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CONCESSION CORNER

DOING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
Part I
By Peter F. Olesen, P.E.

Know What’s Ahead of You—
Planning, constructing and operating a go-kart track, miniature golf course, family entertainment center (FEC) or similar attraction is far from a no-brainer. There may have been a time when almost anything constructed had a chance for success. But, in today’s marketplace, there are many competitors for the public’s available disposable income. Therefore, more than ever, it is important to be well informed prior to starting a project of such magnitude.

During the initial stages of developing a project, there are a number of issues that a prospective developer should consider. This is true whether the course is a stand-alone facility or part of an FEC. These issues vary in their importance in some instances because of the individual expertise of the prospective developer. We’ve written this article assuming the reader to be relatively inexperienced in this particular industry. The items that will be discussed prior to the section on determining which approach to use in the actual design and construction of a miniature golf course facility apply regardless of the ultimate decision whether to build it yourself, have a consultant design the facility and local contractors build it, or to have the facility designed and constructive by a design/build firm.

Addressing Basic Issues—
While some readers will find the following information to be very basic, others will not have been exposed to the basic issues addressed. Regardless to the relative expertise of the individual reader, each of the following should be given serious consideration. Addressing them will make the decision whether or not to follow through much easier.

1. Is there a sufficient market to develop a course at the proposed location? This should be considered within the context of competition, area economy and related issues.

2. Is the proposed site easy to find and enter by people not familiar with the area? Many great facilities have failed because the potential guests could not get there. This is due to many people seeking the lines of least resistance, especially when traveling to places of entertainment. Can the site be seen from the adjacent highway? If so, can it easily be reached, if the adjacent road is either a freeway or a controlled access route? Visibility is the greatest billboard. Seeing the facility from the highway and having an easy or direct access to it can result in sizable numbers of impulse visits, thus increasing the total attendance.

3. Are sufficient funds available to build and operate in the event the first year experiences construction delays, bad weather or an economic downturn? Failure to be able to survive unanticipated loss of revenue can be fatal to even a well-conceived and constructed facility.

4. Are there any problems with respect to zoning restrictions? There may be many unanticipated constraints within specific ordinances. These may delay approvals or require major modifications to the planned facility. They can include noise, lighting, hours of operation, parking and access controls, limitation as to the types of facilities allowed, drainage, and related issues.

5. Will the highway department be realistic in its requirements for an entrance? Is traffic heavy enough to require signalization or do agency regulations require shared entrance?

6. Are there likely to be any problems with neighbors beyond zoning concerns? This could also include lighting, noise, drainage, traffic, hours of operation or aesthetics? Will the neighbors welcome the facility or fight to block it?

7. Are there any physical restrictions to construction on the site, such as unsuitable soils, wetlands, flood plains or other regulatory circumstances?

8. Will the site be required to provide for storm detention or bypass flow from adjacent property? In many areas, drainage and detention requirements prevent full use of project sites.

Failure to address the above issues can result in major time delays or ultimate rejection of the project. It is advisable to work with knowledgeable consultants in making any detailed evaluations of the above issues and others listed in the following paragraphs.

Design Challenges—
Having selected a site, the possibility exists that there may be unanticipated soil, drainage or other physical problems that create a definite need to reengineer the original plans. In such instances, consider the consequences of revisions. This can involve revising whole shapes, redirection and/or relocation of streams, waterfalls and other physical features placed on the site concept.

As any changes have the potential of becoming very costly, it is advisable to be aware of existing conditions before moving into final design. Properly addressed from the planning standpoint, treating situations as challenges rather than roadblocks, the resulting project configuration can still be a successful one. Early in the design process, your designer should consider all of the possible physical constraints that he/she may face on the site. These may include some or all of the following elements.

Existing Soil Conditions—
In many regions, there may be underlying rock strata, unsuitable soil conditions, organic areas, springs, sand veins carrying water and numerous other conditions that were completely overlooked in the design phase. This is very possible where the assumption is made that the above information is not required and is therefore eliminated as an unnecessary cost. These circumstances may result in water courses (streams and ponds) leaking or failing, various sections of the facility having water-related drainage problems throughout the season, foundations settling and causing waterfall structures to either leak, break up or even collapse and other equally disconcerting events. The same problems can occur on individual fairways, greens or sidewalks.

Available Utilities, Water Services and Sanitary Sewers—
The cost of bringing electricity, water, gas and sanitary sewers to a given site may result in sizable costs. It is important to determine whether services are close enough to make connections, whether recapture ordinances can be created to make subsequent users of extended sewers or other utility lines pay their fair share. If such can be negotiated, the long-term benefits can be sizable.

If sanitary sewers are not available, it is important to determine that suitable septic field, mound distribution or other acceptable disposal system can be developed to provide the required disposal. This must be resolved prior to construction and operation of the proposed facility.

Water Source(s) and Costs—
The current approach to designing miniature golf courses make appreciable use of water elements, including pools, fountains, streams and waterfalls. It is necessary to determine the availability and cost of water. This is true whether the water source is from municipal or private water systems, wells, lakes or streams.

The availability of water at bearable cost will have an immediate as well as on-going impact on the design and operation of your facility. The result of the determination of water availability and cost will often be the primary factor in determining final concepts. Often, the resulting designs reflect compromises in theming, facility configuration, landscaping and construction.

Wetlands, Tree Preservation Ordinances and Other Problems—
It is possible that closer inspection of individual sites identify wetlands that may have been omitted from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maps. If they are small, there is a national permit exemption that permits filling up a fraction of an acre without making a formal application. The area permitted under the exemption is constantly being reduced.

Often local communities have drafted tree preservation ordinances, which limit the removal of mature trees. Care should be taken to avoid violating any ordinance provisions, as the penalties can be harsh.

Additional Issues—
Once the site-oriented questions are addressed, there are still many other issues to be resolved. These include potential market, financial capabilities, project feasibility, design concepts and developing a workable master plan. Some issues that should definitely be addressed in establishing a concept and developing a master plan are as follows:

A. Determining the economic feasibility of the project based on the demographic of the local market.

B. Establishing the attractions, parking, buildings and related elements that can be placed on the site.

C. Creating layouts and designs that will generate ongoing business. The facility should leave pleasant memories of every visit. The site should be attractive, the course itself challenging but fun and leave customers feeling that they had gotten ‘their money’s worth’.

Reality Checks—
Be prepared for the reality that during the construction phase, many elements in the planning and design o miniature golf courses do not turn out as planned. This can be the result of poor survey data, incomplete planning, owner revisions, incomplete or confusing construction drawings, contractor substitutions or short cuts, weather related construction problems and the list goes on and on.

Addressing the issues identified above, before starting final planning, can greatly reduce the problems that often arise during the construction phase. The resulting project concept and configuration will also better address the market and the developer’s capabilities.

The design of miniature golf courses does not approach designing space vehicles. There are, however, elements that require engineering judgment and artistic creativity to achieve success. As each site is unique, the use of stock designs may not adequately address your specific site.

The ongoing development and expansion of communities throughout the country, continues to reduce the number of sites that remain available for developing FEC’s, kart tracks and miniature golf courses within community boundaries. The sites that remain are often marginal or have so many physical or political constraints on them, as to render many of them unacceptable from a cost standpoint. They are also often further affected by increasingly complicated zoning restrictions and higher land costs. It is important to know that nay site you wish to develop can successfully meet the above challenges.

NEXT MONTH - Part II

About the author: Peter Olesen is a Licensed Professional Engineer in eight states and President of Peter F. Olesen and Associates, Inc. 500 West Central Road, Suite 205, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 USA. The firm provides consulting services to concession go-kart and Family Entertainment Center clients. Project span 35 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Brunei. Services range from preliminary site evaluations, feasibility studies, concept development, master planning, design and construction engineering services for project that include concession go-kart tracks, miniature golf courses, indoor and outdoor family entertainment centers and theme parks. These services apply to new facilities as well as renovation or expansion of existing facilities. Mr. Olesen has written many magazine articles on the industry and has made presentations at numerous industry seminars. For more information, see www.olesen.com or call 847-253-1515.

END

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