Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout052124-08.1 Harriet Neely Communications��, ao? '/ Good evening council members. I am Harriet Neely. I have lived at 790 Everett Dr. Danville since 1976. I speak to you tonight in the hope you will not only listen to but TRULY HEAR the significant concerns we have as opponents to the placement of pickleball courts at Osage Park. As a former teacher my most heartfelt concern is the safety of our children, followed by the safety of our senior citizens. The number one cause of death to children in California comes from vehicle accidents in and around school zones where the speed limit is currently 25mph with a new legislative bill requesting a drop to 20 or 15mph. Osage Park is surrounded by residential homes with families on all sides, and has TWO not just ONE, but TWO schools adjacent to or nearby the park. Young children pass by or through the park at least twice daily plus returning to the park for sports. Imagine being a town that allows possible accidents to add to that cause of death! Three newly installed speed bumps on Orange Blossom will slow traffic (which is good for safety) but will also add to congestion, thus causing frustration for drivers. Think about the effect of more drivers coming to use the park under these circumstances. Please, PLEASE, consider the lives of our children, including your own family members. School parking lots can only be used by school related vehicles during school hours. How will that be monitored or patrolled? Where will all the cars park, and how will they stay out of the way of the children and seniors? Many, many seniors walk the park daily for healthy exercise. Some drive to the park for their walks and deserve convenient parking more than people enjoying sports. Those who walk to the park (myself included) often find it difficult to cross the entrances due to drivers not stopping for them. That difficulty will increase with more cars and very possibly be another cause of more accidents. The young and old alike deserve your commitment to the safety and enjoyment of all who use the park, which those of us who lived here when the park was built were guaranteed! While there may be many people here tonight who desire a place to play pickle ball, they probably don't care where that is, so PLEASE find an appropriate place for them to enjoy this sport. In closing I ask you to realize that Osage Park is definitely not the proper place to install pickle ball courts. We have chosen you to serve this community. I hope you are respectful enough that we can continue to choose you to do so in the future. Thank you. Good evening. My name is_ I have lived at 790 Everett Drive, Danville, since 1976.E oncerns with installing pickle ball courts at Osage Park -. based on safety and enjoyment by all using the park and peace of mind for those living nearby. Here are some issues I believe the council should consider before addressing the upcoming agenda item concerning pickle ball courts at this park You've already heard plenty about noise. I'd like to say that the noise study done by the parks department was with only 2 courts relating to a DANGEROUS level, not a disturbing or stressful level to those nearby. The noise for 8 courts would be exponentially higher and an ongoing noise for the entire time the courts are in use. The proposed number of courts will draw people from outside the town area adding to constant use of the courts and even more increase in the noise. Studies have shown that courts should be placed a minimum of at least 500 hundred feet from any homes to combat the constant, inherent pop, pop, pop, pop noise of the game. The newly selected area is entirely too close to homes and is even a worse location than the first one proposed, which is widely used on a daily basis. Scientific health studies done on the stress caused from the noise to those nearby have demanded courts across the country (including in our state) be removed after health issues in both humans and pets have increased to a level causing law suits to be initiated. Eight courts in one area with bleachers would definitely lead to league play and tournaments that, according to the parks department could only be sanctioned by the town. To me that sounds like it would most likely happen? Talk about lawsuits being brought forward! By going from 2 courts being used now, already disturbing nearby residents and others using the park, to 8 courts the town is opening itself up to possible need for removal of the courts shortly after installation. That seems a useless expense when a better way to make courts accessible would be to find and secure an area where the sport can be enjoyed and others would not be adverse to the idea. The residents nearby, many like myself , who were here before the park was established, should have a major say in its use now, as we did initially. Our homes have increased in value, and could very well decrease with this proposal. I believe the park atmosphere would definitely show a decline if such a large number of courts were placed here. I can guarantee you the majority of people in favor of putting pickle ball courts at Osage Park do not live in the nearby area and aren't impacted by having the courts there. Osage is not the correct nor safe place for these courts. Thank you. I appreciate you listening to my concerns. ado Z?e,;23 Good evening. My name is Hlarr et.Neely. I'm a retired teacher. I have lived on Everett Dr. adjacent to the north entrance to Osage Park since 1976, and I have seen many improvements to our neighborhood and park. I'm here to share my concerns and objections to the addition of more PickleBall courts to Osage Park, which I see as a detriment, not an improvement. It is not a responsible decision for a new, possibly fad sport to have a large number of courts which may not continue to be used in the future. You speak of no environmental impact, but does that include families daily lives, safety and betterment of children, high traffic, need for more parking, and uncomfortable noise levels ... I don't think so! The park is completely surrounded by residential homes. The north entrance located at a dead end street already sees 50% or more of drivers exiting not coming to a stop at the sign. The increase of cars using the park would cause more possibilities for accidents and safety needs for the many pedestrians, which would bring more work for our police force as told to me by an officer of our police department. There would also be more traffic congestion added to drop-off and pick-up of children from school at different times on various days. For the youngest children, our future community citizens, it would mean taking away the athletic field used for their introduction to baseball and soccer, both tried and true activities. The field suggested for these courts is where these children get an opportunity to find a sport they enjoy and may play for a long time, while building teamwork and good sportsmanship. It is an area used daily for the benefit of these young people with the guidance of their coaches. I do not think this area should be taken away from our young children and their chance to develop their athletic abilities. When the park was built around 1980, the residents were told it was for the local community. If the reason for building more courts is to encourage more people even from outside our area to use the park for this game, it is not the right place to put these courts, nor is it the right place for housing several courts for tournament play, which would destroy the integrity of this lovely park. For the good of all community members a better decision would be to locate an area where building courts for this current fad sport would have easier public access, allow for parking, and where noise wouldn't disturb nearby neighbors and those who enjoy walking in the peacefulness of the park. You as town leaders and others backing this venue should find a much more suitable place than this park inside of a large residential area designed for the people of our community. Thank you.