Soil samplings planned for skateboard bowl site
By Robert Palmer
Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 9:44 p.m.
FLORENCE – Plans have been drawn for a skateboard bowl at Cox Creek Park, but before earth is moved, city officials want to be sure the bowl won’t be damaged by groundwater during heavy rain.
The City Council last week approved a contract to have soil samples tested at the site in an effort to locate groundwater
levels.
“We will do some soil borings that show cross-sections, including taking some samples during rain events,” city spokesman Phil Stevenson said. “There is some concern about the water table, and we want to be sure before we excavate up to 12 feet.”
The bowl will be next to the skateboard ramps in the park, which is at Cox Creek Parkway and Chisholm Road. Cox Creek is nearby, and sometimes overflows its banks during heavy rain.
Stevenson said the City Council allocated $78,000 for the bowl, but the cost could be higher when Parks and Recreation Department costs, such as landscaping and fencing, are factored in.
The soil sampling is being done by GeoSource, of Florence, at a cost of $4,250. Stevenson said the city could begin getting test results as early as next week.
The skateboard bowl will be a major addition for fans of the tricky and acrobatic sport. There are few available to skateboarders in the region.
Two Florence men, one a retired professional skateboarder, acted as design consultants for the project at the request of Mayor Bobby Irons.
“This will be sculpted concrete that will be there for generations,” said Pat Wachter, one of the consultants. Wachter skateboarded professionally for years and wrote for publications specializing in the sport.
The bowl will be competition caliber in design, he said, which could attract regional events. “There will be few like it in the world,” he said.
Wachter said he and Tom Kinkle were asked by the mayor to help design the bowl.
“I applaud the mayor for that,” Wachter said. “The idea to build the bowl was the mayor’s, not mine or Tom’s idea. The skateboard community supports what the mayor is doing with the park.”
Wachter said the ramps built earlier at Cox Creek Park are not of a high quality and will require ongoing maintenance through the years.
“Ramps like those at the park wear out; they are a waste of money,” he said. “The bowl will be sculpted concrete. The city won’t have to respend money on it.”
Robert Palmer can be reached at 256-740-5720 or robert.palmer@TimesDaily.com.
” alt=”null” />
” alt=”null” />
