Ed Benedict Skatepark Project Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the City of Portland’s role in providing and recreation opportunities to its citizens and why does this include skateparks? Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) slogan is ‘Healthy Parks, Healthy Portland.’ A healthy system makes Portland a great place to live, work, and play. A park system should be as diverse as the citizens it serves and balances the needs of nature with the needs of people. A healthy system strives to provide places to enjoy a range of activities – from quiet walks to active play.

Skateparks serve a recreational need for a growing segment of our population. Using national estimates, PP&R has determined that there are an estimated 27,250 skaters in Portland. Currently there is only one public skatepark in the park system to meet their needs. In July 2005, Portland’s City Council endorsed a citywide skatepark system. This skatepark siting plan identified safe, public locations for skateparks across the city. These skatepark sites are intended to meet current as well as future demands for safe, legal recreational opportunities for skateboarders, inline skaters, and free-style BMX riders.

2. Why is the City building skateparks and why at Ed Benedict Park? The City of Portland is committed to supporting its youth by providing for constructive recreational activities. PP&R believes that , in-line skating, and BMX free- style bike riding are legitimate sports that serve a positive recreational outlet for both youth and adults alike. PP&R understands that the City of Portland is deficient in these types of facilities, hence the skatepark system.

Ed Benedict Park was evaluated along with over 300 public and private properties. A Skate Park Leadership Advisory Team (SPLAT), consisting of public safety officers, crime prevention staff, noise control officer, PP&R parks maintenance staff, neighborhood representatives, and skateboarders, evaluated over 65 sites against a set of skatepark siting criteria. was found to have the qualities desired for establishing a skatepark in this location. Holly Farm Park, along SW Capitol Hwy, also was recommended; a skatepark will be constructed there by July 2007. Eighteen other sites citywide are included in Portland’s skatepark system.

3. Where is it going? The location for the skatepark at Ed Benedict will be west of SE 102 Ave, and north of the asphalt path adjacent to the soccer field. It is anticipated that this site will be 8,000-11,000 sq. ft in size (roughly the size of a tennis court) and made out of concrete. Additional improvements will include landscaping, entry walks, signage, safety/guardrail fencing, and benches/bleachers for viewing. The proposal is for a plaza type environment with , walls, planters, and seating ledges.

4. How will this be funded? The money dedicated to the construction of Ed Benedict Park’s skatepark, as well as one at Gabriel Park which is being designed and built concurrently with Gabriel, was allocated during the City’s 2006 Winter Budget review process. Commissioner Saltzman submitted this request and City Council approved it. This money is not to be confused with the Parks

Levy that voters approved in November 2002. Those funds were used for the citywide skatepark siting study and construction of skateparks in Pier Park in north Portland and Glenhaven Park in northeast Portland. Funds for the Holly Farm skatepark were raised through a state grant and private donations.

5. Who will design the skatepark? The design of the skatepark will be left up to professional skatepark designers. At this point we do not know who will design either of these next two skateparks (Ed Benedict and Gabriel), but we will work through a design-build process similar to that which was used at Pier Park, Glenhaven Park, and Holly Farm Park. This design-build process will include meetings at which the public can review design concepts and provide input.

6. When will the meetings be and what will be the opportunity for input? Two community open houses are planned. The first open house, tentatively set for July, will allow the public to review and comment on a preliminary conceptual design for the skatepark. This conceptual design will be part of the submittals required by respondents to a Request for Proposal. The community will be asked to identify strengths and weaknesses of the proposed design as well as contribute ideas for additional amenities. The second open house, tentatively set for August, will focus on the review of the consultant’s recommended design. Additional design revisions may be may be made after the second open house and a final design graphic will be prepared. This design will be displayed throughout the community and on the PP&R website.

7. How will information be shared with the community? At this time, PP&R is proposing to use newsletters/postcards, signage in the park, news releases, email lists, and our website to announce project updates, meeting schedules, and opportunities for input.

8. How long will it take? The complete process is expected to take 15 months. The preliminary timeline includes the public outreach phase, design refinement, construction drawing preparation, securing development permits, and construction of the skatepark. The proposed schedule is to have the skatepark open in May 2008.

9. Who will maintain the skatepark? The City will maintain the skatepark. However, skaters at Pier skatepark have volunteered to help clean and maintain their skatepark; we hope other skaters will follow suit.

10. Isn’t skateboarding a passing fad? According to a study by the National Sporting Goods Association in 2002, skateboarding is the second fastest growing sport in the country behind snowboarding. Since 1997, there has been a 98.5% increase in users – up from 6.3 million to over 9.7 million. Board-Trac, a company that tracks the sports and leisure-time activities of 12-24 year-olds and how they influence the spending habits on hard goods, apparel, footwear and accessories, estimated that there were 13 million skateboarders nationwide in 2003. It is estimated that over 2 million Americans everyday. The International Association of Skateboard Companies reported in 1998 that sales of skateboarding equipment and related accessories were in excess of $750 million.

In 2003, the Skate Park Association of the United States of America (SPAUSA) estimated that there were 7 million BMX bike riders in the nation. In 2000, the National Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association estimated there were 29 million in-line skaters nationwide.

An October 2002 report by the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation for the State of Washington found that skateboarding is the fifth most frequently preformed outdoor activity for all ages. This falls behind walking, jogging, and gardening but ahead of soccer, football, tennis, baseball, swimming, and golf (Assessment of Outdoor Recreation, p. 8). The report also found that skateboarding and in-line skating, combined, is performed by almost 7% of Washington’s population (Assessment of Outdoor Recreation, p. 15).

Skateboarding, in-line skating, and BMX free-style bike riding are currently three of the most popular recreational activities for young adults from 8-20 years old, up 240% in the last ten years. This, coupled with the popularity of the ESPN X-Games and the increased number of competitions, leaves us to believe that we won’t see participation numbers dropping anytime soon.

11. But how many action sport enthusiasts are there in Portland? Unfortunately there are no specific surveys that have been done to determine the number of action sports enthusiasts in Portland. However, using Board Trac’s 2003 estimate of 13 million skateboarders nationwide based on the US population of 286 million residents, PP&R has determined that 5% of national residents skate. Using this percentage based on current population (545,000 residents), we estimate that there are 27,250 skaters in Portland. By the year 2020, it is estimated that of the 676,000 residents in Portland approximately 33,800 will skate.

Using this same method, we estimate that there will be 67,600 in-line skaters and 6,800 BMX bike riders in the City of Portland by 2020. We do not make any attempt to claim that all of these users would be users of public skateparks. While some may skate every day, others may skate once a year.

12. Isn’t skateboarding a dangerous sport? Contrary to what many see as a dangerous activity, skateboarding is considered one of the safer active recreational sports. The National Safety Council compiled the following data and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (in 1999). It was reported that skateboarding injuries to participants ages 6 and older (0.77%) were less than ice hockey (0.83%), soccer (1.00%), snowboarding (1.18%), basketball (1.52%), baseball (1.61%), and football (1.99%).

13. Will the City increase its liability by constructing new skateparks? No. Insuring a skatepark will not increase the city’s insurance liability premiums. A skatepark is a recreational facility much the same as a basketball court, playground or tennis court. State Statutes state that municipalities are not liable for injuries incurred at recreational facilities when “Use at your own Risk” signage is posted. Users of skateparks are responsible for their own safety just as they are with other park facilities. Those who use skateparks are liable for their own injuries. Signage will recommend that protective gear be worn at all times.

14. Will skateparks help get skaters out of the streets and off the sidewalks? By building safe, legal public facilities for this recreational activity we hope to offer users a place to practice their sport and not be in conflict with vehicles, pedestrians, and the business community. More injuries and deaths occur from collisions between skaters and vehicles and pedestrians than from skaters in skateparks. We will not claim that building skateparks will keep all kids from skating in the streets, but by providing our youth with a local, public skatepark we give them an option.

15. Aren’t skateparks noisy and full of graffiti, trash, and vandalism? Concern about excessive noise seem to be the number one issue about siting a skatepark near residential areas. Recent noise studies, as well as site visits by PP&R staff to over 30 skateparks, have found that skaters and skateparks are not the noise generators that some believe. A recent visit to the Hillsboro skatepark revealed that the soccer game being played adjacent to the skatepark was much louder than the skatepark. Noise studies conducted during recent skatepark planning procedures found that produce intermittent noise. This noise occurs occasionally from the ‘popping’ tails and ‘grinding’ of the aluminum trucks on the steel coping surfaces. These sounds are not sustained over long periods of time. The level of noise that is generated at a skatepark is 65 to 71 decibels (dBA Fast) at a distance of fifty feet and drops to 32-49 dBA at 250 feet (Steel Bridge Skatepark Study). This equates to sound levels equivalent to noise from inside a crowded restaurant (70 dbA) and a domestic exhaust fan (50 dbA) (Melbourne City Link Authority, Noise Management Publication, November 1997). A recent trip to Clackamette Park during a summer competition found that even with some 40-60 skaters at the skatepark, the noise was inaudible from less than 200 feet away.

The presence of graffiti, trash, and vandalism are also issues that typically are mentioned in a skatepark discussion. Our research has shown that those skateparks which receive the greatest care and user stewardship are those that are devoid of these management concerns. To remain clean, skateparks do require the presence of trashcan, inspections of the surfacing, and immediate attention to repairs. Once a park begins to receive no maintenance, the users begin to feel as though the City no longer cares and begin to treat it that same way. The parks that appear to have the greatest skater stewardship are those that have quality built, skater designed, concrete skateparks. Wood and steel ramp surfaces show the abuse of the sport almost immediately and are more susceptible to degradation.

16. Is this a good investment? One of the most consistent messages we hear when talking to other cities and municipalities is “We wish we built ours bigger, we wish we had money to build another and please hurry up and build yours to relieve pressure off ours.” Cities are finding that skateparks are the most used recreational feature in their park portfolio. According to Albany Parks & Recreation Director Dave Clark, “Albany Skatepark, which opened November 11, 1999, has become possibly the most heavily-used recreational facility in Linn County.” There are skateparks that have been in existence for more than 15 years. It has been found that if we involve the skaters and invest in quality construction, there is no telling how long these facilities can last.

17. Will increased enforcement/supervision be needed at the skatepark? We have heard that there is actually less criminal activity and vandalism in skateparks because they are in use most of the time and skaters police themselves. Skaters take ownership of the skatepark and help deter criminal activity because they do not want anything to jeopardize their facility. Joanne Ferrero, owner of a business near the world- famous Burnside skatepark located under the Burnside Bridge, wrote us to say, “As you are aware, inner eastside Portland has a number of challenges associated with drug and prostitution activity and other unacceptable behaviors. Although we are addressing these negatives through a variety of avenues it is clear to those of us in the vicinity that the Burnside Skateboard Park, built and maintained by skateboarders, has been one of the most positive additions with respect to the overall health of our district. The presence of the skateboard park users has been positive in all respects. It is my belief that properly designed and implemented skateboard parks can be a positive asset for any neighborhood – just as the Burnside Park has been for ours.”

PP&R staff recently placed a call to the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct and Neighborhood Response Team. The direct question was "Have there been any calls for officers to report or respond to issues at the skatepark?" A Neighborhood Response Team officer reported, "We have had eight visits to the skatepark in the last 5 months. Most of these were by police officers wanting to do outreach through this group of kids. We've had no problems."

18. How do I get more involved? Please contact us at www.PortlandParks.org