March 22, 2018

Describe the project for which funding is requested (details should include the primary goals and objectives of your project).

The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay (OIPCB) has replaced 18 of the picnic tables in the Charleston Marina RV Park. Our RV Park has a total of 110 wooden picnic tables, all of which are over 20 years old. The vast majority of these picnic tables are in dire need of replacement due to wear and tear from many years of use and the harsh weather conditions on the Oregon coast. Funding also remains a challenge due to unforeseen but necessary capital improvement projects such as the emergency marina dredging and storm water system replacement project. OIPCB would replace 13 tables with six-foot recycled plastic picnic tables and 5 tables with eight-foot ADA plastic coated metal tables. In addition, OIPCB would use the funding to purchase 5 corresponding hardware kits for the eight-foot tables.

The primary goals of the project are: (1) to provide a better customer experience in the Charleston Marina RV Park to accommodate (2) attract more types of tourists to Charleston and (3) provide a long-term sustainable solution to upgrade current aging infrastructure while saving costs. The main objectives of the project are to reduce cost and time of maintenance, provide an impervious and cleanable service, improve the appearance of the Charleston Marina RV park, update old destination infrastructure, provide better customer service, increase environmental health and improve customer safety.

Describe the need for your project. 

The Charleston Marina RV Park is one of two RV Parks in Charleston, Oregon and the closest lodging facility to the outdoor recreational activities offered in Charleston Marina. All 109 RV park spots are usually completely booked during the coastal peak season of June through September. Clean and functional picnic tables are essential for our RV park customers and used daily as a place to share a meal and for outdoor seating.

Replacing the Charleston Marina picnic tables would greatly enhance visitor experience, save maintenance costs and improve environmental health. The RV park wooden picnic tables have been used for 20 years causing the wood to become more porous, splintering and even deteriorating. This makes the tables less safe and comfortable for customers and require a lot more maintenance. New recycled plastic picnic benches would provide a cleaner and more comfortable place to eat. It would save maintenance staff time and costs in upkeep since recycled plastic is easier to maintain than wood. While wooden picnic tables usually require constant cleaning of loose paint or touch ups, recycled picnic tables require only slight cleaning, and have a lifespan of 15 years. Recycled plastic tables also make environmental sense. One recycled plastic picnic bench prevents 1,600 gallon milk jugs from landfills, an equivalent to 22,000 milk jugs for our project! The current picnic tables are rapidly reaching the end of their lifespan which is why funds to replace at least 25% of these tables is crucial for Charleston Marina customers.

What is your long-term plan for your project?

Recycled plastic picnic tables are built to last 15 years or more with little maintenance. According to the ULINE website, it has UV-protected plastic planks, withstands the harshest winters, and a steel frame and planks that won’t warp, crack or splinter. In addition, it can hold up to 650 lbs on each bench. The ADA plastic coated metal tables are also built for the outdoors and designed to withstand all weather elements and are easy to maintain. These tables have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years or more. Our plan is to provide regular maintenance of these tables to ensure that the picnic tables will last in the Charleston RV park for their full lifespan and beyond.

In the future, OIPCB plans to continue and upgrade the Charleston Marina and RV park. For the RV park, this means replacing the remaining wooden picnic tables and providing fast, reliable internet access. To maintain consistency, the remaining wooden picnic tables will also be replaced with ULINE recycled plastic tables and plastic-coated metal ADA picnic tables. The goal is to have all RV Park picnic tables replaced within the next few years.

How will you measure the success of your project, in the short-term and in the long-term? Be as specific as possible.

Short Term Success

-       Successfully replace 18 wooden picnic tables with 13 recycled plastic tables and 5 ADA plastic-coated metal tables with correct installation

-       Anecdotal feedback from repeat RV park customers on their thoughts on the new RV park picnic tables versus the old wooden picnic tables

-       Check and record condition of the new picnic tables during regular maintenance over the year

Long Term Success

-       Add rating for RV park picnic tables on customer satisfaction survey sent out to customers at the end of their stay and analyzing these results after one year.

-       Measure whether there was an increase in customers who need ADA accommodation after one year of picnic table replacement  

-       Measure whether there was a significant increase in customers at the RV park after one year of picnic table replacement. There has been a steady increase in RV Park customers the past three years; 841 customers in 2014, 1018 customers in 2015; 1027 customers in 2016.

-       Check and record condition of the purchased picnic tables over five, ten and fifteen years. Use photos.

Timeline

OCTOBER 1-15, 2017 – Planning

Planning Meeting

·         Confirm order of type and how many picnic tables to purchase from ULINE.

·         Determine where the picnic tables should be placed.

·         Discuss Travel Oregon grant follow-up requirements and roles to fulfill these requirements and successfully complete the project.

·         Come up with benchmarking and monitoring standards for review of how project impacted the Charleston RV park, the Charleston Marina, and the Charleston community.

·         Determine logistics of replacing RV Park picnic tables.

OCTOBER 16 – NOVEMBER 16 – Order

Order and purchase RV Park picnic tables.

NOVEMBER 16 – DECEMBER 31st – Replace

Receive and replace RV Park picnic tables with new ones.

2018 – Maintain, Monitor, Review

·         Maintain, monitor and review how the new RV Park picnic tables are improving the Charleston RV Park customers.

·         Analyze results from surveys and reviews on the new RV park picnic tables

·         Keep track of maintenance time and condition of the new picnic tables monthly

·         Compare number of 2016 RV park customers to number of 2017 RV park customers