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Peter’s park passion leads to Kite renovation
 | | COUNCILMAN Peter Hoffman’s passion for the renovation of Kite Park included raising the money, overseeing the design, personally picking every rock, like this one that weighs three tons, lifting the rock (with the help of a crane), and placing it in exactly the right spot. Friday Foto By Vicki Clark. |
By VICKI CLARK
Art has been the driving force in Peter Hoffman’s life and most recently this passion resulted in the $800,000 Kite Park renovation, accomplished with private donations.
“As a Nichols Hills Councilman, I began to think about a project that could be completed quickly and cause the community to be proud, today and for generations, “ Hoffman said.
He played in Kite Park as a boy and found it magical moving from area to area in the three acre site originally donated by developer Dr. G.A. Nichols and William Kite in 1933.
He pictured a new design in his mind.
“With regard to the design, several things were critical to me; honor the history of the community and the wonder I experienced as a boy; improve the beauty and functionality.
He also knew that the City of Nichols Hills needed to focus its resources on securing long-term quality water supplies and continuing efforts regarding utility and infrastructure projects.
Hoffman approached Aubrey McClendon with the idea of funding the renovation with private donations. McClendon supported the idea.
Hoffman and Linda Horn of Total Environment created a conceptual rendering of the park to present to the planning commission and city council. With the plan approved, Hoffman collaborated with Landscape Architect Joanne Vervink of Great Plain Design and Coon Engineering for a final plan.
New contouring and three new drainage systems tied into the storm sewers would eliminate the standing water problem. A meandering, paved path would give an “inside” view to the beauty of each area. The gazebo and red rock area would be refurbished.
Then the December ice storm came.
“The ice storm caused us to do more than we originally planned,” Hoffman said. “The damage was extensive. We decided to take down all the old trees, which had overt and micro damage. The park was now a blank canvas.”
Spring came and the work began. Friends accused Hoffman of sleeping in his car at Kite Park to keep people off the fragile construction areas.
The contouring and drain were done. Work on paving the quarter-mile path began. It was time to start planting trees.
“With the help of Total Environments tree expertise we planted more than 70 big trees from all over the country,” Hoffman said. “Full grown trees cost more, but I didn’t want it to take years for the park to grow into itself.”
They selected each variety for its suitability to Oklahoma’s climate and color.
Hoffman know the name of every tree.
“We mixed hardwood with diciduous trees with evergreens so there is a continuous green. Even though the season change life continually flows through the park: Cashmere Deodora cedars, Arizona Cypress both green and silver blue, Little Gem Giant Magnolias, Redwoods, multi-trunked Crepe Myrtles, Chinese Pistach, Caddo Maple, Shantung Maple, Black Gum for stunning fall color, Willow Oak, Shumard Oak, Overcup Oak, Taneosho Pine, Austrian Pine...”
On the Camden Way side of the park, Hoffman wanted to maintain the “Old Oklahoma look,” while redoing it.
“We found red rock boulders and granite that all have an Oklahoma sensibility. We brought in 15 boulders, some weighing more than seven tons, and placed them with a crane. We found red rose stone to recreate the path and steps that perfectly match what was left of the old area.”
A new power system provides electricity for lights around the path, the gazebo and even future Christmas lights.
After the new sprinkler system was installed, ten tons of new topsoil was spread to encourage growth of the two-and-one-half acres of new sod.
“My philosophy of the park is I wanted the park to be magical for kids to go from area to area and their imaginations to fire, rather than having too much artificial stuff. Each area has a different feel by design to encourage both peace and joy about where you are and interest in where you are about to go. Around each end is a different view. I wanted to create something so interesting that you are never bored and always eager to explore what’s around the next curve.
Hoffman is profuse in his thanks to the people who helped him make the dream a reality.
“Katie and Aubrey McClendon and Chesapeake for their far-sighted vision. They were the cornerstone. Nichols Hills Parks Inc. and treasure Nancy Herzel and Kite Park chairman Kym Mason, who served as co-chairs of the reopening celebration.
I am so honored t6hat 100 donors trusted me to guide and complete this project. All the city personnel City Manage David Poole, Public works Director Charles Hopper, Police Chief Richard Mask, who put extra patrols on for the park during construction.”
He also praised Vervink and Coon Engineering, General Contractors Ty Harwig and Linda Horn of Total Environment, OG&E, and lastly:
“My wife Susan for enduring my obsession while this project was manifesting itself.”The Village buys Vintage Lakes apartment complex
By PETER GILL
OKC FRIDAY
After months of hard work, The Village Development Authority has finally acquired the former Vintage Lakes apartments at a price of $3 million.
The authority closes on the property July 14, and once it comes into full possession of the 27 acres, it will pursue demolition and clearing of the land in preparation for development.
“We do not want to sit on this land for a long time. We hope to develop it soon,” City Manager Bruce Stone said. If everything goes according to plan, the development authority will begin taking proposals for development by the end of August.
Development of the land into a new open city center is the primary goal for The Village. What that actually entails is still up in the air and will depend on what developers want to do and what the market will allow. Still, Stone envisions the land to be a mixture of garden homes or owner-occupied condos, offices, and small shops, all connected by park land and walking areas.
The big hurdle standing in the way of razing the buildings is an estimated 153,000 square feet of asbestos in the old apartment complex’s various structures.
Stone said the authority is doing more testing on the buildings to get a better idea on just how much asbestos is present with the hope of finding less and bringing remediation and demolition costs down. The estimated cost for remediation is $1.5 million.
The Village has already started the application process for securing revolving Environmental Protection Agency loans in the amount of $250,000 to be used toward the asbestos removal, Stone said. These government loans offer the city a low interest rate and longer term to pay off.
The $3 million purchase price is lower than the original $4 million minimum bid that could be accepted when the land was for sale at the sheriff’s auction. Stone said the authority is pleased to have purchased the land at a lower price than originally anticipated; a benefit that came after the city hired an independent assessment for the value of the land.
Funding for the purchase came from bank financing, and the Development Authority plans to use ad velorum tax generated by new development in The Village’s TIF district to pay the note’s interest.
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