Residents in Malibu frustrated with city after it tore down temporary skate park before new one was finished

The city of Malibu is taking some heat for tearing down its temporary wooden skatepark before the new one was finished and some residents claim they could have at least donated it or repurposed the lumber.  

The temporary skate park had been at Malibu Bluffs Park for years before the city decided to tear it down. 

Glider Lyon had been going to the skate park since he was a baby. The 7-year-old even had a carving that had been there since he was 3.

"I was sad about my favorite bowl in the whole world was gone," Lyon said.

Glider Lyon's dad, Andy Lyon, is a third-generation Malibu resident and an original member of the 1975 skate team.

"I've been waiting for a skatepark in Malibu for 50 years, a real one," he said.

The "real one" is under construction nearby and Lyon said he's grateful for that but knows it'll still be a while before it's finished and wonders why the temporary park was trashed so quickly instead of being moved to another part of Malibu, donated to another city in need, or at least, recycled.

"This park had tons of life left," Lyon said.

According to the city, in July 2020, the temporary skate park was opened to "provide a safe outlet for skaters during the permitting and construction phases." The goal was meant to be short-term to meet the community's immediate needs. 

As the development timeline and circumstances of the permanent park changed, the city said it kept the temporary park open for an additional three years. In August 2025, it needed to remove the temporary park to allow for the completion of the permanent facility. 

"In compliance with City requirements for surplus property, staff received authorization from the City Council to make the property available to the public," the city said in a statement. 

Samantha Mora from the nonprofit Altadena Boys said she was committed to finding it a new home in Altadena so that underserved teens impacted by the Eaton Fire could have a place to go.

"I'm bummed, but not only me, the other boys I had mentioned it to," Mora said.

The city of Malibu told CBS News Los Angeles it put the temporary skate park up for sale, giving bidders the option to buy the entire structure or individual parts. As part of the agreement, the bidder would have to transport whatever they bought.

The city explained that it received numerous bids and ultimately, the bidders were selected based on their availability to remove the material by a specific deadline. The city said it was able to sell one part of the park, but demolished the wooden foundation to remain on time and within budget for the construction of the new skate park.

"We understand the disappointment of our local skaters about the closure of the Temporary Skate Park, however, its removal was a crucial step in the next construction phase of the Permanent Skate Park," the city said. 

The statement added that the city was aware that residents were asking to have the temporary structure donated to another community, but that posed "significant challenges."

The city said those challenges were:

• "Much of the Temporary Skate Park is made of plywood, which allows for quick installation but limits its ability to be salvaged, relocated, or reused. 
• Relocating it to a new Malibu location would have required a Coastal Development Permit, which could take up to a year, or more to receive approvals.  
• Disassembly and relocation in Malibu would cost over $200,000, a cost not included in the project's budget. 
• Any effort to relocate the structure would delay the opening of the Permanent Skate Park by several weeks and increase the budget, postponing access to a vastly improved facility."

"I think the city of Malibu missed a huge opportunity; we always get the bad rap of 'Malibu is a bunch of elitist rich people… and we handed it to them," Lyon said.

The new skate park is expected to open early next year.