Happy Valley plans
Taking influence from a skipping stone, this design focuses on a rhythm of circular plazas that are linked through paving and skate-boarding features. The design offers features for riders of every skill-level and style. The paving pattern consists of a large saw-cut concrete pattern within a circular paver banding that helps de? ne space and add visual appeal.
The first meeting for the Happy Valley, Oregon skatepark saw three different Newline concepts presented, and this is the design that was the overwhelming favorite. The plan now is to refine it to “to serve as many different levels of skateboarders as possible.” The argument about street plazas vs. tranny and out of state (and Country) contractors is moot here, so please don’t waste anyone’s time by flogging that dead horse. The Clackamas County planners would do well to talk to Portland about the Ed Benedict project. I have heard that when it came time to actually build the park, there were numerous delays and attempts to get more money out of the project than was set forth by the agreements in the contract.
Alternate design one.
Taking infuence from sun rays, this design is based around a central plaza that breaks into different pathways or rays that each lead to a specific feature and flow around the site. The design offers features for riders of every skill-level and style. The paving consists of a coloured concrete paver pattern that is inset within a banding to help de?ne spaces and add an aesthetic quality.
Alternate design two.
The concept behind this design is to create defined sharp axis through the use of very angular features. This concept lends itself to street skating as there are solid defines lines that can be explored for a multitude of skill-levels. The paving pattern consists of a saw-cut concrete pattern that is bisected through the middle of each axis to help define spaces and create visual appeal.
“The argument about street plazas vs. tranny and out of state (and Country) contractors is moot here, so please don
The first design and my personal favorite seems like it has potential for some flow. The NW needs more than a street plaza though. As fun as it looks there are too many Vert and Pool dogs there to ignore that crowd. The reneging is some bull shit. Get a new contractor keep it local, keep the Tag concrete. FUCKING city bureaucracy.
We need more Vert and Pool skaters to show up at the meeting this time. The last one there was only 4 pool skaters. This park is going to bigger the Newberg and Battle Ground at 33,000sq feet. there should be a pool there to.
What the “F!” If I wanted to have some lunch and sip a latte those plans might make for a nice khaki pants and polo shirt excursion. Dig some dirt and use that 3rd dimension. I vomit on these designs and so should anyone that gives a rat’s ass about skateboarding. Think surf A-Holes.
apparently you guys missed the part about not flogging the dead horse.
just let the kids (you know, the ones who make this whole skatepark boom possible) have ONE park, ok? you’ve got tranny galore.
What skatepark boom? These previous parks were/are being built by folks that will be here long before/during/after any so called “booms.” There’s not one other discipline where the “grasshopper” gets to tell the “master” how it’s going to be. These parks are one dimensional and lack creativity just like the self-indulgent folks that think they are “rad.” In addition to vomiting, I now poop on these plans. Shame on those money grubbing landscapers, pilfering the taxpayers dollars under the guise of skateparks.
i like the idea of street plazas, but they should at least throw a mini ramp in there, right?
mini ramps are for backyards and garages, they are not a subsitute for pools. I agree with Negitive Ned, except for I want more latte sipping women eating their lunch at the parks. but I also agree with Bailgun. I had to google to know where Happy Vally was, and it’s in the best bowl skating area in the world. if only 4 bowl skaters show up to the meeting, maybe it’s cos they were too busy choosing from one of the MANY bowls in the Portland area.
and to think the landscaping companies making skateparks was such a outrageous idea not so long ago. funny how that is all kids want nowadays.
i am down with couple street plazas around portland area. especially because i have couple actual skateparks within 20 min distance from my house. i would have to drive like… like almost 30 minutes to get to that fucking yuppie, snowboard riding, latte sipping,overpriced houses infected suburb “happy” valley. why does anyone care for that shithole anyway? seriously, why dont you donate some money to expansion of burnside if you care so much for more tranny around portland?
oh, i know, you just like talking shit online, thats it!
Some people actually live near there you meathead. That suburb is no different than the suburb you live in.
except median price of houses and kind of people living there. like i said im judgemental.
i actually had to do some work with local skateshop (thats where i got my info and which i believe is very active regarding getting this place done) and i believe they are getting exactly what they want and need. i am not melting their ice cream reagardless if i like them or not.
i am just sick of tranny loving meatheads yapping online about skateparks they probably wont ever have to skate.
and, randy, you live much closer to burnside, glenhaven and pier park than… lets just say happy valley. plus you said earlier its already done deal so what are you trying achieve right now?
A guy I grew up with and who influenced my skating lives in Happy Valley. In fact, I think he’s the pres of the neighborhood association, not to mention an intelligent, decent person who works hard and likes where he lives.
Furthermore, there’s enough tranny in this state to choke a donkey. Why not leave the park design to the people who will skate it? If you don’t like it, go skate somewhere else. There’s no shortage.
A little kid that has access to only their local park is penalized when the skatepark only supports one style/format of skating. Street plaza minus a bowl/round wall equals stuff that already available to skate. Besides bowls are space efficient and one isn’t going to reduce the psuedo-street vibe in such a large park. Now I vomit, poop and urinate on these park plans.
“what are you trying achieve right now?”
Let everyone know about the parks meeting. Derrrr.
I think the problem with the one dimensional street plaza as a result of “giving the kids what they want” is that the kids don’t yet realize that they might want a nice bowl, too. Why would they ask for something that they have no experience with and that they don’t see in videos or magazines? Whether it’s Pier, Glenhaven, Battleground, kids that would never have “wanted” a bowl are now very happy that they have one (or two) to ride in addition to the street section. The local kids who are there every day will ride the whole park, and they’ll be happier, better, more versatile skaters because of it. I don’t think that Happy Valley should have a nice flow bowl so that I can have another one to ride. I want them to have one so that the kids who go there every day can ride it.
oh, i thought you already did that with that post above, you know, the thing we are writing these comments under, you know?
im being a dick because you called me meathead. im little touchy and im sorry for that plus i know i deserve it. however…
1. you said its already done deal, and i was trying to say i dont care because i dont live there
2. i think those people there might be getting what they actually want.
and i, for one, am not trying to achieve anything. am i off the team?
so really wh
if the size is really 33k sq ft, it needs a bowl of some type (or any tranny at all) for variety and balance. an all bowl park of that size would need a street section for the same reason. we (theoretically) should be past the days of x vs. y, at least in a park of that size. esp. in a park of that size. todays young rippers are skating everything.
an aside: i wonder if that 33k sq ft figure is the actual skating area, or if it includes the unskateable grass/tree areas. that makes a big difference. i’m guessing it refers to the footprint of the whole park, giving a false impression of skateable area. anyone who knows, please speak up.
fitz, exactly how much tranny does it take to choke a donkey?
If you don’t live in Happy Valley, where do you get off telling them what to do with their park? How often will you visit it? I for one will probably never skate there, and I doubt many of you will either. I agree, it should have a bowl, or some tranny aspect, but if that’s not what they want, who cares?
Most of these design-discussions have nothing to do with the best interests of the actual users, and everything to do with the image-management of the posters. Someone wants a bowl, someone wants a street park… Fuck, we’re all so core and our web-personas totally remind everyone of that.
Endlessly telling others what to build, what to skate, where, why, and so on is a total waste of time.
I hope the park gets built, and I hope it’s fun for those who will be it’s locals.
great points Mac! Negitive Ned pointed out about the space bowls take up. as someone who might be steriotyped as an enviromentalist I can see that they have room for a bowl in one of those “green” spaces. is this a forested lot that they are going to carve a park out of? or are they going to spend more money on trees than the price of a simple bowl? why do I even care when I may never set foot in Happy Valley? because I believe for the most part, parks keep getting better with each new park built.
Really, I just wanted the people who live in the area to know about the meeting, and give others a chance to look at what the options are. And actually, this was posted at the request of someone from Clackamas County, because he felt (like myself) that it might encourage a little thoughtful conversation and feedback. And truthfully, they asked for outside input.
P.S. if a town is only getting one skatepark, then it ought to have a little bit of tranny in there, even if it’s just a tiny bowl, for the sake of progression. If they build it, the kids with open minds will eventually end up skating it just to learn something new. But hey, if they are dead set against it, then that’s their decision, and ultimately their loss. LET ME STRESS HOWEVER, I’m all for more street plazas. Give the people what they want, (and a little of what they don’t know they want as well.)
I love when people complain about a park that would be a FUCKING KILLER street spot . Not enough bowls , really ? Soo, your car broke down the bearings in your board rusted and the MAX quit running ? Marek and Fitz are right , go to Donald see if it’s crowded . Do I love Donald ? Yep .
Are there enough street parks ? Nope . Scratch grinds are akin to the the same sound you are making from the inside of your coffin . SKATE EVERYTHING !!!!
Yeah skate everything! All that street stuff is in the street. Get it? I’ll bet there are way more street spots than bowls. When they start putting bowls outside of every office building then maybe the street vs. tranny crap can actually be legit. Parks should accommodate all styles for those skaters that like to “skate everything.” Now put a killer pool in that park and let the skaters skate. The only fun box is one covered in pubic hair. blah!
negative ned, you should change your username to ignorant ned. you wont have that cool alliteration thing happening anymore, but at least it’ll be more accurate.
yeah, killer “natural” street shit is being built constantly. its also all rendered unskatable with knobs and other various architectural features. the remaining spots have security, and you’re lucky to get 10 minutes there.
but you’d know all this if you had put your wheels down somewhere besides a skatepark in the last few years.
I dont know I would rather see more parks like aumsville. Should I try to get those kickflips more consistent and my ollies onto decent sized ledges back? probably. I do like to mob down the street on my skateboard of whatever city I am In. Hill bombing in sf is also fun. Street plaza wise that one spot in SF by 3rd and army is good and it wasnt built specifically for skateboarding(well the cement diy quarter pipe there was).
Hey bailgun, you should change your name to squirt gun and stop whining because you can’t find a street spot to skate without skate stoppers. Maybe that tea totaling plaza design above should include skate stoppers for that authentic street experience. Stay focused on the topic here, a crappy plaza for the self-absorbed YouTube generation.
xfryarx – A comparison to Donald? Come on, there’s only 750 people in that town. In fact, whenever I’m there, I almost never see anyone at all, and I’m talking about the whole town except occasionally driving by in a truck. It’s a ghost town. So it’s not really a valid critique of that skatepark to say that it’s never crowded.
But yes! Skate everything!
“The design offers features for riders of every skill-level and style.” -Newline
This qoute alone shows how clueless this firm is.
randy, i think you got it very wrong with that donald. i think he knows it empty all the fucking time and that it still deserve to be there (or belong there, whatever way you wanna put it). hes even trying to make it clear with that “yep, loving it” notion.
lets talk about two latest parks built around here. one street plaza and one “snake run”/ old timer galore. this time somebody is building park for street skater only, and i for one, dont care. its time to let them have couple parks without any tranny whatsoever. i dont remember you freaking out when gabriel was being designed as a turd without any street stuff anywhere (ok, theres one manual pad – does that count as equivalent of one transition next to some street plaza? if thats the case than ed benedict has way too much tranny). gabriel is pure transition park (pretty shitty on top of it) with no street stuff and nobody cared.
where are you getting right to tell somebody that there should be at least little bowl in every park? so you are for skate everything as long as it include your kind of skating, huh?
obviously i have too much time on my hands.
Ok, This is very lame. 33,000 sq.ft. Does that mean this is the regional skate park for the happy valley area? It seems to me that if there was 33,000 sq.ft. available you really could build something for everyone. Instead they are building a city park that allows skateboarding in it not a skate park. Give me a break. I guess the other skaters in happy valley will just have D.I.Y. their own bowls.
Marek,
I’m not freaking out about anything! (Except just now.) Just pointing out Donald is a dead town, so talk about the skatepark being empty doesn’t have much relevance. WTF is “
“Street is in the street.”
Evidently you’re not a street skater. Ever see a skate-stopper? I’ve lived in Portland since 1981, and skated here since 1984, and I’ve watched every good spot get stoppered, tore out, chained up and otherwise shut down. I too, like to skate everything. And I too, an fed up of monuments to the egos of a bunch of people who can pick and choose which bowl they’d like to start the day out with.
lame
..is your name.
This was posed to provide feed back for the people involved in the project. The honest truth is if the kids just want a street plaza now that is what they are going to have. Is it a good long term plan? NO. When considering the problems pointed out about other parks the situation is either all or nothing. That is a bad approach. I don’t live in the NW, I have a lot of friends in Washington and Oregon. That means I go there. The majority of the parks I have skated in that area were all or nothing. I don’t give a shit about the trees and grass, but a decent builder should understand that there should be at very least something to provide variety in any park avoiding the drawback of single interest entertainment for the users.
Randy,
of course I was sarcastic with too much tranny at benedict. its just a right amount for street plaza.
It is shame we are all so tied to these two stringent ‘discplines’ of skateboarding considering how much we have to skate these days. I look forward to the day, when someone comes up with a truly inspired design that does not resemble tried bowl designs or street replicas. As you roll around on your little wooden toy… take a moment to think about what would be truly fun to skate that you’ve never skated or seen before.
Some mad Eiffle Tower type, ditch, pond configuration comes to my mind.
But I agree, the Happy Valley locs should get to choose. Let Portland suffer the diversity dilema.
I personaly think there should be no “green space” on the skate park it self because it will get ripped up and destroyed so there is no point in it. also there should be a bowl but make it a double so its connected to another bowl for more fun, and there should be a mix of street and vert in this happy valley skate park.
also if anybody has ever been to windells i think they should make this new skate park with ideas from windells they have great ramps great vert great bowls and it works for bikers skaters etc.