Dear Menlo Park City Council Members:
We are a family of four who reside in the Allied Arts Neighborhood close to Nealon Park and are writing a letter of support to preserve the remaining tennis courts. Both our children use the tennis courts 2-3x per week with our family and their friends and we benefit greatly from having the tennis courts in the neighborhood and at our local park. We routinely run into neighbors and friends on the courts and meet new people and this adds to our community. We have also run into teachers and leaders at the local schools and this also enriches the neighborhood experience.
The Nealon Park courts are some of the the few remaining public tennis courts in the Allied Arts/West Menlo Park area. The closest other courts are on the other side of Menlo Park and require a 20 minute car ride. While there are many private tennis clubs and Stanford is close by - these are prohibitively expensive and require private access - and thus are barriers to many people.
The tennis courts are busy. They are routinely booked throughout the day. I think this is an important myth to dispel that I often hear from the pickleball community. In fact, I cant recall an occasion over the past year where we have been able to walk on to a tennis court during busy hours (after school or on weekends).
The Nealon Park courts are also used by the Hillview middle school. Where else would they play if these courts were taken away? This would deny them the opportunity to practice and play and enrich their middle school team tennis experience. Learning how to play tennis should not be exclusive to private schools.
Finally, many local tennis professionals rely on these courts to make a living. I think we should be mindful that peoples livelihoods are at stake in these discussions.
Pickleballers, I might add, also can be loud and disturbing to the community around them and are not for kid-friendly. Many kids do not feel comfortable in the Nealon Park pickleball environment.
For all these reasons we strongly advocate to retain all remaining tennis courts in Menlo Park.That greatly strengthen community bonds and enrich our neighborhood experience.
Best regards,
Daniel and Elizabeth Corey, MDs
Hannah and Owen Corey (age 11 & 9, Oak Knoll Elementary)
Residents at:
668 Partridge Ave, Menlo Park
