HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/2/2021 Item 11, Boud
Wilbanks, Megan
From:JOSEPH BOUD <
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:Recreation
Subject:Pickle Ball Courts
Attachments:Pickle Ball Courts.pdf
1
February 9, 2021
Subject: Pickle Ball Courts
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Recently, SLO City Parks & Recreation announced plans to develop pickle ball courts
at Mitchell Park, evidently in response to community surveys. Aside from the
question of the City’s park priorities, budget and parkland deficiencies, the question
of appropriate location is paramount.
According to Frederick Law Olmstead, the “father of landscape architecture” and
early pioneer of park design in America, there are essentially two types of parks:
Active and Passive. Passive parks are quiet, low-intensity, contemplative spaces,
containing paths, dispersed picnic tables, benches and intimate gathering areas.
Active ones contain elements such as ball fields, playgrounds, large group gathering
areas, hard surface courts (tennis, basketball, skating), with parking lots and night
lighting.
Either type can range in size from a neighborhood park to large acreages, though
smaller parks rarely contain active elements. Larger parks can accommodate both
features provided the active/passive areas are efficiently segregated.
With the exception of a small playground area catering to toddlers , Mitchell Park
clearly fits the definition of a passive park . Santa Rosa, Meadow or Emerson Parks
meet the description of active parks, all of which are reasonably proximate to the
downtown core, if this is a criterion, though a person fit and able enough to play
pickle ball can certainly walk, bike or drive to any City park in our small town.
It is tortured logic to believe, as the Park & Recreation commented, that pickle ball
courts at Mitchell Park “can be developed without any im pact to the park”.
Introducing this land use is completely incompatible with Mitchell Park ’s passive
elements and would significantly compromise and tragically destroy the Park.
Before this notion of pickle ball court development at Mitchell Park gets too far
along in the design and planning process, relocation to Santa Rosa, Meadow,
Emerson Park (or another City park) should be considered.
Joseph Boud
1645 Corona Court
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805.543.0522
jcboud@sbcglobal.net
c. SLO Parks & Recreation Department