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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/20/2020 O'Kelly - PRC Master Plan (SLO Pickleball Club) Wilbanks, Megan From:Brian O'Kelly < To:Advisory Bodies Cc:Scott, Shawna; Avakian, Greg Subject:Input for PRC November Meeting Attachments:20 year plan input for Nov..pdf; Newsletter_V3_I2_FINAL2-1.pdf Greetings! This is input for the November meeting, Agenda Item 20 Year Plan. From the SLO Pickleball Club. You can combine both of these attachments as one letter. Thank you. Brian O'Kelly, President SLO Pickleball Club 1 Meeting of Parks and Rec, November 4, 2020 20 Year Master Plan Update - Input from SLO PIckleball Club Honorable Commissioners, The SLO Pickleball Club has been following your recent meetings and appreciate the work you and staff have been doing to complete the 20 Year Plan for Parks and Recreation. The demands are high for facilities, programs, and maintenance and the resources are limited, so you have a tough task to sort things out and figure where we go from here. I want to emphasize again we are representing the interests of ALL future and present pickleball enthusiasts, as we have done for the last 6 years. Compared to other activities and goals in the 20 Year Plan, pickleball is one area that can be addressed with low costs to the city and relatively quickly. The SLO Pickleball Club is also ready and willing to financially support capital improvement projects for pickleball. Money spent on pickleball has proved to provide a good bang for the buck. Since the 3 new courts were built at French Park, they have been full EVERY SINGLE DAY in the morning, (except on rainy days). By our estimates, if we had 12 courts right now, they would be full most mornings, and if we ever get past Covid, we are going to see a huge surge in players returning who have dropped out due to the pandemic. Despite all the obstacles to playing, the last few weekends have had upwards of 40 players at French Park in the mornings. We have also seen an unprecedented surge in families and young people using the pickleball courts in the evenings and weekends. If the following steps can be incorporated into the 20 Year Plan it would go a long way to meeting the needs of the growing pickleball community and we would end up with 16 pickleball courts at very little cost to the city. 1.Install at least 6 pickleball courts in the Righetti Community Park. a.This is the best place for a larger facility to be built as part of new development. i.Funded as part of new development. ii.Out of the wind tunnel area of SLO. Avila Ranch and San Luis Ranch are both too windy to commit to a larger facility. iii.Close proximity to French will allow combined resources for larger events. b.Already in the plan to be built. i.Similar development costs as 2 tennis courts. ii.Will handle 24 players plus 8 waiting for 32 total. 2.Keep two pickleball courts as part of the Mitchell Park Improvement Plan. a.Funding mostly through grant. b.Good location: In the low wind zone and centrally located. 3.Build one (or 2) pickleball courts at San Luis Ranch and Avila Ranch each. a.Funded by development. b.Keeps recreational opportunities in neighborhoods. c.Smaller facility so lower investment in high wind zones. 4.Expansion of Permanent Pickleball Facilities at French Park creating a Pickleball Center a.The unique combination of facilities at French make it the ideal spot for a pickleball center. i.Potential for 8 courts on existing concrete. ii.Large BBQ area and stage for event activities iii.Large bathroom facility iv.Ample parking. v.Area residents already adapted to pickleball impacts. b.There is an easy low cost path to achieving this and the Pickleball club is ready and willing to provide financial support. c.When more tennis courts are built in new developments to ease demand for tennis, convert the mulit-use tennis court at French to pickleball. Many cities throughout the state and our own county have already followed the path to convert tennis courts that are not getting much use. d.Estimated current cost to convert one tennis court to 4 pickleball courts is $35,000. If needed, they can also be returned to tennis for less cost. i.SLO PIckleball Club (a 501c3 non profit) has a 25% down payment ready to go. ii.The SLO PB Club will commit to fundraising the remainder. e.Data collected since French Park Tennis court was converted to multi-use show... i.French Park tennis court has had very little use by tennis players, they prefer Shinsheimer and the high school. ii.Over the last three years tennis uses about 12% of it’s reserved time at French vs 75% for pickleball. Drop in time is about 95% pickleball. iii.The court is currently used by pickleball 7 days a week and full on many mornings. 5.If a large indoor facility becomes a reality, stripe the floor for pickleball. a.This would be a good venue for mobility impaired users. b.Will add options for play in bad weather and for those who can’t play outside. Thank you for your time and consideration of the future of Pickleball. SLO is fortunate to be in a good position to address the needs of this community with minimal impact to other sports and activities. To help keep you up to date on things happening in your city and what we are up to, I have attached a copy of our clubs latest newsletter, The Slam Dink. Respectfully Submitted, Brian O’Kelly, President SLO Pickleball Club Addendum: Additional Information (all previously submitted) The following is a summary of information gathered by the city for the 20 year plan. Throughout the process for receiving input for the 20 year plan, pickleball improvements were always in or near the lead with a high number of responses and has very strong community support. a.At the 9/4/19 meeting looking for “Visionary Park Improvements” the pickleball community submitted over 30 written letters in support of a Pickleball Center. This was by far the most supported improvement project from written responses. https://opengov.slocity.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=96750&dbid=0&repo=City Clerk b.As part of the Community Engagement Survey/ Community Needs Assessment done at Ludwick over a several month period, pickleball led the way with community support. i.During the​ “Dreams of Programs and Activities” ​Pickleball was the number 2 activity in terms of number of responses. (see attachment #1) ii.During the ​“Dreams of Parks and Facilities”​ portion of the survey done at Ludwick, once again pickleball was the #1 requested facility. (see attachment #2) iii.During the​ “ Ideas for Event in Parks” ​ Sports Tournaments was #3 and pickleball was a big part of that input. (see attachment #3) Pickleball by the Numbers since the New Courts Opened at French Park on Sept 1. This data is for a three month period from opening. The new courts have been full every single day in the morning since opening! French Park Upper Courts (New Courts):1149 player days (1 person playing 1 day = 1) French Park Lower Courts (tennis/pickleball):813​ ​ (136 of these were Free Lessons) Tennis Use French Park Lower Court:40 (5% of total morning use) We anticipate, and past attendance tells us that, the use of the lower courts will increase as play patterns adjust to fill the available court time. (See Attachment #4, includes pickleball, tennis, basketball and horseshoes) Attachment #1 Attachment #2 Attachment #3 (pickleball major contributor to #3, SportsTournaments and Events) Attachment #4 Next Page page 1 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 THE SLAM DINK president’s blurb: YES, WE STILL HAVE A CLUB YES, we still have a Club! YES, we will need a Club in the future! These are the answers to the two most asked questions that I hear when I stop by the pickleball courts. Even though the City of San Luis Obispo has canceled all sport clubs and league activities due to the pandemic, there will come a time when the Club can once again fire up the F-U-N with a Round Robin Series and other activities for our members. I don’t know about you, but I really missed having our annual Big Fall BBQ this year. It’s always so enjoyable to come together for some social time while sharing food and stories. The Board members have been busy behind the scenes keeping tabs on the progress of the City’s 20-Year Parks & Recreation Plan to ensure that pickleball is always represented and included in it’s future plans. The first peek at new courts will probably be those built at the Righetti Ranch Community Park and I’m putting you on alert that the Club may be calling all pickleballers to support the inclusion of these courts as a high priority in the near future. I hope everyone continues to stay safe while at the same time finding ways to get out for some fresh air and exercise. See you on the courts, Brian “Skipper” O’Kelly president’s blurb: YES, WE STILL HAVE A CLUB spotlight: NEWS FLASH spotlight: 2021 ELECTION upcoming events: OCTOBER 13 Board Meeting NOVEMBER 10 General Member Meeting & Election (See page 5 “What’s Coming Up” for details) NEWS FLASH San Luis Obispo Pickleball Club The Board of Directors has voted unanimously to extend all current 2020 member’s dues through December 31, 2021 What this means: If you are a 2020 Club Member, your dues will automatically roll forward to pay for your 2021 Annual Member Dues. You get a FREE PASS!!!!! If you are not a 2020 Club Member but wish to become one, you may pay your 2021 Annual Member Dues anytime between now and December 31, 2021. Annual Member Dues are only $30. ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBER MEETING & ELECTION - NOVEMBER 10 @ 5:00 PM (See Page 5 “WHAT’S COMING UP" for details) page 2 The official newsletter publication of the San Luis Obispo Pickleball Club, Inc., 501(3)c non-profit corporation 2020 board officers: President Brian O’Kelly Vice President Connie Hanretty-Church Treasurer Katie Arndt Secretary Diane Harrison Directors Roar Berg-Johansen Ken James Jesse Lee info: info@slopickleball.org web: slopickleball.org phone: (805) 610-5186 webmaster: Lanny Hernandez follow us: facebook (slo) san luis obispo pickleball become a member: complete a membership form and pay online at slopickleball.org newsletter editor: Betsy Asmus Members are welcomed to submit contributions for upcoming newsletters 3 Ways to Pay Your Annual Member Dues 1.During the month of January, the Club will be collecting 2021 Annual Membership Dues at the courts where you can pay with a personal check (preferred method) or cash. Alternately, you can hand your dues payment (check or cash) to any Board Member at the courts. 2.You can pay using the Club’s Paypal link at https://tinyurl.com/2020-Dues 3.You may mail a personal check made payable to “SLO Pickleball Club” to: SLOPB Club, 1123 Pismo St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 spotlight: MEMBERSHIP NEWS -Submitted by Diana Contasti Your annual member dues help SLO PICKLEBALL CLUB purchase pickleballs, nets and other equipment to keep us playing at the courts seven days a week. It also allows you to participate in Club activities, such as our round robin series, the annual Big Fall BBQ, and other social events. Your paid membership also helps the Club represent the commitment of our membership to the City of San Luis Obispo whenever the call for voices or resources are solicited. Keep in mind that SLO Pickleball Club, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 and therefore your dues may be tax deductible. spotlight: 2021 ELECTION Fall is in the air and that means it’s /me for the Club’s Board of Directors has created a Nomina/ng Commi:ee for the purpose of elec/ng new officers for next year. The Nomina/ng Commi:ee members include President Brian O’Kelly and three appointed members - Jean Hyduchak, Betsy Asmus and Diana Contas/. All incumbents have chosen to run again for their posi/ons and the Nomina/ng Commi:ee is suppor/ng this slate. Other nomina/ons may be added to the slate by any member as late as the General Member Mee/ng on November 10th, but prior to the vote, of course. Each posi/on is slated to begin serving a two-year term beginning on January 1st. If you desire addi/onal info about any posi/on’s du/es and responsibili/es, you are encouraged to talk to any Board member or reference the Club Bylaws on the website. If you wish to declare your inten/on to run, please talk with a member of the Nomina/ng Commi:ee. Ann u a l Mem b e r D u e s Vice - President Treasurer Directors (two positions) SLOPB CLUB NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 page 3 SLOPB CLUB NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 COVID-19 RETURN TO PLAY USA Pickleball’s Guidelines on Safe Return to Play As we are all concerned about returning to play pickleball, the attached guidelines have been excerpted from the USA Pickleball’s USAPA “COVID-19 RETURN TO PLAY" Guide. The Guide is full of good information pertaining to the sport of pickleball. Take a few minutes and read up on the proper protocol of playing in today's world. USA Pickleball is conducting a membership drive. USAPA is our mothership, without which SLO Pickleball Club would never have developed to be the great club we are today. By becoming a USA Pickleball member, you give us more power in the decision-making and expansion of this wonderful sport that we all love. Join USA Pickleball! - Submitted by Jean Hyduchak, USAPA Ambassador, San Luis Obispo The City of San Luis Obispo Covid-19 Safety Guidelines are posted at the park. Be sure to keep at least 6 feet away from others when not playing, especially around the crowded areas near the gate and ramps. IF YOU DECIDE TO PLAY ‣Consider playing with only family members or others who reside in your household. ‣Wash your hands with soap and water and bring personal-use hand sanitizer to the courts. ‣Clean and wipe down your paddles and water bottles. Do not share paddles, equipment or clothing. ‣Bring tissues or a handkerchief for contained sneezing and coughing or consider wearing a mask. ‣Consider wearing gloves to the courts and avoid touching court gates, fences, benches, etc. ‣Also consider wearing gloves during play to avoid picking up pickleballs with your hands. ‣Coordinate with your play group so that each person serves with a different color ball, or a ball prominently marked with your initials using a Sharpie. ‣Avoid contact with others, such as hand shaking and high fives. ‣Consider playing singles only for six-foot social distancing. Wash your hands after each match. Do not touch your face after handling a ball or paddle. ‣Use your paddle and foot to pick up pickleballs and transfer them to your opponent from your paddle. ‣Avoid changing ends /sides of the court after games. ‣Maintain proper social distancing with other players in between games. page 4 SLOPB CLUB NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO Here is the latest pickleball news from Devin Hyfield, Recreation Manager for the City of San Luis Obispo’s Parks and Recreation. The City is applying for a State Grant to install pickleball courts at Mitchell Park as a part of the SLO Senior Center to expand programming for Active Adults in Downtown San Luis Obispo. Grant submittal is in December 2020. Click on the link to read more about this item. SLO Senior Center The City will be holding a Youth Sports Clinic at French Park - Lower Courts that will include pickleball. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30 - 5:00 PM, starting October 13, 2020. Click on the link to read more about this item. Youth Sports Clinic City of SLO Parks and Recreation continues to hold monthly meetings for the department’s update to the Master Plan and Element Update, set to be completed in Spring 2021. Click on the link to read more about this item. City of SLO Parks and Recreation Commission New planned developments for Righetti Ranch Park Plan and Avila Ranch Plan are scheduled to include pickleball courts. Project timelines have not been established, but staff will communicate these in the near future. Click on the links to read more. Righetti Ranch Park Plan Avila Ranch Plan spotlight: Central Coast League Play Reformatted Submitted by: Bonnie Bruerd The Central Coast League has reformatted its Men’s and Women’s league play. Instead of forming teams from each Central Coast city, as in past years, Templeton Tennis Ranch (TTR) has revamped its league play management and now offers four levels of competitive play for 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 or 4.5/5.0 ranked players. By breaking players up by level, more players of all skill levels get to play. Its events are turning out to be more balanced and fun for everyone. In fact, at the first TTR Women’s League event no team, at any level, finished undefeated! And, here is an extra kicker - if, after a week of play, you find yourself destroying the competitors within your level, you will be moved up a skill level, so you can prove that you are as good as you just showed you were! Alternately, if you were destroyed playing within a level by the other teams, you will be able to drop down a level to face future competition more at your playing ability level. Basically, TTR is running mini-tournaments each week of play. For the old hands, this is a chance to get your game back on with your tournament partners. For new people, this is a chance to get some competitive playing experience, so you are ready for tournaments once Covid goes away & our lives resume normally! Remaining Dates for Men’s League: 10/10, 10/24, 11/14, & 12/5 Remaining Dates for Women’s League: 10/3, 10/17, 10/31, 11/21, & 12/12 It’s not too late to sign up! Grab a partner who plays at your level and contact Doug Bates at doug.bates.pickleball.ref@gmail.com. The cost is $15/ per team per week. Really? Where else can you have hours of fun for only $7.50? You may sign up for just one Saturday or you can sign up for several. The costs offset the use of TTR facility, balls, and the masterful league event organizing of Doug Bates. No same day sign ups or walk ups are allowed. page 5 venues: WHERE TO PLAY SLOPB CLUB NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 events: WHAT’S COMING UP? BOARD MEETING - OCTOBER 13, TUESDAY @ 5:00 PM DUE TO COVID-19, BOARD MEETINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED VIA ZOOM CONFERENCE CALL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Board meetings are open to all SLOPB Club members. The Club conducts its business at monthly meetings - generally held on the second Tuesday of each month. Meeting agendas are posted approximately seven days prior to the meeting on the SLOPB Club website (slopickleball.org). Meeting location will be announced on the agenda when posted. If you plan to participate in the conference call, we ask that you kindly RSVP to Brian O’Kelly and he will send you the Zoom Call ID and Password. ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBER MEETING & ELECTION - NOVEMBER 10, TUESDAY @ 5:00 PM DUE TO COVID-19, THIS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED VIA ZOOM/FACEBOOK CONFERENCE CALL. The Annual General Member Meeting & Election will be hosted on Zoom, but will be live-streamed to the Club’s Facebook Group page to accommodate the entire membership. You will be able to watch it and have the ability to ask questions in the comment section. We’ll see you “SLO Pickleball” Facebook group page for the General Member Meeting on November 10, Tuesday. The live- stream will begin at 5:00 PM. A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SUPER IT GURU Lanny Hernandez for his behind the scenes expertise. VENUE TIME MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN FRENCH Lower Courts 8 am - Noon PICKLEBALL TENNIS TENNIS PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL DROP-IN DROP-IN Noon - Dusk DROP-IN DROP-IN DROP-IN DROP-IN DROP-IN DROP-IN DROP-IN FRENCH Upper Courts 8 am - Noon PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL Noon - Dusk PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL * DROP IN: French Park Lower Courts are open for pickleball or tennis if no other activity is using the court during drop-in times. “You can play pickleball every day in SLO” ALL PLAY IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IMPORTANT REMINDER: Follow the City’s Rules for Play More detailed rules are posted at the courts. PLEASE READ THEM! The following rules apply to ALL hours of play, dawn to dusk! UPPER COURTS: If people are waiting to play, limit play to 1 game or 30 minutes. Two people playing singles can take a court. If all courts are full and someone is waiting, the first game to finish comes off. LOWER COURTS: At all times when others are waiting, limit play to 1 hour. During Drop-In times, it is first-come, first-serve for tennis or pickleball. page 6 Pacific Pickleball Sales Pacific Pickleball has been working with the top paddle manufacturers in the world for more than two years so it can offer you the best pickleball paddles on the market. Our current top two choices - Selkirk and Gearbox - offer amazing paddles. It’s a great time to purchase a new or replacement paddle during our sale. We can offer you a 15% discount and free shipping on all products on our website. Just use coupon code “15off” during checkout. We have a few demo paddles available, so if you live near San Luis Obispo (CA) you are welcome to try out a paddle before buying it. email: pacificpickleball@gmail.com web: pacificpickleball.com phone: (805) 471-2600 contact: Roar Berg-Johansen spotlight: WHAT ARE THOSE ICONS ON THE WEBSITE? For QUICK access to specific areas of SLO Pickleball Club's website, several icons may be found on the Home Page. Clicking on this icon will re-direct you to the Club’s Facebook page. Clicking on this icon brings you to the Membership page where you can: renew your annual Club membership dues; make an online payment; or, make a donation to the Club (it’s a non-profit 501(c)3 and may be tax deductible). Clicking on this icon provides access to the SLO Pickleball Club Ladders page. You will find up-to-the-minute information with team rankings and who you want to challenge next for Mixed Doubles, Women’s Doubles or Men’s Doubles. Clicking on this icon blasts you to the Club’s YouTube Channel where you can view player’s game videos. - Submitted by Lanny Hernandez, Webmaster SLOPB CLUB NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 DONATE YOUR USED PADDLE SLO Pickleball Club is looking to expand it’s paddle collection for the Club’s Beginner Lessons program and for the Prevention of Substance A b u s e f o r Yo u t h (POSAFT) programs’ upcoming after-school program for 6th and 7th graders who want to learn to play pickleball. If you have an old paddle and wish to donate it, please bring it to the courts and drop it off with any Board Member. SLO Pickleball Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit (as is the POSAFT organization) so your donation may be tax deductible. wanted: CLUB PUBLICIST SLO Pickleball Club is l o o k i n g f o r a replacement publicity committee chair. Our current publicist has been creating the Club’s newsletter and other publications since 2016. Sadly, our Besty (not misspelled) is ready to fully retire. If you like to write, take photographs, attend Club events, we have the perfect job for you! Betsy has been using a Pages template on a iMAC computer to create the newsletter, but you can do your own thing! Questions may be directed to Brian O’Kelly or Betsy Asmus.