HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/4/2020 Item 4, Bruerd
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Bonnie Bruerd <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:PRC Communication
Attachments:PB letter Bruerd 2020.docx
Dear Parks and Recreation Commissioners,
I want to express my concern for the restriction of pickleball use at French Park. Please
see the attached letter from me.
Dr. Bonnie Bruerd
39 Del Sol Court, SLO
1
Bonnie Bruerd, DrPH
39 Del Sol Court, San Luis Obispo, 93401
bonnie.bruerd@gmail.com
February 28, 2020
Dear SLO Parks and Recreation Commissioners,
I have spent my entire career working in public health and the recent decision of the city staff to
further restrict pickleball use at French Park seems counteractive to promoting the health and
recreation of SLO citizens. Pickleball has made French Park the busiest park in the city. We have
an average of 40 or more players daily in the morning and more throughout each day. This is a
public health success that should be celebrated by the City and Commission. Pickleball
contributes to the physical, mental, and social health of the over 150 club members (plus all of
the non-members) who play. In my opinion, the City and Commission should be looking at ways
to promote pickleball, not restrict it.
Pickleball is best served with many courts in one location because most players arrive alone and
join in social play. What would best promote pickleball would be to allow play each morning of
the week from 9 am until noon. All seven courts (3 permanent and 4 temporary nets on tennis
court) are in full use every day that we are allowed to play. Yet, the city staffers want to restrict
use of the tennis courts on additional mornings. For one example, today I drove to the Islay
tennis court and it was empty at 10am. I then drove to French Park and that tennis court already
had 16 people playing pickleball on the tennis court. There are many tennis courts (often empty)
around the city and if people in the French Park Neighborhood want to play tennis, they can
either go less than a mile to Islay Park or play tennis in the afternoons at French Park.
The first tenet of public health is to do the most good for the greatest number of people. I
sincerely hope that this is what the Commission believes as well, and if so, statistics support
promoting pickleball at French Park, increasing access, and building towards more permanent
courts at that location. We should be writing articles about this public health and recreational
success in SLO and encourage this sport even more, NOT trying to restrict it. If you restrict play,
the number of park users will decrease because players will have to wait too long to play a game.
You have an opportunity to impact the physical, mental, and social health of large numbers of
SLO citizens by promoting pickleball, not restricting it.
Dr. Bonnie Bruerd