Wheels fall off skateboard park.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - Ammon Henrikson is hoping a failed dream will ramp into a bigger and more successful aspiration.

In late December, the Springfield fire marshal's office temporarily shut down Henrikson's skateboard and BMX bike park, the Edge, citing safety concerns. Henrikson, it turned out, failed to go through the proper permitting process when he opened the park in March 2005. By the time he straightened out the mess, he had paid thousands of dollars in fees and found himself facing two months in back rent and owing $5,200 in systems development charges to the city of Springfield.

The financial burden was too much for him to bear, he says.

As Henrikson, 28, was making plans to shut down his business permanently last week he was also exploring his options for the future. He met with an official from Willamalane Parks and Recreation District to propose partnering on an indoor skate ramp and has also been talking to potential buyers interested in his collection of giant ramps.

"I built this park with a whole lot of sweat and scrap lumber," Henrikson said. "It's a really bad feeling to work so hard at something and lose it all, but I really might not have lost it all. This might be a transition to move on to a bigger, better place."

Jason Genck, Willamalane's director of recreation services, said he was interested in hearing Henrikson's proposal but it was still too early to talk about the district's plans.

Henrikson has his eye on a 42,000-square-foot Mohawk warehouse space formerly occupied by the Waremart (WinCo) grocery store.

`I think I can build a much bigger facility with (Willamalane) and have it be long-lasting,' Henrikson said. `(The district) can get bigger, better (rental spaces) than I could.'

During the 10 months Henrikson was in business for himself, he says he invested more than $40,000 in the 10,000-square-foot Shelley Street facility. The volunteer-run park, which also boasted a bike shop and provided riding instructions, became a popular spot for skateboarders and BMX bikers. The venue hosted punk rock and heavy metal concerts, and a video shoot for a BMX video featuring big-name riders such as Dave Mirra and Mike Aitken.

There is another indoor skatepark in the area. Eugene's Shelter park offers indoor ramps, but bikes are not allowed and skateboarders say the West Eugene location is inconvenient for many Springfield riders.

`(The Edge) brought the community a safe place (to ride) in a controlled environment,' said Rocky Kumlin, a BMX rider who frequented the park. "There are a lot of issues that happen at the outdoor parks: graffiti, drug abuse. ... With a supervised indoor facility there's always somebody there to call (for help).'

Henrikson said his park provided a community service for Springfield youth and was unfairly shut down. He called the city's systems development charges, or SDCs, "ridiculous." The fees, which totaled $5,200, pay for the impact that a new business could have on infrastructure such as roads, storm drains and sewer systems.

"They could have worked with me so that I could make money and pay them, but by shutting me down they made it impossible for me to pay," Henrikson said.

Springfield spokesman Niel Laudati said the city assigned at least a half-dozen employees to help Henrikson get back on track. He called the park a "good use" but said the city could not gloss over safety concerns, which included problems with accessibility, fire exits and exposed wires.

`Everyone said, `We want the skatepark there,' ' Laudati said. `But (the city) can't not have the work done. We can't not have the safety issues (addressed). We owe that to the community.'

Henrikson's landlord, Tom McGinnis, said his tenant should have taken care of the permitting before he opened his business, but he thinks the city could have done more to keep Henrikson open. He says the SDC fee - charged when the building transformed from a warehouse to a skatepark - was excessive.

The fee increase suggested the building's new use would drain the city's resources because the site would see higher use, but McGinnis said the building's new use is not much different. His previous tenant was an auction house, which drew up to 100 people on Friday nights, he said.

"I've given him a tremendous discount in rent to keep him in business, and he just barely makes it," McGinnis said. "I know that there can't be hundreds and hundreds of kids or he'd be rich.

"Sometimes you just have to look past the rule book if something is worth making an exception on," McGinnis said.

Laudati said the SDC fees are an unpopular but necessary charge that prevents established businesses and taxpayers from having to subsidize new businesses such as the Edge.

"I can understand how you could be frustrated by the process," Laudati added. "But the process is there for a reason."

CAPTION(S):

Ammon Henrikson locks the door on his now-closed skatepark. The son-in-law of real estate broker Randal Whipple, Henrikson says he also plans to go into real estate.