| Skate
Park Senseless in Current Economy |
|
To the editor:
|
| Nov. 5's negative vote on the sales tax referendum says
a lot about the mood of taxpayers right now. Against that
backdrop, let's revisit the economics of the current skateboard
park proposal. |
| The proposal calls for $800,000 in capital costs, and future
operating deficits will add to the tax burden. The Reston
Community Center's study admits that the principal user population
will be just 5 percent of our youth aged 6-17, mostly male.
That is less than 400 Reston children according to the 2000
census, or $2,200 per child just to build the facility. Does
this make sense in these challenging economic times? |
| The business model has also been billed as "break even"
or "profitable." It's simple: If skate parks made money, private
entrepreneurs across the country would be clamoring to build
them. They aren't. Consider the following about the "break
even" claim: |
| The current proposal provides no actual financials or budgets
of comparable parks. It instead projects user demand based
on the national average of children who skateboard, even though
it admits the Northeast region's average is much lower. |
| In addition, the projections include 5 year olds, even though
the admitted "core user" group is age 6-17. When adjusted
for these critical errors, projected users§and thus revenue
estimates§shrink 30 percent. |
| ost estimates are no better. The study is based on a 20,000
square foot park, but the RCC says it will build a 25,000
square foot park. There is no budget for security, yet the
RCC admits there needs to be "extensive security in place
before groundbreaking. The study also uses first year expense
numbers with third year revenue numbers to show artificially
high third year surpluses , a mistake so fundamental it reflects
on the entire credibility of the business model. |
| And the "profitable" business plan does not account for
the nearly $1 million capital investment. Profitable? Who
is doing this accounting? |
| There is at least one alternative that would cost taxpayers
25 percent less to build: Lake Fairfax Park. Let the RCC (703-476-4500)
and Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (703-478-0283)
know that if there is to be a skateboard park in Reston we
need a better proposal. |
| Jim DeAngelo |
| Reston |
