Read the email correspondence that has enabled the Livermore Skatepark to be a success. This is after the approval but before poor construction. It starts with the most recent email first.
This is the email that got action from the city to do it right
From: Doug Renner
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 10:29 AM
To: 'mayor@ci.livermore.ca.us'
Cc: Jeff Bond (E-mail); Paul Harriss (E-mail); John Drummond (E-mail); Mike Stewart (E-mail); Steve Stewart (E-mail); Greg Park (E-mail); Doug Renner
Subject: Thank you for the Skatepark! It is a success!!!
mayor@ci.livermore.ca.us
Dear Mayor Cathie Brown,
I would like to thank you for your follow up with the Livermore skatepark that opened on Saturday. I had written a letter previously alerting you to the construction practices of the contractor building the park. You obviously took appropriate action and insisted that they build the park according to the exact design of the architect as it has turned out to be a very good facility and the best so far for A.J. Vasconi. Thank You!!!
The park hosted at least 350 people in my estimation on Saturday alone (I think this is conservative). This is an indicator that skateboarding is healthy and very popular in our community. I am hoping that you will continue to construct more parks to help reduce the crowds that we are seeing and will continue to see as the word gets out that there is a very fun place to ride skateboards in Livermore.
I am very thankful for what is currently there although would like to add that in talking to fellow homeowners and parents at the park over the weekend, we would like to see some gravel or grass laid down surrounding the park to limit the mud that is being tracked into the facility. There was also a cry for some benches or bleachers so that parents can have a place to sit and watch their kids. It seems that the park was built for the kids but I would like to see it developed into a family forum so that it promotes a healthy environment for all guests, both locals and out of towners. I also think that a Family Grand Opening event sponsored by the Mayor and the City would work toward this goal.
I am sure that there has never been a softball field, tennis court or basketball court that has seen over 350 people on its opening day. I went there this morning at 7:00 am and there were already about 10 skaters there and by the time I left at 8:30, about 35 (school is out today). I urge you to please support the local skateboarding community and continue to use development dollars toward this very popular and highly utilized type of facility. I will add that the maintenance is almost zero once it is built making it very attractive from a cost perspective as well. If there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask.
I sincerely thank you for all of your support, especially in enforcing the proper construction of this skatepark! Everyone I spoke to was very pleased with it.
Regards,
Doug Renner
Father, Skateboarder and Taxpayer
Livermore, CA
=====
Doug Renner
Livermore, CA 94550
F: (603) 415-5212
Doug Renner wrote:
> Hi Zach,
>
> Hope you had a good Holiday Season. I think the park came together very
> well. I skated it one day but already had a lovely incident with a local
> authority. No ticket just his attitude saying that they will fill
> it in if there is any trouble at the park. Pretty biased as far as I can tell.
>
> I got a domain name called www.skateparkcentral.com and put a link to your
> site and thanked you for your help. If you have anything to contribute that
> I can put up, send it to me. I am a novice web designer but it will work.
> I can just collect stuff from other places and link to it till I do some
> thing good with it.
>
> Thanks for all your assistance with the park. Let me know when you come to
> the area and I will buy you lunch or something. I will let you
> know if I come your way and I would like to stop by your office and check
> out your projects. By the way, do you have the name and phone number of the
> person in Pleasanton that is working on the park. I have been running into
> several people from Pleasanton and I am building a database of folks to
> rally support for it.
>
> Take care,
>
> Doug
>
> =====
>
> Doug Renner
> Livermore, CA 94550
> F: (603) 415-5212
Doug,
Overall I think the park turned out pretty well construction wise. As for the
design, it could have been bigger/better, but at least it is better then some of
the other parks in the area.
Thanks for your help. I think you helped motivate Vasconi to try harder and it
worked. Too bad you were not involved from the get go. Maybe for the
Pleasanton park. (The contact there is Rick Gould 925-484-8162; long time
friend and fellow surfer.)
Let me know if you are ever in SC and maybe we can hook up. Let me know what
happens when you contact Rick. Actually, I have already talked with him about
the project. He wants to just expand the existing park, but it would be much
better to start fresh. Maybe if we both make this argument he will buy into it.
Keep me up to date.
Zach
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Wormhoudt Landscape Architecture Incorporated
849 Almar Avenue Suite 280
Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
Tel. 831-426-8424
Fax. 831-426-8411
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Doug,
Check out this link. Aren't the parks listed in the one and two star
category built by Vasconi?
http://www.skatenorcal.com/ratings.shtml
See ya,
JD
John H. Drummond
Project Engineer
F: (925) 245-xxxx
Xantrex Technology Inc.,
Distributed Industrial & Utility Div.
Doug,
It seems that there is an misinterpretation within the LARPD community as
to what "quality" and "cutting corners" are with respect to the concrete
pouring. Are we/they all talking apples for apples? Are they thinking "Hey
nice forms", "Oh the pH balance is great" and "The viscosity is perfect, it
has the right amount of lye" verses "Smooth and non-kinked transitions",
when it comes to quality?
Maybe they just don't get it, and think that you're just blowing smoke. Has
Zach been in contact with the LARPD guy so that he/they understand?
They might just pour and go "What?, The concrete turned out perfect"
Regards,
JD
John H. Drummond
Project Engineer
F: (925) 245-xxxx
Xantrex Technology Inc.,
Distributed Industrial & Utility Div.
www.xantrex.com
www.tracetechnologies.com
Doug,
Thanks for your letter. I think the transition spaces looks about right
although I did not measure to verify. I have spoken with the contractor and
they are going to use the screed form approach for all transitions poured. This
should ensure high quality transition. I will be checking all of the
transitions at the time of the pours and after. If the transition are not per
plan, they will need to be removed and replaced per plan.
For your reference Vasoconi's company built the new SF park. I have not seen it
myself but I have heard that the transitions are pretty good. Have you seen the
SF park?
Let me know if you have any questions.
Zach
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Wormhoudt Landscape Architecture Incorporated
849 Almar Avenue Suite 280
Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
Tel. 831-426-8424
Fax. 831-426-8411
admin@skateparks.com
http://www.skateparks.com
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Doug,
Trying to make these parks turn out good is sometimes very hard, especially with
public bidding. Vasconi may have botched a few parks up in the past
(inexcusable!) but the goal is to get him on track for the future. And the
future is now. He plans on doing skate parks for a while, and I plan on trying
to help him get them right. Your help has been critical whether you know it or
not. We will keep pressing until it is built right.
I had a message from some company this AM that they received a fax that was
meant for me from you? Let me know what was up with that.
I will stay in touch.
Zach
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Wormhoudt Landscape Architecture Incorporated
849 Almar Avenue Suite 280
Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
Tel. 831-426-8424
Fax. 831-426-8411
admin@skateparks.com
http://www.skateparks.com
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Doug Renner wrote:
> Zach,
> Thanks for putting up the effort on this park! The skaters both near
> and far will appreciate your efforts for years to come. I have enjoyed your
> communication and attention to this project. I hope I haven't stirred up
> too much for you to deal with but all along, I think I am instilling lots of
> credit for you and doubt on Vasconi (which is how it should be). I hope
> they can learn something on this one and all parks they do in the future. I
> think that if you disapprove of any transitions, your word will be taken as
> the expert advice and Vasconi will have to tear it out. I am only trying to
> ensure that the park is built right for Livermore's benefit.
>
> I haven't seen SF yet but hear there is a picture on Thrasher's site. I
> will look for it and send you a link if I find it. I actually made a road
> trip to Healdsburg on Saturday and had a great time. That is a very well
> designed park! I like the separation of the street and bowl areas so that
> lots of people can ride at the same time. ...and the bowls are awesome with
> the extra corners. I wish we could have added that extra corner in
> Livermore.
>
> Anyway, thanks for all of your help so far... but don't let up yet. The most
> critical days are at hand. I just ask you to pay attention for another two
> or three weeks and you will have a solid work of art to your credit. I will
> be your biggest advocate.
>
> I would be happy to work on any projects in the east bay or south bay area
> to provide ideas or attend meetings if you learn of them.
>
> Regards,
>
> Doug
>
> Doug Renner wrote:
>
> > Thanks for killing the Chip! Sorry I missed you on Wed. I had to go to the
> > office and couldn't make it. I wished I could be there. Did you make
> > progress on how they will build the transitions?
> >
> > I have some concerns regarding the bowls in particular. I don't think they
> > have enough room since they poured the flatbottom of the bowls to physically
> > fit the proper transition into the bowl. My guess is that they will fit the
> > transition according to the room left and it will not be a true transition.
> > It will follow the flow of what the trowel does to fill in the space. This
> > is exactly like Dublin where the bowl is a rapid transition (kinky in most
> > spots) at the bottom and far too gradual the rest of the way. It looks like
> > the flatbottom should be about 1 foot in diameter and instead it is about 3+
> > feet in diameter. I think the flatbottom needs to be jack hammered and
> > redone without flatbottom to make it fit.
> >
> > The same scenario above may apply to the long wall where the chip was too.
> > The flatbottom may be too close to the wall to fit a correct transition.
> >
> > It looks very concerning. Is there anything you, I, we can do? Should I
> > forward this to the mayor from myself and other residents in Livermore?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Doug
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Zachary A. Wormhoudt [mailto:admin@skateparks.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 1:57 PM
> > To: Doug Renner
> > Subject: Re: skate park
> >
> > Doug,
> >
> > The chip on the Flat Panel is out> Let me know if you have any questions.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Zachary A. Wormhoudt, Principal
> >
> > _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
> > Wormhoudt Landscape Architecture Incorporated
> > 849 Almar Avenue Suite 280
> > Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
> > Tel. 831-426-8424
> > Fax. 831-426-8411
> > admin@skateparks.com
> > http://www.skateparks.com
> > _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
This is the one that got the action started!
From: Doug Renner [mailto:dorenner@cisco.com]
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 11:12 AM
To: Diane Daniel
Cc: stein@ci.livermore.ca.us; reitter@ci.livermore.ca.us;
dietrich@ci.livermore.ca.us; vargas@ci.livermore.ca.us;
mayor@ci.livermore.ca.us; Doug Personal Renner; jgosnell@aol.com;
drummondj@tracetech.com
Subject: RE: thank you
Diane,
Thank you for your response. Over the long weekend, I took a look at the
skatepark progress. I must take this opportunity to point out that the
transitions are on the verge of being poured incorrectly! You and your
staff can take action and stop this and I ask you ever so kindly to do so.
In my best estimate, it appears that there is not enough room to pour the
transitions according to specifications in the plans. The distances from
the flatbottom sections of the bowls to the top of the bowl edges do not
allow enough physical space to lay out the transitions according to a true
transitional radius. At this point, it looks like the flatbottom sections
should be jackhammered out and some actual engineering calculations and
measurements should be made to determine the proper radius and distance to
pour the concrete according to the architects design and specifications.
There is no additional time to act on this!
I have followed the construction of several projects done by AJ Vasconi and
they have a record of building transitions according to thier "gut feeling"
and not engineering specifications. I, as a Livermore resident and
taxpayer, PLEAD with you to intercept this before it is a permanent mistake
that the youth of Livermore are stuck with forever. Cement is forever!
Please, Please address this issue with the architect and rectify it before
it is too late. The City of Livermore should not accept work not done
according to specifications! Engineering should be done to complete this
work, not "gut feelings." Your architect for the project is
Zachary Wormhoudt,
Wormhoudt Landscape Design
849 Almar Avenue, Suite 280
Santa Cruz, California 95060
United States of America
Telephone: 831.426.8424
Fax: 831.426.8411
I ask you to please investigate this situation and contact Zach for design
expertise and guidance. I am more than happy to provide input on it and
also invite you to the Dublin skatepark where the "gut feeling" transitions
have been poured by Vasconi. I can point out why that makes for a less
favorable skateboarding experience as well as a more dangerous facility.
Let's not waste the public dollars on a less than acceptable, not to
specification facility.
Sincerely,
Doug Renner
567 Ridgecrest Circle
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 447-9010
dorenner@cisco.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Diane Daniel [mailto:larpdpio@pacbell.net]
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 11:52 AM
Subject: thank you
Thank you for your comments. I have given them to the appropriate staff.
Sincerely,
Diane Daniel
LARPD
Public Information Officer
925-373-5709
Livermore Skatepark Continued...
I have been actively involved with the Livermore Skatepark in its latter stages. I assisted, along with Jeff Bond, in garnering the support of the Mayor and City Council to ensure that it was built to the designed standards. This has been done in cooperation with Zachary Wormhoudt of Wormhoudt Landscape Design who designed the park. He has several quality parks under his belt and I thank him for all his effort with the Livermore Skatepark. You can visit his website at www.skateparks.com. Please email me to be a part of expanding skateboarding in the Bay Area. mailto:doug@skateparkcentral.com
