Title
Staff Request for Recreation and Park Commission Review and consideration of the Krusi Park Tennis Court Resurfacing Project to be completed without adding Pickleball striping, and request for Recreation and Park Commission Recommendation on other potential Pickleball Venues in Alameda.
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Park Commission From:
Dave J. Leimsieder, Acting Director, Recreation and Parks
BACKGROUND
On April 13, 2023 ARPD staff requested that the Recreation & Park Commission review and consider a potential park improvement project that would have involved the installation of both Pickleball and Tennis Court striping (lines) on one of the Krusi Park Tennis Courts. The striping would have been part of a larger planned court resurfacing project. After soliciting feedback from various members of the community representing Tennis Players, Pickleball Players, and the surrounding neighborhood, staff recommended that the resurfacing project be completed without adding Pickleball striping. The Recreation and Park Commission tabled the vote on this proposal and directed that staff meet directly with representatives of the Pickleball community and to come back with a proposal for a one - two month Pickleball trial period at Krusi Park. Additionally, the Commission requested that staff identify alternative locations in Alameda where Pickleball courts could expediently be put into service. Commissioners also voiced an interest in actively exploring and visiting two local parks in neighboring municipalities where multi-sport courts have been put into service.
DISCUSSION
In response to the direction from the Recreation and Park Commission at the previous Commission meeting in April, staff has taken action on all of the follow-up items related to the Krusi Park Tennis Court Project mentioned during the previous commission meeting in April.
• On Thursday, April 20th, ARPD Acting Director Dave Leimsieder, and Acting Recreation Services Manager Matt Nowlen met with several community members representing Pickleball players along with other community members who represent tennis players in Alameda. During this meeting various community members conveyed concerns about the lack of play space in Alameda, and the need for more dedicated Pickleball courts. While both Tennis and Pickleball supporters agreed that shared use courts were a step in the right direction, both agreed that there are challenges to having shared courts for two different sports activities, especially for tournament and match play. Pickleball players strongly advocated for space that would allow for at-least six courts so that tournaments could be held in Alameda. Ultimately, the consensus of this particular group was favorable to adding Pickleball striping to the courts at Krusi Park. Supporters of Pickleball also shared proposed court layouts and mock-ups of what a “trial Pickleball court” could look like at Krusi Park. Several Pickleball supporters mentioned a willing ness to meet with the Krusi Park neighbors to discuss a potential trial period.
• On Thursday, May 4th ARPD Acting Director Dave Leimsieder, Acting Recreation Services Manager Matt Nowlen, Chair Tara Navarro, and Vice Chair Adrienne Alexander met with several community members from the neighborhood surrounding Krusi Park. Several neighbors expressed concerns about the noise and traffic that Pickleball would bring to the park, citing examples from Lincoln Park. Neighbors also shared relevant news article excerpts and examples of failed projects in other communities and supplemental information about proper distancing and buffers between playing courts and housing. Another neighbor shared visual examples with measurements between housing and existing park tennis courts at various locations in Alameda. One neighbor who lives less than 100 feet away from one of the Krusi Park tennis courts shared that they have significant health issues which they are concerned might be exacerbated by the constant noise of the wiffleball that is used in Pickleball. Overall the community members who attended this meeting were opposed to Pickleball striping being added to the existing tennis courts at Krusi Park.
• ARPD Staff are working to establish a meeting between community members in support of Pickleball, and neighbors of Krusi Park to discuss the feasibility of a trial period with limited hours where Pickleball players can take advantage of using the existing courts for Pickleball. ARPD Staff will prepare a summary of this meeting and add it as an Exhibit to this report.
• ARPD staff are coordinating site visits with commissioners to observe and view examples of other multi-use courts in surrounding communities, as well as visit alternative sites where Pickleball courts and/or multi-sport courts can be established at existing parks/facilities in Alameda. A detailed list of alternate sites will be provided as an Exhibit along with a synopsis of each location that will be included in a formal presentation to the Commission.
• ARPD continues to move forward with establishing new Pickleball Courts (4 - 6 courts) as part of the second phase of construction at Estuary Park. Additionally, ARPD will continue to provide limited indoor access for Pickleball at the Alameda Point Gym.
ALTERNATIVES
• Staff can move forward with not completing the resurfacing project at Krusi Park which will have the impact of further wear and tear and further degradation of the existing tennis court surface which could further impact the cost of resurfacing at a later point in time.
• Staff can move forward with the resurfacing project without adding Pickleball striping to the existing Tennis Courts at this time and reconsider adding the added Pickleball striping at some point in the future. The impact of adding striping in the future would financial in nature, and could cost upwards of $20,000.00 or more.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
• Completing the project as proposed has no anticipated impact on the operating budget at this time; Krusi Park Tennis Court Resurfacing is currently funded as part of the FY 2023 revised budget.
• The Financial Impact for other locations has been estimated, however these figures are not definitive. Additionally. no funding sources has been identified nor has additional funding been allocated for new Pickleball Courts or Multi-Sport Courts to be installed or constructed at this time.
RECOMMENDATION
ARPD staff does not believe that it is in the best interest of the community to move forward with adding Pickleball striping to the existing Krusi Park Tennis Courts at this current time. ARPD staff can still move forward without adding the Pickleball striping and arrange for the Tennis Courts to be resurfaced with only the Tennis court striping being replaced. Currently the playing surface is in dire need of repair and resurfacing regardless of whether Pickleball lines are added or not.
ARPD Staff further recommends that Commissioners provide feedback and direction on alternative sites for potential dedicated Pickleball courts or multi-sport courts with Pickleball striping so staff can move forward with implementing a process to further explore alternative sites.
Respectfully submitted,
Dave J. Leimsieder, Acting Director, Recreation and Park