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Skatepark roof plan abandoned after soil borings; borough will proceed with perimeter site improvements
Summary
Borough engineers concluded the planned covered roof for the Schonbark skatepark is not feasible after geotechnical borings found deep, loosely compacted soils that would require driven piles and sharply increase construction costs.
Morgan Berry, public works director for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, told the assembly that engineering work for the 2023 Skatepark Improvements Project has shown the site cannot support the previously planned roof without major additional foundation work.
Soil borings by Tongass Engineering and geotechnical consultants found loosely compacted soils in places to depths of about 57 feet (and 32 feet in other locations). Berry said that condition would require driven steel piling to roughly 60 feet and an estimated 23 piles around the structure, which would add about $1,000,000 to the roof cost and make the covered-roof option not viable within the project budget.
“Because of the loosely compacted soils … it would require driven steel piling to a depth of about 60 feet,” Berry said. “We found that that was just not reasonable to proceed with the project for a roof.” The borough therefore decided not to move forward with the roof structure.
Berry said the borough will proceed with the remaining site improvements around the skatepark perimeter, a project that ties into the city’s Salmon Walk trail network. Planned elements include sidewalks, concrete stairs, retaining walls, landscaping to create a park-like setting along the creek, and lighting and camera infrastructure (the design will use some of the prior roof-column locations for mounting). Berry also said the borough will finalize amended designs and then bid the site-improvement work.
Assembly members asked whether the unspent funds or cost savings might be redirected to other recreation projects — including the rec center expansion — and borough staff said they will examine bids and financing options before making any reappropriation decisions. Staff also noted that some of the CVP (visitor-program) funds for the skatepark could not be used for the rec center and therefore are restricted in use.
