HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/7/2025 Item 4a, Herbst
jeff herbst <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Meeting Date 5/7/25 Item #4a More Pickleball Courts
Hi, thank you for letting me address this via email as I am unable to make tonight's meeting.
I have been playing pickleball for two years. I am 75 and have some serious health issues. There are many
people in our club who are older and have even more problematic medical conditions. I moved here in 2017
from San Diego, "knowing" only one couple - and that was from meeting them in 1973. In self-deprecating
humor, but truthfully I like to relate in telling people many days my only social interactions were over by 7
a.m.; those involved running into other early morning "dog people" who walked their dogs then.
Pickleball has done wonders for me in many respects. I try to play at least 4 days a week and get a good cardio
workout. It has also been a social bonanza as our club is very tight knit and it is now hard to go anywhere in
the county without running into some fellow members. We have over 110 members in our group chat and
have numerous outings outside of playing.
I believe there are a total of 15 or 16 free permanent public courts in Morro Bay, Grover Beach, Shell Beach
and Arroyo Grande. According to Google, those towns have a total of 47,000 residents, probably a little less
than the number of people who live in SLO. SLO has a total of three dedicated courts. Pickleball is not a fad, it
has been the fastest growing sport for a number of years. Club members have related that there are 65 public
courts at one venue in Naples, FL and 33 in St. George, Utah.
I, as well as the members in our group chat described above, play at Meadow Park, where there are no
dedicated courts. To do so, we assemble the standards and nets at approximately 7:45 A.M. and tear down
before noon. I invite you all to come out and see what is involved, "a picture is worth a thousand words." It is
not so bad now that spring is finally happening but I remember having to snap cold pieces of metal together in
setting up the standards when it was as cold as 37' this winter. Again, don't take my word for it, please come
and see for yourselves.
Pickleball literally keeps many of us seniors going, physically, mentally and socially. Please give the highest
priority to expediting the construction of dedicated courts in the Righetti project.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jeff Herbst
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