Designing skateboard parks isn’t a typical task for a district sanitation engineer. But that’s just one of many things Bruce Husselbee, director of engineering for the Hampton Roads Sanitation District in Virginia, is doing as the district—like many other water and wastewater utilities—tries to solve more complex problems with fewer resources and higher expectations from the public.
The proposed 20,000-sq-ft skateboard park would sit atop a 5-million-gallon stormwater tank, which is needed to hold stormwater during wet weather to prevent overflow in Virginia Beach. “We’re challenged to find locations for these tanks.Neighbors don’t want it in the city park,” says Husselbee. So, partnering with the city’s parks-and-recreation department, the district will foot the bill for the $23-million park, which provides a “good outcome” for everyone, Husselbee says.