Panama City Beach, FL · Parks and Recreation
Lighting the
Panama City Beach
Skate Park
Project Overview
A Coastal Skate Park Built to Last
When Panama City Beach Parks and Recreation set out to add lighting to their newly constructed 10,000-square-foot skate park, they needed more than bright fixtures — they needed a lighting system engineered to endure the relentless salt air of Florida's Gulf Coast. The project required reaching a minimum of 20 footcandles across the entire skating surface while keeping the pole count low to maintain an open, unobstructed park feel.
Keith Meyerl, the city's Parks and Recreation coordinator, submitted an initial quote request through the Access Fixtures website in March 2025. His specification was clear: two 25-foot poles, each carrying three LED fixtures, targeting approximately 20 fc. What followed was a collaborative design process that led to an even better solution than originally envisioned.
"We are installing an approximately 10,000 square foot skatepark and are looking to light with 2 poles each with 3 LED lights to achieve approximately 20 fc's."
Access Fixtures lighting specialist John Jeremiah worked with the city's team and the project's skate park contractor, New Line Skate Parks, to finalize a design that exceeded the original specification — delivering powerful, evenly distributed light from two 35-foot poles, each mounting four marine-grade LED fixtures with a corrosion-resistant finish built for coastal conditions.
The Challenge
Salt Air, Tight Specs, and a Coastal Setting
Coastal Florida presents one of the harshest environments for outdoor lighting infrastructure. Constant exposure to salt-laden air accelerates corrosion on metal poles and fixture housings — a major concern for a municipally funded asset expected to serve the community for decades.
At the same time, Keith's team needed to work within real-world constraints: two poles only, a municipal purchasing process, coordination with the skate park contractor on anchor bolt configurations and foundation templates, and a target light level that had to be certified through a photometric study before a purchase order could be issued.
The original specification called for 25-foot poles. After reviewing the photometric data, the Access Fixtures team identified that taller 35-foot poles — each equipped with four fixtures instead of three — would deliver a significantly more uniform distribution across the full skating surface while still hitting the 20 fc target. More height means a wider spread angle and fewer hot spots; more fixtures per pole means redundancy and consistent coverage across every ramp, rail, and open section of the park.
Original spec (customer)
2 poles × 25 ft, 3 fixtures each
Recommended solution
2 poles × 35 ft, 4 fixtures each
Coastal protection
Marine-grade fixtures + DuraGrip Plus coating
Engineering required
How We Got There
From Quote Request to Installation
The project moved through a thorough, collaborative process that included photometric engineering, municipal procurement, coordination with the installation contractor, and careful logistics management for a coastal delivery.
March 13, 2025
Initial quote request submitted
Keith Meyerl submitted a Request for Quote via accessfixtures.com, specifying a ~10,000 sq ft skate park needing two poles with LED fixtures to reach ~20 fc.
March 14–21, 2025
Design drawings and photometric engineering begin
John Jeremiah followed up to collect site drawings. The Access Fixtures engineering team began work on a custom photometric report based on the park layout.
March 26, 2025
Photometric report completed — two options presented
The lighting engineer finished the photometric analysis and identified two viable configurations. A video call was scheduled to review the results with the client.
March 27, 2025
Design review call — 35-foot pole option selected
Following a live review of the photometric data, Keith's team selected the two 35-foot pole configuration with four marine-grade LED fixtures per pole. Corrosion-resistant DuraGrip Plus pole coating was specified for the coastal environment.
Late March–Early April, 2025
Quote finalized; tax exemption and utility details confirmed
A tax-exempt certificate was provided, the quote was updated, and the utility engineer confirmed foundation and anchor bolt specifications. Pole spec sheets and EPA structural data were shared with the city's team and installer.
April 14–15, 2025
Purchase order issued; order placed
New Line Skate Parks issued a PO and ACH payment was arranged. The invoice was finalized with the PO number and the order entered production.
April 21, 2025
Order confirmed into production
John confirmed to Keith that the order had been processed and sent to production. Updates on shipping were promised as soon as available.
April 30, 2025
Fixtures shipped via DHL Express
LED fixtures shipped with an estimated arrival of May 9. Mounts shipped concurrently via UPS. Keith's team confirmed receipt and stored the shipment while awaiting the poles.
June 5, 2025
Poles shipped via Gateway Distribution
The 35-foot steel poles shipped via freight carrier with all hardware, base templates, and anchor bolt assemblies included. The carrier coordinated directly with the city for delivery.
Summer 2025
Installation complete
With all components on-site, New Line Skate Parks completed the installation. The skate park opened to the community with full nighttime lighting.
Results
What the City Got
Target illumination met
The photometric-engineered layout achieved the required 20+ footcandles across the full 10,000-square-foot skating surface — verified before a single pole was purchased.
Built for the Gulf Coast
Marine-grade LED fixtures and DuraGrip Plus-coated steel poles are engineered to withstand the corrosive salt air environment of Panama City Beach for long-term, low-maintenance performance.
Optimized design, not just the spec
By moving from 25-foot to 35-foot poles with four fixtures each, Access Fixtures delivered better light distribution and reduced shadowing — an improvement over the original specification at no extra inconvenience to the client.
Smooth municipal procurement
The Access Fixtures team supported the city through a full municipal procurement process — from tax-exempt documentation and PO coordination to ACH payment and vendor onboarding for the contractor.
Ongoing relationship
Following the successful skate park installation, Keith's team engaged Access Fixtures for a second project: a pool facility lighting design, including a full photometric study and quote.
Complete installation package
Poles were delivered with all required hardware — anchor bolts, base templates, and mounting configurations — so the installer had everything needed for a clean, code-ready setup.
Ready to Start?
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