CoastersRZ

Technically, I am not an architect yet. I need to pass five more tests before I can call myself that. I am taking one more of those exams on Monday, so I will be one step closer to being an architect. My current job title is architectural designer. Ask and you shall receive. See below, and try and enjoy reading it. Some zoning codes can be rather tedious to read. However, I will offer up some information on it. Kings Island is in the City of Mason. The City of Mason website is here: http://www.imaginemason.org/city-government/legislation/codified-ordinances.cfm Their zoning code can be found here: http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Ohio/mason_oh/cityofmasonohiocodeofordinances?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:mason_oh You will need to navigate to Part 11: Planning and Zoning, and then to Title 5: Zoning Districts. From there, you must navigate to B-4 Commercial Recreation Districts, which includes mechanical rides and attractions as one of its permitted uses. In this section it states that It also states that all signs within 200 feet of the right of way must conform to Chapter 1187: Sign Regulations. It states the following requirements: Elsewhere in the code, it states the prohibited signs include: Those were the only types of prohibited signs that I saw that were applicable. However, as with all zoning regulations, the property owners can go for a variance in order to get something approved that the zoning code says is not allowed. We are going through this process right now for one of the projects I am working on in another municipality. I know I started off saying I wasn`t go into details, but I got on a roll and just couldn`t help myself. Not to mention, some of the stuff on my ARE test on Monday involves zoning codes. So this in a way is a little bit of studying for me. I hope I totally didn`t more people to death.

Zoning regulations do not need lawyers to understand. Just as long as architects (and those studying for the Architect Registration Exam), and those that need to understand them, can comprehend the requirements. And yes, zoning requirements do regulate the square footage of signage allowed. Sometimes they even regulate it to the square inch!

I think they might be painting it a dark gray/black color. I think the white/light color we see them painting might be a primer coat. Originally, the left tower of the winch tower was painted white, and now only the base is. The towers were previously exposed galvanized steel with no paint, so the primer was probably a necessity in order for the finish coat of paint to stick to the structure. I am excited to see all the fresh paint and ride the shiny new B&M that KI is getting. Just over a month more of waiting to go!

I think whatever they are putting in there, will be a big visual improvement over how Action Zone has looked the past few years. They pretty much had a blank slate to work with. Cedar Fair has been doing wonderful jobs of refreshing entire areas of the park with new infrastructure when they make big installs. I am sure that the improvements in Action Zone, based on the images we have seen so far, will be no different. I am really excited to see all of the changes in person once the park opens. And of course to ride Banshee!

It depends on if the road is an ODOT road, or a county or local road. Obviously, I-71 is an ODOT road. They do not want things that will be distracting to drivers on the interstate. In fact, many of the new electronic billboards that have been popping up have faced intense scrutiny from DOTs. They essentially have been forced to have multiple static ads. They cannot have animated graphics, if they are within a certain distance of the road. I do believe that there is an animated sign attached to the side of US Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati that is visible when one is travelling from I-71 north (when coming from Kentucky, or getting on at third Second Street in downtown) and getting onto I-471 South. Granted, its not directly visible from all directions of traffic on I-71 there. But it is certainly close to the highway. There are also a few color digital signs off of I-275 over by 275 and 75. One is for MicroCenter, and the other is for Gilkey Window I think. It is a window company, I just can`t remember the name of the window company. Boy that was a long winded response. I still remember the old sign, that was blown over in the storm by straight line winds.

And for those of you who have not been to Hersheypark before, it is a fun park to visit. I was there back in 2011, and can`t wait to get back there again. Its going to be a few years before I can make it out there. I hope to be able to get down to Kentucky Kingdom this year. I still kick myself for not getting out to Americana when it briefly re-opened for one season.

I`m sure that lockers will be available, especially if you are willing to pay for the locker. It will be interesting to see if Banshee has a bank of lockers outsides its entrance, similar to what Firehawk has. I would think that they would have lockers somewhere in Action Zone to accommodate the loose articles of riders for Banshee.

Yes, I have noticed things running a little slow tonight.

I say that Carowinds can get a new set of Eagles. Bring ours back home! The history with them is so rich. I loved riding them at KI. I have many great memories of them. It is a simple yet fun ride. I have been hoping since Cedar Fair started installing these rides that KI would either get the original Coney Island model back, or one of the newer versions. Obviously, I would love to get the Coney one back to KI. There are lots of locations in the park where the ride would be a good addition. Tucked next to the Flight of Fear exit in what is currently a grassy area between Adventure Express, Flight of Fear and The Racer. Or they could go in the pad of the former Salt Water Circus, now that Snoopy`s Starlight Spectacular has been retired. Or, they could take out the Dinosaur party pavilion, and give the Eagles a nice new perch ontop of the former Flight Commander pad, which would fit in nicely since they would be in Coney Mall, an homage to their beginning at the park that I have spent. And I agree that Cedar Fair, has been making some incredible moves towards nostalgic items at the parks. But more importantly they are really paying homage to the history of the parks and making them places that all generations can enjoy together and make memories (thus developing their future customers when the current children will take their kids to the park).

Those are some excellent photos, Shaggy!

While Google Earth updated the maps, it has not been updated on Google Maps on the web yet. It still has Son of Beast shown in the satellite version.

I wonder why they went through the trouble of taping off the restraints. Seems like it would have been lots less prep work to paint when the restraints were off the vehicles. Especially since they take the restraints off in the winter.

Hmm. That is a really nice rendering of the station. It must be really cool to work on projects like that.

Those would be concrete blankets. When cement reacts with water in a chemical reaction known as hydration, it produces heat. Those footings were grouted (filling in the space between the top of the footing and the bottom of the ride column base plate). The blankets are there to keep the heat from this reaction in and around the grout to keep the water in the grout from freezing. If the water froze, it would not be able to properly react with the cement and it would not achieve its desires strength. I hope that answers your question.

Those would be the siding panels starting to go up. I would presume that the scaffolding is for the installation of the scaffolding on the west side of the station.

The originial person that I heard was looking into the Beach position from Coney has opted to stay at Coney.

No one from Coney is actively involved in taking over GM position at The Beach. At least not that I have heard, at least not yet. I have heard there maybe some people at Coney interested in that position, but it certainly was not the "old GM" from Coney.

I have not been through it since opening day for Dino`s Alive. I might go through it once again, just to check out the new Dino and to let my fiance see it since she has never been through it.

Read the article here: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/02/10/coney-island-names-new-vp-general.html I have worked with Mike Howard through my years at Coney. He is a great guy. Glad to see him get promoted.

I wouldn`t say those that know speak quite a lot. I know that some people`s jobs depend on keeping things like trade secrets private and not for public consumption. Do things occasionally leak out? Of course they do. But it often is a little bit of the telephone game. I have heard that Ralph is no longer with The Beach. I also have heard that a new slide is indeed coming to The Beach in 2014.

That is the old photo booth area for Son of Beast, in the old exit. It is not on top of the station roof.

Wonderful photos TG 1993! I even spied the Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel that once operated at Kings Island. Action Zone sure looked a lot different in 1993 when both the wild animal habitat and Top Gun were there. I think of all the areas of the park, Action Zone/Adventure Village/Animal Habitat area have seen the most amount of changes over the years.

Well the train storage area on Banshee has a roof over it. So they will likely be loaded onto the storage tracks pretty soon after their arrival in order to keep them out of the elements and away from other construction activities.

Back in the early days, the main area of the park had far fewer mature trees. It looked much different back then, compared to how it looks now. Not just in terms of the rides but the landscaping.

Excellent photo TG1993! Too bad there aren`t many stats on those coasters other than the designer.