It is usually desirable to be a
leader rather than a follower, but in the case of skate park construction we
have the luxury of learning from the many communities that have built before us.
There are approximately 78 skate parks in Washington State and more are being
constructed or planned. According to a survey conducted by the Sporting Goods
Manufacturers Association from 1987 to 2001 skateboarding increased by 14.4
percent to 12.5 million participants, while in this same period baseball
declined by 24.5 percent to 11.4 million participants. In the United States
there are a million more skateboarders than baseball players. There is a strong
need for a quality skate park in our community. Skateboarding is here to stay.
Now that we are ready to start
construction we face the most critical aspect of this project: the design. To
quote an article from SkateOregon.com "Luck plays no part in modern skate parks.
The previous era of skate park design was dominated by trial and error,
community input and traditional patterns. The country is littered with vacant
skate parks compromised in quality by ignorance, fear, fantasy and pride."
Skate parks such as these surround Arlington. When our skate park
first started coming to life, 10,000 square feet was the size that was being
proposed. The only way we can get this size of a park on our budget would be to
pour a concrete pad and place modular components on it. At first this sounds
like a great way to get a lot of bang for the buck, but unfortunately it
doesn't work out that way.
I propose constructing an
all-concrete skate park. We are fortunate to have several companies in the
Northwest that have national reputations for building outstanding skate parks. I
believe we should ask for design-build bids, meaning that one company will
design and build the park. With an experienced company both designing and
constructing the park, we can be assured we will get the best value for our
investment. And bigger isn't always better; I have included some photographs
of a park in Donald, Oregon, population 600. This park was built for $35,000 and
is only 2,500 square feet, but it is a great park that will serve the community
well for many years. With our budget of $120,000 we can get a concrete park of
approximately 7,500 square feet. A smaller park of concrete construction will be
vastly superior to a 10,000 square foot pad with components. What has been
proposed for our budget is a 5,000 square foot street-style area and a 2,500
square foot bowl. This style of park is ideal for us; it gives us the terrain
for all styles of skating. I have enclosed some photographs from the Ballard
Bowl in Seattle and the street-style park in Marysville. Only a concrete park
can give us the best of both worlds.
There are other advantages to an all-concrete park besides a superior skating surface. I asked local cities about their experience with their skate parks. Mount Vernon and Bothell both have parks that are similar to what we would have if we went with modular components. Mount Vernon initially spent $82,100 for their park and then subsequently spent another $51,800 to update the components. Bothell spent $75,000 dollars to put components on an old tennis court. Both cities spend about an hour to an hour and a half per day for maintenance and both expect the components to only last 5 to 7 years. An all-concrete park eliminates many of these issues. A concrete park will last significantly longer than components and maintenance is reduced to an occasional sweeping.
What also needs to be kept in mind
about modular components is that many screws hold them together. I have enclosed
photographs by a friend of mine, Dan Hughes. The photos show what happens if the
screws are not installed properly or if they come loose. What you see in these
photos is plastic from Dan's kneepads when he slid over this screw. Imagine
what would be under that screw if he didn't have kneepads on. And this was not
an isolated incident. On this particular ramp, Dan counted over twenty faulty
screws and this condition has been found in many other skate parks. An
all-concrete park completely eliminates this concern.
To summarize the salient points of
an all-concrete skate park:
· A concrete park offers a better and more diverse skating experience.
· Concrete lasts significantly longer than modular components. Components will need to be replaced after only a few years.
· Safety is enhanced by lack of screws and sharp edges that can cause injury.
· Maintenance is greatly simplified to just an occasional sweeping. Modular components need to be checked frequently for loose screws and excessive wear.
Chris Raezer
Chris Raezer: