every time. “The Southern Station is a big area, and they have a lot of violent crime going on, and here we are bothering them with this ridiculous nonsense,” said another resident of Stevenson Street.