HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/4/2020 Item 4, Zanini
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Gary Zanini <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:PRC communication
We have recently heard that the Dept. of Parks and Recreation are recommending restricting pickle
ball play in the lower pickle ball/tennis courts at French Park. We find this hard to believe in that we
know several of the board members have come to observe us playing pickle ball during weekday
mornings and can see that with just the three new pickle ball courts, we have many people waiting to
play. As it stands now when the courts fill up usually around 10:00, many of us head down to play in the
lower courts designated to us on Mon., Thurs, and Friday mornings. Weekends have always been
considered open play for both tennis and pickle ball, first come first serve but we've never seen tennis
players there on weekends.
Oftentimes, a tennis coach comes on Friday morning and works with an individual. We have made a
conscious effort to not bother them (even though it is our designated time) until it fills up on the upper
courts. Then around 10:00 we ask them to finish up so we can use the courts. They often leave around
10:15 by the time they collect all their tennis balls. We never complained about them being there and
they have always been cooperative about leaving. We could have gone down and asked them to leave
earlier simply because the courts are designated for us on Friday but in trying to be cooperative with the
tennis people, we were willing to compromise. Now your suggestion is to eliminate our Friday morning
use of the courts seems to suggest that this coach must have complained and the request for him and
his student to be the only ones to use the court ,over the common sense of allowing around 20 pickle
ball people to use the courts defies logic.
Last Wednesday when we played in the upper pickle ball courts, the courts filled up quickly and there
were soon six paddles lined up at each of the three courts waiting to play. That would mean eighteen
people were waiting to use the courts. Considering each game takes 15-25 minutes to play, twelve
players would have to wait at that long to get to play and the the additional six players would be waiting
for the next round to finish meaning they could wait 30-45 minutes to play. With no tennis players on
the bottom courts (which was designated to them on that day) we decided that most of the people
waiting would go down and use the lower courts with the understanding of leaving if any tennis players
come. We had just started using three of the pickle ball courts when we noticed a young couple turning
around at the top area of the park and heading back to their car. We noticed that they looked like they
may have been tennis players by their attire. It appeared that they saw us playing and decided to go
elsewhere without talking with us. We were all prepared to put away our nets and give them the courts,
they simply needed to let us know they wanted the courts.
The game of pickle ball is growing rapidly ( We don't believe that can be said of tennis). We probably
have at least 3-5 people weekly coming to play who are new to the sport. Many of them are past tennis
players that with age find pickle ball more rewarding and less stressful on their bodies than tennis. With
this large growing population of pickle ball players, we definitely need all the courts we already have to
accommodate them and even more days, not less, for people to play.
1
We know that you, the Parks and Rec Board members, understand the situation, at least those of you
that have come out to see the numbers of people we have playing daily on the new courts. This new
course of direction restricting our days seems backwards in thinking since we don't know your logic for
making that decision.
We ask that you do what is best for the majority of the community and not a minority of people that are
still upset that they have to share the tennis courts. We all know there are lots of tennis courts in SLO
that aren't being used and there isn't any place else for pickle ball players to go other than Meadow Park
that some of our players play at already so their is less crowding at French Park. Please reconsider your
recommendations of eliminating some of the designated pickle ball days we have at French Park.
Sincerely,
Gary and Joyce Zanini
2