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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.1 Attachment A 4.2 PARKS, RECREATION AND ARTS COMMISSION STAFF REPORT TO: Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission January 13, 2021 SUBJECT: Review Tennis Court Usage and Options for Pickleball Courts in the Town of Danville and Provide Staff with a Recommendation for Action BACKGROUND: The Danville Parks, Recreation & Arts Strategic Plan Update (Plan) was adopted by the Town in 2017. The Plan “establishes a long-range vision and course of action for creating and sustaining a high quality, interconnected system of parks, recreation and a rts facilities, services and programs.” The Plan includes several strategic recommendations for how to provide inclusive recreational opportunities for users of all ages. This includes supporting emerging recreation activities to address trends and increase the variety of recreational opportunities available to the community. Pickleball is an example of one such activity. Pickleball was determined to be a priority recommendation for the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission (Commission). Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Two, three, or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, similar to a whiffle ball, over a net. The sport shares features of other racquet sports, the dimensions and layout of a badminton court, and a net and rules similar to tennis. Pickleball was invented in the mid-1960s as a children's backyard pastime but has become popular among adults as well. In many cities throughout the country and state, pickleball courts and games continue to grow in popularity. Pickleball programming was introduced in Danville through several pop-up events presented by the Recreation, Arts and Community Services staff at a variety of park locations in the Town. Events were held indoors at the Los Cerros Gym as well as outdoors at the basketball courts at Danville South and Sycamore Valley Parks, and at the tennis courts at both Osage Station and Diablo Vista Parks. The goal was to not only introduce the sport but to also show the versatility as to locations where it can be played. At the November 12, 2020 Commission meeting, Danville resident Ben Crockett provided a presentation regarding pickleball with a request to consider the restriping and addition of pickleball courts in the Town of Danville. The Commission also received public Attachment A comment both in support of, and with concerns of, loss of usage to the tennis community. At that meeting, the Commission requested staff provide information regarding the usage of current tennis courts and potential options for pickleball courts in Danville. DISCUSSION Upon receiving request from the Commission, staff began collecting information of tennis court usage in the Town and researching the feasibility and options of adding outdoor pickleball courts in Danville. The following information represents reservations and usage for the 2019 calendar year. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 calendar year reservations and usage would not represent typical usage. Court Usage Diablo Vista Park contains two lighted tennis courts; generally, one court is reservable and one is available for community walk-on use. The only exception would be when Town programming takes place on both courts. In 2019, there were 594 reservations made, totaling just over 1,166 hours of use. This includes use for Town programs, Commercial Renters and Private renters. •Town Programs o 142 reservations, 166 hours reserved •Commercial Renters o 432 reservations, 976 hours reserved •Private Renters/Residents o 20 reservations, 24.5 Hours reserved These courts are primarily reserved by Commercial renters and Town tennis programs. Commercial renters are those businesses who rent the courts to provide group or private lessons to their clients. Town tennis programs consist of camps, group and private lessons. Diablo Vista also sees a large amount of walk-on use that is not scheduled or reserved. Osage Station Park contains four tennis courts; generally, three courts are reservable and one is available for community walk-on use. In 2019, there were 976 reservations made, totaling just over 1,644 hours of use. This includes use for Town programs, Tennis League Play, Commercial Renters, Non-Profit Renters, Private Renters and Court Maintenance. •Town Programs o 500 reservations, 502 hours reserved •Tennis League Play o 191 reservation, 402 hours reserved •Commercial Renters o 188 reservations, 362.75 hours reserved • Non-Profit Renters o 68 reservations, 276 hours reserved • Private Renters/Residents o 5 reservations, 6 hours reserved • Court Maintenance o 24 reservations, 96 hours reserved These courts are primarily reserved by Town tennis programs, league play and commercial renters. League play consists of local tennis leagues scheduling their seasons and playoffs for their members. Monte Vista High School contains eight tennis courts (4 lighted courts); generally, six courts are reservable and two are available for community walk-on use. These courts are jointly owned with the School District. Town oversees reservations for the District at this site. For security purposes, these courts are closed to public use when school is in session. In 2019, there were 903 reservations made, totaling just over 2,112 hours of use. This includes use for Monte Vista High School, Town programs, Tennis League Play, Commercial Renters, Non-Profit Renters and Private Renters. • Monte Vista High School o 166 reservations, 492 hours reserved • Town Programs o 100 reservations, 300 hours reserved • Tennis League Play o 437 reservation, 871.25 hours reserved • Commercial Renters o 99 reservations, 185 hours reserved • Non-Profit Renters o 84 reservations, 247.5 hours reserved • Private Renters/Residents o 17 reservations, 17 hours reserved These courts are primarily used and reserved by school programs, league play and Town programs. High School usage consists of school day instruction, school district-run programs and the tennis team. Along with joint ownership, this site also has two different fee structures, one set by the School District, and one by the Town. San Ramon Valley High School contains eight lighted tennis courts; generally, six courts are reservable and two are available for community walk -on use. The Town oversees reservations for the District yet does not schedule programming at this site. For security purposes, these courts are closed to public use when school is in session. In 2019, there were 298 reservations made totaling just over 763 hours of use. This includes use for San Ramon Valley High School, Tennis League Play, Commercial Renters, and Non-Profit Renters. • San Ramon Valley High School o 40 reservations, 136 hours reserved • Tennis League Play o 46 reservation, 46 hours reserved • Commercial Renters o 209 reservations, 520.5 hours reserved • Non-Profit Renters o 26 reservations, 61 hours reserved These courts are primarily used and reserved by school programs, Commercial renters, and League play. Pickleball Options Per the court usage and joint use agreements, the following options do not take into consideration the possible conversion of courts located at any School District properties; the Town has only six tennis courts outside of the School District courts . Consideration for potential future pickleball courts will only be for Town-owned properties. For reference, the dimensions of a tennis court are 78 feet by 36 feet, with approximately 2 feet on each side of the court where the tennis net is anchored into the pole sleeves. The dimensions of a pickleball court are 44 feet by 20 feet. Option 1 – Pickleball Overlay Move forward in creating multi-use tennis/pickleball courts by adding pickleball lines to existing courts. Overlays over the existing tennis courts would potentially provide one to four courts for pickleball use. This option would cost approximately $2,000-3,000. Option 2 -One Tennis Court Conversion Convert one tennis court into exclusive pickleball court. Removal of one of the existing tennis courts would potentially provide four dedicated pickleball courts for use. This option would cost approximately $15,000-20,000. Option 3 – Other Locations Research other locations within parks that may be able to be converted into pickleball courts, such as an underutilized grass area or sand volleyball court. This option would cost approximately $75,000-100,000. Option 4 – No Locations Do not move forward in adding any outdoor pickleball courts in Danville at this time. NEXT STEPS Staff requests a recommendation for further action regarding outdoor pickleball courts within the Town. Based on the recommendation from the Commission, staff will develop a more detailed report for consideration and action by the Commission. RECOMMENDATION Review Tennis Court usage and options for outdoor pickleball courts in the Town of Danville and provide staff with a recommendation for action. Prepared by: Henry Perezalonso Recreation, Arts & Community Services Director TOWN OF DANVILLE PARKS, RECREATION AND ARTS COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING SUMMARY OF ACTIONS January 13, 2021 1. CALL TO ORDER The special meeting of the Danville Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission was called to order by Chair Joyce at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was conducted by Teleconference only. 1.1 Roll Call Administrative Assistant Kristine Meidberg conducted the roll call for attendance: Present: Brittany Beech, Commissioner Kevin Donovan, Commissioner Kyler Fung, Commissioner Youth Representative Alesia Strauch, Commissioner Randall Diamond, Vice Chair Jane Joyce, Chair Absent: Alec Tappin, Commissioner 1.2 Announcements Kristine Meidberg, Administrative Assistant, provided information regarding the format of the meeting and instructions for public comment. 2. CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA There were no changes to the order of the agenda. 3. "FOR THE GOOD OF THE TOWN" Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission Summary of Actions January 13, 2021 2 Chair Joyce opened the Item for public comment. There were no public comments and Chair Joyce closed the item for comments. 4. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION/ACTION 4.1. Approval of the Summary of Actions from the December 9, 2020, Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission Special Meeting. MOTION BY VICE CHAIR DIAMOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BEECH, TO APPROVE THE SUMMARY OF ACTIONS OF THE DECEMBER 9, 2020 PARKS, RECREATION AND ARTS SPECIAL MEETING. MOTION CARRIED 5-0; Commissioner Tappin was absent, Commissioner Strauch not yet present. 4.2 Review Tennis Court Usage and Options for Pickleball Courts in the Town of Danville and Provide Staff with Recommendations for Action Director of Recreation, Arts and Community Services, Henry Perezalon so reviewed the reservation and usage totals of tennis courts from the year 2019 for the following four locations: Diablo Vista Park, Osage Station Park, Monte Vista High School, and San Ramon Valley High School. Of the four locations, only Diablo Vista Park and Osage Station Park are fully controlled by the Town for a total of six tennis courts. Three potential options for pickleball courts at Diablo Vista Park and Osage Station Park were presented. Option #1 - Pickleball Overlay – Creating multi-use courts by adding pickleball lines over existing courts, providing 1-4 pickleball courts. Temporary netting and storage would be required. The preliminary cost would be approximately $2000 - $3000. Options #2 - Court Conversion – Converting 1 tennis court into 4 dedicated pickleball courts with permanent netting. The preliminary cost would be approximately $15,000 - $20,000. Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission Summary of Actions January 13, 2021 3 Option #3 - Research other locations within the parks that may be able to convert into a dedicated pickleball court area. The preliminary cost would be approximately $75,000 - $100,000. Option #4 – Do not move forward with adding Pickleball courts at this time. Director Perezalonso reminded everyone that there is no funding at this time for a pickleball project and that the Commission is being asked to come up with the next steps. Commissioner comments were made and questions answered. Chair Joyce opened Item 4.2 to public comment. Kristine Meidberg announced that the Town did receive public comments via email prior to the cut-off for today’s meeting. All emails have been forwarded to the Commission for review. Kathy Sostaric, Danville, in support of pickleball. Expressed that there is one negative to Pickleball and that is the noise. With that in mind, she advises that Diablo Vista is too close to homes and would not be the best option. She also expressed m any positives of pickleball and believes option 2 with all-day drop-in at no cost would be best. Steve Sutton, West Region Director for USA Pickleball Association, in support of pickleball. Expressed concerns over both locations. He believes with option 2 there is not enough room, it will be too narrow. Advises Town gets accurate measurements before moving forward. Stuart Proctor, Danville, in support of pickleball. Expressed that most of the issues being discussed have already been addressed by communities around Danville. He does have concerns when doing an overlay, multiple lines are confusing for both tennis and pickleball players. Advises Commission to take field trips to pickleball facilities. Expressed Option 2 is the best. Kim Moore, Danville, in support of pickleball. Expressed his love for pickleball. He is in support of Option 2 at Osage Station Park. He asked the commission if there was a possibility of converting more than 1 tennis court as he has seen the popularity of the sport in other areas. Mentioned that pickleball is for all ages. Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission Summary of Actions January 13, 2021 4 Joel Crocket, Danville, in support of pickleball. Expressed his love for pickleball. Currently, he must travel to Walnut Creek and Concord to play and courts are always full with people waiting. Pickleball is a game for all ages. Most of the courts he has played on have been converted from tennis ball courts successfully. Addressed the utilization numbers of tennis vs pickleball and because of the noise concern he believes Osage Station would be the ideal location. Informed the Commission that newer paddles tend not to be as loud as the older paddles. Kristine Johnson, Danville, in support of pickleball. Echoed all the previous positive comments on pickleball. Would like to see permanent courts. Advised the Commission to go to the Walnut Creek courts to see the popularity of the courts. Listed the advantages of pickleball over tennis; easier on the joints, easier to learn, more social, a quicker game, game for all ages. Michael Harrison, Danville, in support of pickleball. Expressed that pickleball is for families, and that is what Danville is all about. Many clubs, retirement homes, and schools are converting tennis courts to pickleball. Stu Thompson, Danville, in support of pickleball. Option 2 is preferable. Found a sport that his whole family will play together. Aligns with the values of the Town of Danville. For-profit organizations have been converting tennis courts into pickleball courts, which is a good indication of the popularity of the sport. Monica Williams, President of Palo Alto Pickleball Club, in support of pickleball. Pickleball has been very successful in Palo Alto. The club started with 2 temporary courts and within a short period of time, they had 600 members in the club with 15 courts and 7 temporary courts. Pickleball has many assets for a city, it’s an inclusive sport, has great health benefits, and builds community comradery. Alexander Fleming, Tennis and Pickleball Instructor at Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville, in support of pickleball. The club started with the overlay option and it did not work well. Tennis players stopped playing on that court because it was very difficult to see the lines. One year later, the club fully converted the court into 4 dedicated pickleball courts. The pickleball courts are very successful and are booked all day. They are now considering converting another court. He is in support of option #2. Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission Summary of Actions January 13, 2021 5 Chris Hunter, Board Member of Walnut Creek Pickleball Club, in support of pickleball. She advised, with overlays, it is a must to have storage at the site and personnel to be in charge of the equipment daily. She spoke of Walnut Creek ’s experience. They started with overlays at the Rudgear courts and then converted to 4 dedicated courts and 4 overlays in 2015. They noticed that people would wait and play on the dedicated courts only, so in 2018 they converted 4 more courts, and now have 8 dedicated courts that are busy the entire day. She is in support of option 2. Chair Joyce closed item 4.2 to public comment. MOTION BY VICE CHAIR DIAMOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER DONOVAN, TO PURSUE OPTION 2 AT OSAGE STATION PARK WHEREBY ONE TENNIS COURT IS CONVERTED INTO 4 DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURTS, ALONGSIDE THIS MOTION KEEP OPTION 1 AS A BACK-UP IF TIMING AND FUNDING ARE NOT LINING UP TO EXECUTE IN A TIMELY FASHION. MOTION CARRIED 6-0; Commissioner Tappin was absent. 5. REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS 5.1. Parks, Recreation & Arts Department Director’s Report Recreation, Arts and Community Services Director, Henry Perezalonso provided an update on the status of the Recreation, Arts and Community Services Department and highlighted some of the activities that have taken place over the past month. For future special events and programs, our department is planning with the current health order guidelines. Informed the commission of the two new appointments to the Commission, Adam Falcon, and Jenna Mesic. 5.2. Commissioners’ Reports Commissioner Donovan reported on the Arts Advisory Board meeting. There are many unique and exciting ideas being pursued. Commissioner Fung reported on the Danville Youth Council. They are currently planning the Amazing Race and Battle of the Bands events. Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission Summary of Actions January 13, 2021 6 Commissioner Strauch spoke to the Commission about the East Bay Greenway. Chair Joyce reported that she attended the Employee Recognition event. ADJOURNMENT The special meeting of the Danville Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission was adjourned at 7:52 p.m. Henry Perezalonso, Director Recreation, Arts and Community Services Kristine Meidberg, Administrative Assistant Recreation, Arts and Community Services