Comment on Chronicle Watch: SoMa skate park grinds on neighbors

San Francisco's newest skate park was supposed to improve the lives of residents at the edge of the South of Market neighborhood. [...] a few weeks after its opening, neighbors are boiling with frustration about late-night skaters causing a racket - and their properties becoming de facto toilets for some park users. Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk kicked in $10,000 to help build the state-of-the-art park, which attracts throngs of riders. 'Unbearable' noiseMeagan Makinson, who has lived on Stevenson for six years, said she resorted to sleeping on an air mattress in her living room because of thenoise. The Recreation and Park Department oversees the facility, but with only a handful of agency guards patrolling the city, catching intruders is nearly impossible. With that said, oftentimes when officers arrive for noise complaints, the subjects are gone, said Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman. Parks and public works officials are working on increasing the height of the fencing, and giving it a curved top, to deter trespassing, said parks spokeswoman Connie Chan. Bryan Hornbeck, who heads the San Francisco Skateboarding Association, noted that the facility replaced a vacant lot frequented by homeless people and drug users. The opening of the SoMa West skate park in San Francisco this month has prompted complaints from neighbors about excessive noise from skaters who sneak into the facility after hours. Neighbors along Stevenson Street routinely call police and complain to city officials about noise and public urination at the park.