Recreation Commission

Assertions Challenged

To the Editor:

I wish to rebut some of the points made by the Recreation Board regarding the skate park [“Skate Park Has Been Well Researched,” Parks and Recreation Commission members, Letter Hive 3/19/10]. Since enough skaters have spoken up in opposition to the design of the park, I will limit my points to the bid specifications which block more experienced and more affordable builders from submitting bids for this project. This closure of the competitive bidding process serves only to increase the cost of the park due to lack of competition.

In February my company, Who Skates, a 23-year veteran of skate park construction, submitted information to Amy Mangold as a potential bidder. To my knowledge the only people who saw my design, specs and pricing were Amy and the eventual designer American Ramp Company, when Ms Mangold forwarded my information directly to them. Although my opinions on the chosen design are my own, I can safely say that in an open bidding process the concrete portion of the skate park as drawn can be constructed, complete with 15-year warranty, for approximately $60,000, a far cry form the $100,000 to $125,000 estimate given to the town. Consider the following points made by the Recreation Committee:

“Newtown skaters chose precast concrete.” More accurately — “Newtown skaters were sold precast concrete.” In my 30 years skating, I have never met a skater who chose precast.

“That means skate features are made in a factory, delivered to the site, and concrete poured to affix the features to the prepared surface.” This statement clearly illustrates that the bulk of the park is poured in place, over 80 percent in fact, and that the precast items represent only enough of the skate park to block other builders from bidding. The precast items can be more effectively built on site in four days.

“Precast concrete features are denser.” Untrue. Pneumatically placed Shotcrete is a process used by every major skate park builder and produces the highest-quality concrete possible… on site.

“Contain less water after curing that could later crack.” Blatantly untrue. Shotcrete contains less water than any other form of concrete and precast concrete has actually proven itself to be more prone to cracking due to the pursuit of unnecessarily high PSI ratings in a sales-based game of one-upmanship.

“And are three times stronger than regular concrete.” Blatantly untrue. Precast ramps are poured as thin as 1.5 inches (compared to an industry-standard 6 inches), thinner than concrete counter tops, to reduce shipping weight. Again, remember that over 80 percent of this project uses “regular concrete” installed by “regular concrete guys” from “regular concrete trucks.”

“The bid specs will require a 15-year warranty.” My company has openly offered to honor the warranty of any of our competitors as indicated here — http://whoskateparks.blogspot.com. We also encourage towns to write their own warranties rather than putting the fox in charge of the hen house.

In short, the specifications imposed on this project are unnecessary to achieve, and actually serve to block, the goal of a quality skate park in Newtown. Open up the bidding to all qualified builders and let the real numbers speak for themselves.

Tom Noble

357 Goose Rocks Road, Kennebunkport, Maine 04046 March 23, 2010