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HomeMy WebLinkAbout052124-08.1 ATTACHMENT H - CORRESPONDENCECORRESPONDENCE The following electronic communication addressed to Town staff and/or Councilmembers was received at the Town of Danville offices at 500 La Gonda Way, Danville, CA 94526 regarding pickleball courts at Osage Station Park for the May21, 2024 Town Council meeting. Date: Thu 5/2/2024 11:44 AM buzzbk©sbcglobal.net Cell 415-203-6556 POB 809 Danville, CA 94526 To Whom it May Concern: My name is Bee Kilgore. I am writing this letter because I am leaving next week for New York where I will be playing a pickleball tournament so I can not be present to speak at the upcoming town council meeting. I feel compelled to write something as I spoke at the last meeting where I introduced myself as the #1 69 year old woman in the US in Pickleball, having won 3 National Championships, 4 US Open titles and won more than 20 tournaments nationwide over the last 2 years. I am now a pro level player, playing against 20 and 30 year olds and just finished 7th in Women's split aged pro doubles at the US Open in Naples Florida out of 30 teams. I have lived in Danville for over 25 years and have been a regular at Osage Park where I used to walk my dog. It was there that I discovered Pickleball. It came naturally to me having grown up being a Nationally ranked tennis player and as I got better at the game I found it more challenging to get court time at Osage to practice because of the lack of courts and so many people playing the sport. Subsequently, I now have to venture to Willow Pass in Concord (the courts there are not as nice as the 2 at Osage) and or pay to play at the Hub in Alameda or at Treasure Island, which is a 40 minute to an hour drive for me. Why can't the community come together and embrace putting in more pickleball courts for families, old (seniors) and young, to have a place to enjoy, meet people and play a social or competitive game? Osage to me is the perfect place in it's proximity. I understand the noise factor that the local homeowners are complaining about, BUT there are solutions to that problem with noise reduction screens and different balls that can be used. The parking will be no different given most people play in the morning when there is no activities on the fields, perhaps weekends will be overflow but I am sure that is manageable. So many communities around the country are putting in hundreds of courts, with over 36 million pickleball players now and growing. Why aren't we!? It's the fastest growing sport nationwide, and soon to be world wide. Having ONLY 2 designated pickleball courts in Danville to serve our beautiful town is just not adequate! I urge and beg you to push this through and get building these courts as soon as possible. I will be happy to help anyone wanting to learn and play the game when I am not traveling playing tournaments. A TT A C'T-TATPXTT 1-1 Thank you very much, Bee Kilgore From: Sheila McNulty <sheila.mcnulty@gmail.com> Date: May 11, 2024 at 4:06:16 PM PDT Subject: Objection to Osage Pickle Ball complex We live along Osage park. And we play pickleball. Yet we object to a new PB complex here because of the impacts we already feel from inadequate parking at the park. People park in front of our house and block our driveway at various times- school pick up, back to school night, baseball and soccer tournaments. Etc. When we want to take our garbage out, there is invariably someone parked waiting for their kids and blocking me from the street where my bins go. I have been almost run over multiple times while waking my dogs by people rushing to get into the park or leave. If you add a complex of courts here all of this will get worse. We pay over 10k a year in property taxes — for us to enjoy the park. And yet it being used by people from all over the East Bay. We are paying for their entertainment complex. Is that fair? When does it stop? Where does it stop? It should stop here. Vote no to expand the PB courts at Osage. And get someone out there to arrest all the dog owners with their dogs off leash. Best, Sheila From: Megan Roberts <megan m roberts@yahoo.com> Date: May 12, 2024 at 1:04:48 PM PDT Subject: Preserve Osage Hello! I have been a resident of Danville for 13 years. We have two children who are freshman at SRVHS. I have great concern about the green space being taken up by 8 pickleball courts. Over the years we have used Osage Park for many different reasons - sports, camps, picnics, celebrations, walking our dog, our children when they attended CWMS. There is a finite amount of green space at Osage. Putting in 8 more pickleball courts would not only add more traffic and noise but also greatly limit the grass areas that are not designated specifically for sports (ie: baseball, soccer). Sycamore Park seems like a much better location for pickleball courts. It doesn't affect homeowners and there's plenty of parking and green space. Thank you for listening to my thoughts and taking them into consideration. Sincerely, Megan Roberts CarlDTaibl@gmail.com 602-549-4607 cell I support the Osage pickleball court expansion. I've lived in Danville since 1999, two miles from Osage. I am 65 and still working; I try to play at lunch daily. I have played since 2019 when my son took me to play for Father's Day; he's evolved into a professional pickleball player and coach. Pickleball has strengthened our relationship, we talk about it every day. During his last visit we played at Osage and spent an hour teaching two newcomers how to play. So this is my first point, community and demographics. Osage is a COMMUNITY park, not a neighborhood park. Pickleball has become a daily social outlet for 150 community users (evidenced by an app called "Danville Dinkers"). Here's some facts: • Average age is over 50, many are retired. • Average daily use is over 50,150 weekly o Compared to tennis, pickleball's utilization of resources is much higher. • Were you aware 33% of players are female? • And more families are starting to play. Why is this important? Here are a few reasons: • There's strong demand - peak time waits between games are 20 minutes. I've seen 20 people waiting for a court (2 courts = 8 players). o But 8 courts accommodate all attendees and also allows warm-up o The first game for players usually requires several minutes of warm-up • It's a low-cost activity for families and those on a fixed income o - That is until you impose surprise restrictions such as a "soft paddle." • Let's talk about that, specifically Mitigation Measure #2. o Excerpt reads, "...post signs at the pickleball court entrances with a list of allowable USA Pickleball "Quiet Category" -compliant paddles...." § Pickleball paddles and technology change monthly § Tonight please Google this, you'll find only ONE such paddle exists § Whomever drafted this either did not research this with a pickleball professional or was influenced by one of the neighbors as the only USAPA approved soft paddle on the market, The OWL, costs $169 + $15 tax + $15 ship = $200 each. A family of 4 could not use basic paddles bought locally, they would have to pay $800 to order online. Multiply that by150 users - it's the equivalent of a $30,000 tax. My guidance is to mitigate in steps. Do Mitigation Measure 1 then evaluate. Don't place a financial burden on users. Compare this with other Osage rules, every third dog is off -leash - an example of how local neighbors comply. While I do respect the neighbors' point of view, though most are exaggerated, as Leonard Nimoy once said, "The needs of the many 1. the few." outweigh the needs of the 1Cw. Thank you for your time, looking forward to speaking in person on May 21st. Regards, Carl Taibl From: Lisa Tom <lisashorni@gmail.com> Date: May 12, 2024 at 11:55:00 PM PDT Subject: Osage Proposed Pickleball courts Hello, As a longtime Danville resident who lives within the vicinity of Osage park I would like to express my concern around the proposed pickleball courts at Osage Park. The noise, congestion and traffic is unwanted and I would urge you to please find a different location further from a residential neighborhood. The traffic is already bad enough with school drop- offs and pickups. Please don't add to this. There is even a risk of lowering home values! Osage has been a peaceful and belovedpark for my family since I movedhere as a child 30 years ago. Please don't ruin this. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Lisa Tom From: Jeane Walden <jeanewalden@glnail.com> Date: May 11, 2024 at 7:11:54 PM PDT Subject: Concerns Regarding Proposed Pickleball Courts at Osage Park Near Charlotte Wood Middle School Dear Town Councils, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the proposed installation of Pickleball courts near Charlotte Wood Middle School, where my son attends. While I appreciate the initiative to introduce recreational facilities in our community, I strongly oppose the placement of Pickleball courts in such close proximity to the middle school for several reasons. Firstly, Pickleball can be a noisy sport, especially during peak playing hours. The sound of balls hitting paddles and the occasional shouts of players could disrupt the learning environment within the school, potentially affecting students' concentration and academic performance. Moreover, safety is a significant concern. With the increased traffic and activity around the Pickleball courts, there is a higher risk of accidents involving students walking to and from school or participating in outdoor activities during breaks. Additionally, the presence of Pickleball courts could attract a demographic that may not always prioritize the safety and well-being of middle school students. This raises concerns about potential interactions between students and unfamiliar individuals frequenting the area. Furthermore, the visual impact of the courts on the surrounding landscape should be taken into account. Introducing large recreational structures in close proximity to a school could detract from the aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood and affect property values. Instead of placing the Pickleball courts near the middle school, I would suggest exploring alternative locations that are more suitable in terms of noise levels, safety considerations, and community impact. Collaborating with local residents and stakeholders to identify such locations could lead to a solution that benefits the entire community without compromising the well-being of our students. Thank you for considering my concerns. I urge you to take them into account when making decisions regarding the placement of recreational facilities in our neighborhood. Sincerely, Jeane Walden CALVIN WONG <cajamwong©aol.com> Pickleball discussion at the May 21st 5:00 PM Town Council Regular meeting I want to express my support for the expansion of pickleball courts at Osage Station Park. As a resident of Danville for over 40 years, I have seen the town move Charlotte Wood Middle School from downtown to its present location. at Osage Park, open up Camino Ramon to provide access to San Ramon, and build new parks throughout the town to provide recreational opportunities for the growing population. All these projects required some concessions from our neighbors for the greater good of the community. The building of the existing two courts at Osage took away a court from the tennis players, but in turn, it has provided considerable benefits to so many new pickleball players, including many former and current tennis players. Pickleball is a sport that can be enjoyed by anyone willing to try it. People with a sports background can become proficient at the game almost immediately, but it is even more amazing when you see someone without a sports background or is less athletic, develop the skills to play with others more gifted. Pickleball is such a fun game and can be learned so quickly that even multiple generations of a family can play together competitively. Please support this great activity by expanding the courts at Osage. Thank you, Calvin Wong Ann Beaton annlbeaton@gmail.com Pickleball courts I support building more pickleball courts at Osage. Thank you Ann Beaton From: Taegen Clary <taegenclary@gmail.com> Date: May 12, 2024 at 7:50:23 AM PDT Subject: Osage pickleball courts Hello town council members, My name is Taegen Clary and I I live at 1161 Mustang Drive, Danville. I have nothing against pickleball and play it from time to time, but ANYTHING that increases traffic in the Osage area should be HEAVILY considered when making the decision about these courts. I have been hit on my bike by a car in one of the iron horse cross walks, luckily it was at very low speed. My son has almost been hit a few times and there is already too much traffic on El Capitan with many drivers completely disregarding the 25 mph speed limit. I've called Danville PD a couple times to report egregious speeding. I am pretty sure we don't need more traffic going in and out of Osage/Charlotte Wood. I have one child at Charlotte Wood and one at John Baldwin and the thought of more, random people parking at the schools, which I heard was proposed, sounds totally ill advised. Increasing the odds of bad actors getting near a school seems really foolish to me. Lastly, if I were one of the homeowners that lives right by the courts, I would be even more against this. The noise is going to totally suck for them and if you all have not asked yourselves if you would be OK with 8 pickleball ball courts being installed right behind your house, then you need to. You know you wouldn't want it or be OK with it and would hope someone could find a better location. My hope is that you all can make that happen. Thanks for reading and hopefully the concept of "do unto others what you would want done to you" can guide these decisions. Best, Taegen Clary From: Nate Hughes <nathan.s.hughes@gmail.com> Date: May 11, 2024 at 5:01:02 PM PDT Subject: Pickleball at Osage Hello, I'm a resident in the Greenbrook neighborhood and have been fortunate to live here since 2015. My children and I have enjoyed Osage for years - the playground, sports fields, and peaceful nature of the park. I'm strongly opposed to adding eight pickleball courts to the park. The noise pollution and massive increase of park users would materially change the peaceful setting. I would recommend finding a more suitable location - closer to a main thoroughfare, perhaps at Sycamore Valley Park. If that is not possible, converting or repainting the existing tennis courts could be a workable solution as my HOA had done for our tennis courts. I won't be able to attend the meeting later this month and wanted my opinion shared. Regards, Nate Hughes 67 Meese Cir, Danville S Craig and Ruth Isom ruthcraigisom@sbcglobal.net Support Pickleball Expansion - May 21st Meeting I strongly support the proposed pickleball court expansion at Osage Park. Retired now for 5 years and living less than 10 minutes away from the current courts, pickleball has become an important exercise and social outlet for me. The rapid growth of this sport suggests that pickleball has emerged as a very important activity for others like me, a terrific incentive to get off my recliner and seek new friendships in an active setting. As such, we are quite short facilities at this time, and Osage offers an ideal location with the space to expand pickleball capacity. I think all we players want to respect the privacy and solitude of adjacent homeowners, and I support measures to reduce the noise associated with pickleball activity. I will gladly buy new equipment as the technology evolves to mute the sound of pickleball impact. I hope you will also support this proposed expansion at Osage Park. Thank you. Craig Isom (925) 735-6954 From: Edgar M <emagana@gmail.com> Date: May 13, 2024 at 9:29:47 AM PDT Subject: Osage Pickleball - Tottally Oppose I want to take this opportunity to share my total disagreement about the plan to construct eight pickleball courts at Osage Park. This is going to increase traffic, create a lot more noise and reduce the space for our kids to play and hang around. Please, stop this no -sense plan! Edgar Magana, PhD PTA President - John Baldwin Elementary School From: Jonah Pelayo jonahpelayo@yahoo.com Date: May 13, 2024 at 9:02 am Subject: Pickleball Court Expansion at Osage Park This email originated from outside of the Town of Danville and was not sent from a Town Staff member! Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello Marie Sunseri, I would like to advocate for more pickleball courts at Osage Park for the meeting on May 21st at 5pm. My name is Jonah Pelayo, and I think we need more pickleball courts because of the amount of wait time there is especially in the mornings. Please let me know if I need to do anything else. Thank you, Jonah Pelayo (925)413-6982 From: Stephen Blick <sblick42@yahoo.com> Date: May 13, 2024 at 4:28 pm Subject: Osage Park Pickleball Courtd We are Danville residents and think Osage Park is outstanding. As a super senior citizen I've retired from tennis and now play pickleball. Permitting additional of pickleball courts would enhance the Osage Park experience and provide a great athletic environment for the expanding fan base of the game. My concern is that a very few people might negatively impact and prevent the project from going forward, I'd be pleased to answer any questions. Our home number is 925 984-2597. Steve Blick From: Robert Gates robertgates68@outlook.com Date: May 13, 2024 at 5:01 pm Subject: May 21. Meeting for Danville pickle courts Hi town of Danville. We frequently play and encourage Danville to follow through on more pickle courts at Osage. pickle court access is getting harder and harder as the sport grows in popularity. 99 pc of town supports more pickle. Please add the four of us Danville residents as strong supporters for more courts Kind regards, Robert and Caroline 333 del amigo Bruce and Jutta 795 Danville Blvd +1 925 389 4885 From: Tom Caldwell tmcwell@aol.com Date: May 14,2024 7:45 am Good morning to you. My name is Tom Caldwell and I am resident of Danville, ( 202 Glen Meadow Ct 94526) and I writing this to you in adamant support for the addition of more courts at Osage Station Park. I play several times a week, currently mostly at Rudgear park in Walnut Creek, they have 8 courts and getting on to play is easy. I wish there could stay and play in Danville. It costs me additional time, fuel and thus money to travel to Rudgear, and while not a hardship just an inconvenience and harder on the environment. I would play more often and drive much less if there were more courts at Osage Station. I am fully aware of the challenges for the neighbors there based on traffic, noise and congestion. There are many ways to help support the neighbors needs by regulated hours -- no lights, closed days, noise baffling materials on the fencing, etc. Please count this email as a very strong endorsement for the 6 new courts proposed at Osage Station Park. Regards, Tom Caldwell The Legacy Group Thomas Caldwell 925-997-0602 mobile 925-265-0180 fax From: Brian Katko <brianjkatko@gmail.com> Date: May 13, 2024 at 9:38:13 PM PDT Subject: NO NO NO on Osage Park pickleball courts This email originated from outside of the Town of Danville and was not sent from a Town Staff member! Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. As a daily user of Osage Park I strongly oppose additional pickleball courts. There is enough activity in this small park already. Parking lots are frequently full and additional traffic presents a danger to pedestrians, adults and school children alike. There are definitely other more suitable places available in Danville. Regardless of any previous positive actions I will be voting repeatedly in perpetuity to replace any of you who support this as will the other three registered voters at the Danville address I call home. Brian Katko 517-290-3188 From: ajosephnic@aol.com Date: May 13, 2024 at 7:30 Subject: Pickleball Court Expansion at Osage Park, 5/21/24 Town Council Meeting My name is Andrea Joseph -Nickels, residing at 312 Merrilee Place Danville. I've lived here for 34+years. I support the Pickleball Court expansion project at Osage Park. I support the expansion because: • A school's privilege to border a beautiful community park for use in its daily activities (which we all support of course), does not give privilege to a few to repurpose the park (I believe the tagline is "preserve" which is a misnomer). I support the Town of Danville in continuing to fulfill Osage Park's purpose as a multi - recreational use, community park for all Danville residents. • Traffic is a non -issue. I learned within my first month of living here - and that was a long time ago - that one avoids certain roads and areas during the times students and parents are going to and from school. This includes Charlotte Wood, John Baldwin and San Ramon Valley High. Additionally, I've noticed the recent addition of speed bumps and traffic violation signs, etc. within the vicinity of the school. • Osage has definitely brought together a group of people to form a beautiful, pickleball community. We love Osage as much as the next person. We hope we are not pushed away, and can continue to enjoy pickleball at Osage. Thank you, Andrea From: Mick Marshall <moritzmarshall@hotmail.com> Date: 5/13/20247:30 pm Subject: Pickleball I whole hardily support the addition of pickleball courts at Osage Station Park. Mick Marshall 925-588-8729 Member of the Rossmoor and Walnut Creek Pickleball clubs From: Tim Collins <tim@timcollins.com> Date: 5/13/2024 7:07 pm Pickleball discussion - May 21st Town Council meeting This email is for the Pickleball discussion at the May 21st 5:00 PM Town Council Regular meeting. I support expanding Pickleball courts at Osage Station Park. My support is for the following reasons: • Pickleball has had a profoundly positive impact on my life and many others. • There is a significant shortage of public Pickleball courts in Danville. Wait times to play at Osage are frequently 20+ minutes. • Osage Station Park is centrally located and easily accessible via the Iron Horse Trail. Riding a beach cruiser or other bike to publicly open Pickleball courts further enhances our marvelous quality of life in Danville! Eight total Pickleball courts at Osage will be a huge boon to the people of Danville. I am eternally grateful for the extensive effort put forth by the Town Council and all those involved. Let's make this expansion a reality. Thank you. Tim Collins 124 W Linda Mesa Ave Danville From: mark.bowman@drba.org Date: May 13, 2024 at 4:59:32 PM PDT Subject: Pickleball I am opposed to expanding the number of pickle ball courts at Osage Station Park. I support pickleball at a much better location at Sycamore Park. Please vote NO on expanding pickleball courts at Osage Station Park. Sincerely, Mark Bowman 1382 Brookside Drive Danville, CA 94526 935-980-4566 From: Cecilia Kohl cmkoh113@gmail.com Date: May 14, 2024 2:48 pm I support the proposed Pickleball Courts at Osage Park for all ages. Please consider sound mitigation curtains if the subsequent neighbors have issues with sound. Supporting Osage Station Park, my own children have grown up playing on the playground, playing soccer and/or baseball there, which are noisy also. But, understand if one chooses to live near an open space like Osage Park = THERE WILL BE NOISE! ! ! ! Please relay this message to City Council members - I support enhancing this park with another option of enjoyment. Cece Kohl From: TJ Dupont tjsdupont@gmail.com Date: May 14, 2024 7:34pm Subject: Support for new pickleball courts expansion Hello, My name is TJ Dupont. I have been a resident of Danville for 18 years. Part of what I love about Danville is the community and activities the town has to offer. My kids and I have participated in many of the programs the town has to offer. My kids grew up playing soccer at the many fields including Osage. I have taken tennis lessons throughout the years and have loved it. Now that my body is older and cannot take the harshness of what tennis does to my body, I started to play pickleball. What this game has done for me and my mental and physical health is beyond words. Pickleball has also led me to meet so many people in Danville and nearby communities which I otherwise would have never had met. Danvilles is about community. It's about family. It's about the wellbeing of our people. Pickleball only enhances all of this. We do not have enough courts as this sport has grown in popularity. A lot of people have now left Osage due to the wait times including myself. I have to drive 20+ minutes out of my community in order to find more courts without the wait times. I don't want to have to wait 40 minutes to play one 10-15 minute game. I don't want to have to drive 20+ minutes out of my community to play. I am paying some hefty taxes here in Danville so I can enjoy amenities the town should be offering to its people. I am for the expansion. Please meet the demand of the population and tax payers. Thank you kindly, TJ Dupont 43 Weber P1 Danville, CA 94526 Mobile: 925-915-0158 FROM: Ron Fong & Barbara Fong Date: 5/15/2024 RE: May 21, 2024 Town Council Regular Meeting (Osage Pickleball expansion project) My wife and I both support adding additional pickleball courts at Osage Station Park I am writing on behalf of myself and my wife (Barbara Fong). My name is Ron Fong, I am 74 years old and have lived in Danville for over 37 years. First I would like to thank all the members of the Town Council and members of the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission for all their hard work to provide our town with quality recreation facilities at our neighborhood and community parks. Over the years I have seen how our Town's parks have evolved to meet the ever changing recreational needs of our town's population (age, demographics, recreation trends..). My wife and I have been playing Pickleball since 2016 and are very fortunate to be within walking distance to the Pickleball courts at Osage Station Park. Playing Pickleball has been incorporated into our routines for physical exercise and outdoor socialization. I have been closely following the discussions related to the project which would expand the pickleball facility at Osage Station Park. I realize there is a very strong opposition spearheaded by just a few home owners near the park who are appealing the Dec 2023 Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission's approval of the project. Since sound generated from playing pickleball is the major complaint by the opposition, I respect the Town's decision to incorporate acoustic sound blankets to the project as a mitigation measure to reduce sound to an acceptable level that does not violate Town ordinances. With this mitigation measure incorporated into the Osage Pickleball expansion project , the Town Council should approve the project and allow the project to move forward to the next phases. On behalf of myself and my wife, we support adding additional pickleball courts at Osage Station Park Thank you, Ron Fong From: Patty Spinrod <spinpspin@aol.com> Date: May 14, 2024 8:18 pm Pickleball discussion at the May 21st 5:00 PM Town Council My name is Patty Spinrod. I am in support of expanding the Pickleball Courts at Osage Station Park. It's a win win for the city. Pickleball will attract players who will then potentially dine and shop in Danville. Regards Patty Spinrod ATTACHMENT H