I personally find Skate Like A Girl to be the single most positive movement in the Seattle skateboarding scene.  As an organization they’re involved, supportive, and effective.  As people, they’re golden.  Most people don’t realize that they’ve been the main community builders down at the new SeaSk8, even during times when a few a-holes threatened to ruin it for everyone down there.  It’s not a question of whether or not you should support them, it’s when.

Here’s an idea:  SLAG is hosting the second Wheels of Fortune contest at Skatebarn in Renton, on Sunday December 20th.  Why not go down there and cheer on the skaters, buy a T-shirt, and show your support while having a great time?

Or…maybe you’re interested in competing.  Here’s the Registration form.

There has been a skatepark in the plan for Jefferson Park’s mega-redesign since at least 2002 when the “final” site plan was published as a result of funding from the last Seattle parks levy.  Well now it looks like this.  The new Parks For All levy brings $1M for a skatepark project in this much needed area of the city, which has nothing to offer in terms of safe and accessible (official) public skateable terrain.

There is also a $10K donation from Sub Pop records that’s just waiting for someone to get the design process started.  But guess what?  No one has stepped up to make it happen.  Boo. The lawn bowling area?  Yeah, that has a group of people behind it.  Someone even stepped up to make sure that the squirrels have a place to store their nuts (okay I made that up…but c’mon skaters!)

On December 1st, there’s going to be a meeting about the overall expansion of the park, and it’s really important that someone shows up to support the skatepark part of the project.  If you live in that area, and you would like to see your one million ten thousand dollar skatepark not suck, or better yet, actually happen….then please turn out to the meeting and get involved.

Shoot me an email if you need more info, encouragement, or help getting plugged into the ultra-gratifying world of skatepark advocacy.

Here are the much-requested dimensional specs for the Delridge design.  (click the image for a larger/almost actually readable version)  Remember, you must get your feedback posted here by November 20th to have it considered.

Some helpful details:

· The long low wall/ledge that sits on the grass (see first attachment figure) between the skatepark and the benches may be moved to the southern edge of the skatepark so we get a barrier (requested by folks in Parks) that is skateable.
· The egg bowl is 10 ft deep with a foot of vert and the shallow is 6 ft deep
· The flow bowl shallow end (looks like a U) will be between 3 to 4 ft deep and the remainder of the flow bowl except the extension will be between 5 and 6 feet.  The extension will be 7 ft and just hit vert.
· The brick stamped area will be similar to Bellevue bank except smaller height.

This month’s SPAC meeting was plagued with an unusual amount of good news.  I’m not sure how to handle it.

——

It looks like someone forgot to eat breakfast before sitting down in front of Rhino.  At least throw in one of those SeaSk8 bacon strips guys!

Grindline took all of the feedback they gathered from the last meeting, and came up with these delicious new renderings.  Our folks at Parks tell us that these have been vetted through the initial layer of review with the Parks internal design folks, and may only need minor revisions.  Possible problems include the cantilevered slabs (safety), and some minor grading issues.

Features/changes of note include:

• the deathbox/gap theme
• the removal of the cool mini-ramp feature to the West of the bowl section
• the bowl being split into two
• the missing brick-stamped transition wall around the tree
• the apparent solution to the “which way to bend the kidney” problem
• the return of the Bainbridge shallow end (minus the pool block)

The SPAC meeting this Monday will serve as a de-facto feedback session on this new iteration of the design. Feel free to show up to the meeting and provide your input directly, or post it here in the comments section and I will deliver it for you.

The next scheduled meeting for the Seattle Parks and Recreation Skate Park Advisory Committee (SPAC) will be next Monday November 9.  The meeting will be in the usual location in the Parks and Recreation Building located at 100 Dexter North, Seattle, WA 98109.  The current draft of the meeting agenda is pasted below.  Hope to see you there.

Please note that Parks has just received the Delridge Skatepark revised design package from Grindline Skateparks based on the input received during the last public meeting for this skatepark.  This will be your first chance to review the revised design and provide additional comments.  The SPAC will work with Parks to distribute this design to the community if you cannot make the meeting.

Skate Park Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda – November 9, 2009*Meeting will begin @ 7pm sharp*

1. Approval of Agenda

2. Public Comments (limited to 2 minutes per individual)

3. Delridge Skatepark – Revised Design Review and Comments

4. Dahl Playfield Skate Dot Update

5. SeaSk8 Update

6. River City Status

7. Lower Woodland – Lights?

8. Northgate Redevelopment Update

9. John and Summit Skate Dot Update

10. SLAG Update

Well looky-here…

Guess what came a’wanderin’ into the ol’ inbox!

I’m not saying that this has anything to do with skateboarding, but I do think it’s pretty interesting that the guy who is running the project to restore the Hat and Boots is also the principle pimp on the River City skatepark project.  You’re darn tootin’!

My question is why does the Parks Department always write press releases in this ridiculous Comic Sans font?

The press release:

HAT ‘n’ BOOTS: TOGETHER AGAIN
Iconic art and roadside kitsch from “Premium Tex” fully restored
Seattle Parks and Recreation is happy to announce the restoration of the landmarked Hat ‘n’ Boots will be completed the first week of November.  The Hat ‘n’ Boots located in Oxbow Park at 6400 Corson Ave. S. were moved from their former location at the “Premium Tex” Texaco gas station on E Marginal Way to Oxbow Park in December 2003.

“The restoration of the Hat at Oxbow Park is another gold star for this tenacious South Seattle neighborhood,” said Mark Johnson, Senior Associate at Jones & Jones Architects. “Without the vision of the community in the late 90’s to save and relocate the Hat ‘n’ Boots, one of Seattle’s most iconic roadside attractions would have been lost.  Let the celebration begin!”

The boots had already been restored, and repainted in the original colors and design when the Pro Parks Levy funded Oxbow Park first opened in 2005.   Parks started restoring the Hat in the summer of 2009.  The scaffolding and tent that have surrounded the structure for months during construction will be removed on October 15, 2009 and the final coats of paint will be applied when weather permits.

Jones and Jones Architects led the design of the restoration project.  The construction of the hat included a combination of skilled contractors. Seattle Center’s Welding Shop completed the welding of structural reinforcement; materials were donated by Capital Industries; sandblasting and priming was completed by Seattle Parks Paint Shop and Turnstone Construction is responsible for the detailed concrete work and final paint.

Seattle Parks is very appreciative of the efforts of all involved to work together and make this project a reality.

For additional information please visit http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/proparks/projects/oxbow.htm <http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/proparks/projects/oxbow.htm> or contact Kelly Davidson, project manager 206-684-0998 kelly.davidson@seattle.gov <mailto:kelly.davidson@seattle.gov>

The park will be smaller than originally planned, but this is still amazing news:

—–

Hello River City partners – We hope all is well for you all.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SKATEPARK:
We have the permits in hand and will run through a design revision this week to coordinate the construction budget with the money we have in the bank.  We have to scale the park back a bit from what we had originally envisioned, but we feel that it is really of great benefit to the community.  The park will be more of a street park, with concrete benches, level changes, humps, and features that skaters of all ages can use.  Since it is a Grindline park, there will be many ways that one can use it.  When it is very busy, many users will be able to skate at one time. They have revised the design to a “pin wheel” that essentially allows five different sets of groups to skate at once, but it also acts as a continuous snake run that will allow folks at less popular times to connect obstacles all across the park. There will be a small kidney pool (envision a small swimming pool) with open sides that allow visible access and flow into that part of the park.

What this revised vision equates to is a park that is useful to more than just skateboarders. It will be a place to sit and watch that will be accessible to everyone.

Construction will start next week.  Mark Hubbard, James, Matt, and other Grindline folks will be onsite working for the next few months. Please let people know that they can stop and say hi, share tacos, drop off burritos, or say thanks any time.  Don’t hesitate to thank Sea Mar for the land.

We will follow up with a new graphic shortly – we are in triage mode to get the site mobilized and our revisions into the city for a seamless project beginning, but as soon as we have a pretty graphic I will get it out to you (and to the SP library and Neighborhood and Community  Centers).

More soon.
-mark and kim
River City Skatepark

I usually don’t post up general interest stuff, and try to keep it local, but I could easily see this going down in the Seattle area with all of the moneyed companies trying to be hip around here. It’s a concept for a “pop-up” skatepark, otherwise known as crappy pre-fab, themed for a specific brand.

These concept themes are actually appealing (to me anyway), Transformers and Space Invaders, but chances are they’d be some lame corporate theme instead. Replace the giant invader with a soft drink can and you get the idea. Anyway, check it out here.

An SSdotO reader tipped us on a bulldozer moving dirt around at the River City site, so we tracked down this update from Mark Johnson, key rockstar from the South Park team:

“We got our first load of fill dirt on site last week and we are waiting
for some final geotechnical data to resubmit the final revisions (Ry
will laugh at my “final” reference!).

So far, we have approval on the grading and drainage permits and are
waiting on the (last) structural permit.

Matt, James, and Emily are poised to start work as soon as we have the
permit approval. I am hopeful that we will get the geotech info this
week, so barring unforeseen obstacles we should be able to start in the
next month or so. I know I have said that before…

James has a drainage contractor lined up to do the storm drain tie in,
and Emily and Mike Leong from Sea Mar are in contact to iron out the
details of how much funding remains after permitting. “