Dear City Council members,
Thank you for this opportunity to communicate with you about pickleball courts in Menlo Park.
As you may know, for the past three years, a large contingent of Menlo Park residents have continued to bring suggestions and requests about pickleball courts to the Parks and Rec Commission and the Community Services director and staff. The addition of shared courts at Nealon Park was an appreciated response-- though I would hardly call what Menlo Park has done a "robust program" as the Almanac article did. As a Menlo Park resident and pickleball player, I have spoken several times to the Parks and Rec Commission. So I read with interest the recommendations that the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Library and Community Services director brought to the City Council.
Of concern was the suggestion that the City spend up to $85,000 for a feasibility study. Id like to suggest that there are less costly ways to plan for the future of pickleball and tennis court capacity and better ways to deploy some of that money.
Why not appoint a citizens committee comprised of both pickleball and tennis players to assess the options, understand the player needs of each of these distinctive games and make recommendations for the future? I believe there are many smart and skilled residents who would be willing to commit the time to lead this study in conjunction with the citys Parks and Community Services staff.
The money that the city does not spend on a feasibility study could be used on immediate improvements including:
-Invest in sound barriers at Nealon pickleball courts
-Restripe the Nealon courts that are currently shared pickleball/tennis courts to be permanent pickleball courts.
-Repair all the lights at the Nealon courts
-Regularly check on the pickleball court nets for needed maintenance and replacement. Last year the almost all the nets at Kelly Park were damaged and unusable.
-Provide some kind of seating outside the Nealon courts for the safety of the players who often are waiting to play on those courts.
Alison Elliott
216 Marmona Drive, Menlo Park
