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SR 11-01-2022 8E City Council Report City Council Meeting: November 1, 2022 Agenda Item: 8.E 1 of 1 To: Mayor and City Council From: Denise Anderson Warren, City Clerk, Records and Election Services Department Subject: Request of Councilmember Negrete to direct the City Manager to develop construction and annual maintenance cost estimates and evaluate the impacts of constructing courts dedicated to pickleball on the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport adjacent to Airport Park as soon as possible while supporting other current and planned uses on the Interim Open Space. The City Manager is also being asked to produce a schedule of permitted and open recreational use of the tennis / pickleball courts at Memorial Park and evaluate the potential to expand the use of the courts at Memorial Park for pickleball. (Continued from 10/25/2022) Prepared By: Esterlina Lugo, Deputy City Clerk Approved Forwarded to Council Attachments: A. Written Comments 8.E Packet Pg. 16 1 Vernice Hankins From:mbrooks912@aol.com Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 8:51 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; sue.himmerich@smgov.net; kristin.mccowan.smgov.net@aol.com; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council members, I’ve been a resident of Santa Monica for 35+ years and I was an active member of the Santa Monica Tennis Club, at what is now Reed Park, for about 10 years. I stopped playing tennis many years ago due to some injuries, but fortunately I discovered pickleball about 5 years ago and it has really brought positive change into my life. Pickleball places less demands on my body than tennis and it is so much fun! I feel so fortunate to be part of such a welcoming community of pickleball players of varied backgrounds and ages. I especially like the fact that I can stop by and join a game during open play with a multitude of different players of all abilities. With the explosive growth of pickleball, I truly believe that it would greatly benefit local businesses in Santa Monica if there were more opportunities for pickleball players to play. Furthermore, since 16 pickleball players can play in the same space that a maximum of 4 tennis players can play in at one time, having pickleball courts is a much more efficient use of space for members of the community and visitors. Since Memorial Park is the only park that allows pickleball Santa Monica, please help us out by finding alternate locations for tennis classes, instruction and practice. Also, it would be great if the city could build dedicated pickleball courts at the interim open space at Santa Monica Airport to help support the growth of pickleball. I really hope that you consider all the great benefits that pickleball brings to our community and that you can help us have more opportunities/places to play pickleball in Santa Monica. Sincerely, Michael S. Brooks Item 16.F 10/25/22 1 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 17 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Diego Chojkier <dchojkier@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 7:31 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:please support pickleball EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council, My name is Diego Chojkier and I'm a Santa Monica resident. I love playing sports in the city and across the west side. I discovered pickleball almost 2 years ago and have been hooked. I play an average of 3 times a week at Memorial Park and would play more, but for lack of pickleball court availability. Pickleball courts are a highly efficient and effective use of space; one tennis court packs 4 pickleball courts and enables ~32 people to play, exercise, socialize, and have fun. There is no other sport which allows so many participants in such a small space. And yet, in Santa Monica, we are relegated to Memorial Park and only during certain hours. Tennis has 24 courts throughout Santa Monica, we are only allowed to occasionally use the 4 at Memorial Park. This is an unfair and inefficient allocation of public space. Please consider dedicating Memorial Park to pickleball alone. Additionally, please consider building pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. I vote and this issue is highly important to me. Thank you very much. Diego Chojkier 529 California Avenue Apt.8 Santa Monica, CA 90403 Item 16.F 10/25/22 2 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 18 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:beth braunstein <bethbraunstein1@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 7:30 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Pickleball EXTERNAL Hi, I have been a Santa Monica resident and homeowner for over 25 years. I play Pickleball and am astounded at the lack of courts in SantaMonica. Please vote for more courts. Thanks. Beth Braunstein, 229 24th Street Item 16.F 10/25/22 3 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 19 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Mark Sandelson <mark@renegadeflooring.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 6:49 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Cc:Mark Sandelson Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL I have been a homeowner in Santa Monica for thirty years as of June 2022. I understand that there is on an upcoming council meeting plans to discuss Councilor Negrete’s proposal as it relates to the construction of dedicated pickleball courts. This is an example of an issue that has special import to me as pickleball is the fastest growing participant sport in the United States, and a sport that regardless of age can be enjoyed by a wider group of the citizenry that most. I struggle to comprehend why there are 23 tennis courts in the City and yet only four at Memorial Park are mixed use tennis and pickle board courts. As it is currently no more than 8% of all times available on all courts in the city are available for pickleball. This hardly seems equitable and it does not recognize the explosive growth of pickle ball in the community. Unlike tennis pickle ball is decidedly not a country club sport but rather a sport played by people of all ages and genders. As it is the sport is now taught in schools so at minimum let's give the kids a place to play and while they are in school older more marginalized people can utilize those same courts. That four pickle ball courts take the space of a single tennis court there is a need for some acceptance of the sport. There are now professional leagues and Los Angeles has a franchise. Post Covid there has been a lot of attention paid to exercise, mental stimulation and community engagement and I would suggest that unlike lawn bowling or example that pickleball players greatly outnumber most if not all participation sports. It is an easy game to pick up and learn and courts need minimal maintenance All that is being asked for is a fairer opportunity for the legions of pickle board players. In conclusion I would like to suggest that the councilors read the New Yorker and or New York Times stories on the exponential growth of the sport- https://www.newyorker.com › magazine › 2022 › 07 › 25 › can-pickleball-save-america Can Pickleball Save America? | The New Yorker Jul 18, 2022"In pickleball, you're fourteen feet away, and you've got to look 'em in the eye." The A.P.P.'s head referee, Byron Freso, told me that bad behavior is actively discouraged. "You'll hear comments... https://www.newyorker.com › humor › daily-shouts › the-pickleball-gangs-of-new-york The Pickleball Gangs of New York | The New Yorker Item 16.F 10/25/22 4 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 20 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Sep 9, 2022The Pickleball Gangs of New York | The New Yorker Journalism that matters Subscribe to The New Yorker for $29.99 $12. Cancel anytime. Already a subscriber? Sign in Daily Shouts The... https://www.nytimes.com › 2022 › 09 › 03 › well › move › pickleball-popular-sport.html Why Is Pickleball So Popular? - The New York Times Sep 3, 2022Ms. Miller is one of over 4.8 million pickleball players, or "picklers," in the United States, according to a 2022 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Pickleball, often... https://www.nytimes.com › 2022 › 08 › 20 › health › pickleball-sports-injury.html Thank you for your consideration, I think I speak for many when I say that this is a concern to all would be and current players of the sport. I hope you will read the articles attached to more be more fully informed Best regards Mark Sandelson 328 21st Street Santa Monica CA 90402 Item 16.F 10/25/22 5 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 21 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Lesley Bracker <Lesleybracker1@me.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 8:16 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Cc:SMPC Board Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL To Santa Monica City Council Members, We have a Pickleball problem: As you know, the sport of Pickleball has boomed in the past year or so, so much so that at Memorial Park on any given day, but particularly on Open Play weekends and nights, you’ll find hundreds of people coming through to play. On Saturdays and Sundays, it can easily reach 1,000 people between 8am and 2pm, in total number of players. And this is not only consistently true, but growing. Just this past June, one would wait just one game in turn to play ‐ now, just a few months later, it’s easily 3 games one has to wait out to play ‐ because the sport is growing! Santa Monica has 23 Tennis Courts. 19 of those courts are TENNIS, ONLY. This leaves thousands of Pickleball players with 4 tennis courts (equals 16 Pickleball courts), with limited hours and availability. FOUR courts ‐ that’s 8%. And even those Memorial Park courts are compromised because of all the public and private high school tennis reservations, the Tennis Clinic reservations, and private instructors, which take up most courts all days and 5 nights a week. We get 4 hours a day. That’s all we get on our 4 tennis courts. So, on many days you’ll see 8 tennis players on the 3 tennis courts, and 100+ people on one tennis court (because some mornings we are allotted 1 court, only), for Pickleball. I invite you to see this for yourselves. The rules are 4 players on, then 4 off ‐ paddles are placed down in groups of 4, in turn. The game finishes, the players leave the court (regardless of who won) and place paddles down to play again, but often there are 3 sets of 4 paddles. At 10‐15 minutes a game, that’s a 45 minute wait to play another game. Each court easily has 16 people total either playing, or waiting to play. During Open Play, we have 12 courts (3 tennis courts). That’s it. We’re heaving at the seams. I’ve been a regular swimmer at the Santa Monica Swim Center since it opened, I’m very familiar with public sports and Santa Monica recreational facilities. But never, ever, have I come across a community as vibrant, friendly, and welcoming, as the Pickleball community. Item 16.F 10/25/22 6 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 22 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 The first thing anyone asks before playing a game is, “what’s your name?”. By the end of the day, you’ve made 10 new friends ‐ sometimes your new friend is 10 years old, sometimes they’re 80+ years old. Everyone plays with everyone, no matter the skill level nor age, race, income, or gender. I even played with a woman the other day who was fresh off the plane from Australia (took an Uber from LAX!) ‐‐ word of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club reached her village near Perth, she couldn’t wait to check it out and bring home what she learned from our Club to her small town’s club. It’s easily one of the reasons it’s a booming sport ‐ the camaraderie ‐ and it’s what brings me back 4‐5 times a week. It also promotes well being in all ways, both physically and mentally (easy game to learn but the mastery is similar to chess ‐ it’s a mind game), and makes for a happy, healthy, community. We’re now seeing elementary school kids come in groups to play (and parents bring their kids), and UCLA, USC, and SMC students fill the courts at night. ‐ this sport is not going to die down, it’s going to grow even larger. Santa Monica is behind on this one, now’s the chance to get ahead of it. And, at this rate of growth, Pickleball will have 40 million players by 2030 (from the Washington Post*). All cities have dedicated courts, they want to be a part of this communal activity that brings people together in a divisive time, it fosters good will. This is an important issue for me, and one I’ll keep an eye on when voting in November, and beyond. In reference to Agenda #16, I’d like to impress upon you the importance of Pickleball to our community, and the need for Memorial Park to be deemed a Pickleball only space (or, at the very least, more time and courts allotted to Pickleball), and the urgent need for more Pickleball courts in Santa Monica. I’m a Santa Monica resident of over 30 years, I’m an active member in this city, and keep all my business as close to home as possible. How to solve the Pickleball Problem: a. Please find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices, since Memorial Park is the ONLY park where you allow Pickleball. b. Please build dedicated Pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. And please find us an alternative place to play when Memorial is torn down and developed (the park development plan is a whole other worthy email regarding how outdated the plan is now, as the plan was approved in 2019 - see NY Times regarding growth**) Thank you very much for your consideration, Item 16.F 10/25/22 7 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 23 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Lesley Bracker Santa Monica Resident since 1990 937 11th Street 90403 * https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/20/pickleball-growth-tennis/ **https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/03/well/move/pickleball-popular-sport.html More references with facts and figures: https://www.businessinsider.com/pickleball-gear-startups-pandemic-popularity-recess-nettie-disco- country-club-2022-6 https://usapickleball.org/about-us/organizational-docs/pickleball-fact-sheet/ https://www.npr.org/2022/02/19/1081257674/americas-fastest-growing-sport-pickleball https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/07/26/heres-why-pickleball-the-fastest-growing- sport-in-america-is-bill-gates-favorite-game/?sh=2fcd6b9953a7 https://www.thenation.com/article/society/pickleball-community-america-social-capital/ Item 16.F 10/25/22 8 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 24 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Amy Glaser <aglaser6@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 12:34 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Hello, My name is Amy. I have been living (renting) in Santa Monica for over 2.5 years and have been playing pickleball with SMPC for almost 2 years, 3‐4 days a week. Having moved here during COVID, this has been a crucial part of my routine. Pickleball is how I've made most of my friends (of all ages), and it continues to be the outlet I need throughout the week physically, mentally and socially — especially since I work remotely. Over the course of my time playing at Memorial Park, the number of players has skyrocketed, resulting in long wait times (during SMPC Open Play) and extended use of the courts (outside of Open Play), making this a daily/nightly hotspot. That said, it has become a huge issue that the tennis courts at Memorial Park are the only place for Pickleball in Santa Monica. Our immediate proposition is to relocate tennis to one of the many other courts in the area and add pickleball lines on other courts. Also, to please consider building dedicated courts. Pickleball isn't going anywhere, and it is a crucial part of my, and many of my friends' lives. Best, Amy Item 16.F 10/25/22 9 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 25 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 Vernice Hankins From:Dominika Juillet <dominika@13thpixie.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 11:42 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear Council Ladies & Gentlemen, I respectfully write you this note on the merits of a sport that helped me recover post Hodgkins lymphoma ( the rare "young person's cancer).. pickleball. I first came to try this spot at Memorial park, in truth, almost as a dare.. i was drafted for the olympic volleyball team in Canada and had not even heard of this sport until about 7 months ago. I had taken 5 tennis lessons and loved the finesse of tennis..so admittedly I walked into Memorial Park my first day thinking, "lets see just how stupid this sport can be with such a ridiculous name". I had successfully finished chemo (100% cancer free) but was told that i should slowly build up my fitness again ...this sport had been recommended and I went.to try it, fully expecting to hate it. What blew me away at first was the welcoming and generous energy of the people running the SM.pickleball group. Even as a former olympic trained athlete, people in volleyball never made me feel as welcome as this group. Secondly, the nature of the sport to be easy to grasp quickly... I'm a quick study but i saw myself go from a total calamity of clumsiness to a rallying novice within my first two hours ..amazing. and encouraging unlike my frustrations with tennis ALL.first few classes. Since my own first day, i have introduced my 28 year old non athletic model.bestie, my 72 year old mom and.my.bf 7 year old niece...all with similarly freakishly fast learning curves.ALL of us got visibly improved the first 2 hours learning to play. I have seen total non athletes become inspired and excited to get outside and get physical because of how amazing this feeling is..that getting good is possible.. What other sport offers this easy encouraging access to a population of humans riddled with high rates of obesity in children AND adults?? Ive trained volleyball, tennis, track and field (offered a scholarship to Yale for pentathlon) but it was HARD, grueling work and often required coaches and my own sense of young invincibility to drive the pursuit..what a total gift for me to post chemo feel a similar rush of "wow, i can get really good at this"..AND for the first time to be able to share it with both a 7 and 73 year old!!! Nor tennis nor volleyball, golf or ANY other sport offers such an easy way to participate in fitness for the horrific amount of obesity our culture suffers from (i have seen people of all sizes getting that sparkle in their eye when they hit a successful first rally) This sport is easy to hate from a distance (yes it does not carry the esteem and pedigree of classic sports) but it is an absolute GIFT of health and unity to a society riddled with stagnant human bodies in front of computers, obesity and people like me who are recovering from some physical ailment. (I played tennis thru chemo but i could do maybe a 45 min session very early in the mornings so I didn't overheat...but i didn't know about pickleball 8 months ago and i think it would have been a game changer). It is so socially welcoming, so physically embracing of all levels...i play 15+ sports and none of them can touch pickleball for these aspects. This is more than a sport, this is a chance for any city, municipality to give back connection between the ages, humans and their healthy happy bodies and even the huge political divide in our country.i have made some of the most amazing new friends in a city known for being clique ‐y...and i have the advantage of being an actress so it is supposed to be easier. Item 16.F 10/25/22 10 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 26 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 7 The math is obvious when it comes to allocated space. On a tennis court, 4 can play but on that same space , you can have a beginner court to teach 4 new people, intermediate play for 8 and an advanced court for 4... Thats 16 people getting fit all in the same square footage vs 4. I understand the pre existing skepticism..i had it too. But there is no way that you can disregard how many new fit people this sport is producing and arguably happy less lonely people post a taxing pandemic as well. It is time for every city to consider how to support the unity in their communities..this sport reconnects different ages , genders, financial backrounds, races and political/religious views unlike ANY other activity i have seen..it falls on all cities to choose to support this healthy past time for its people. i cannot imagine a single down side for SM to support and increase its community access and available space in which people can practice pickleball. I take pride in living in a state that is known for being healthy...its time to give access to this sport in the capacity it deserves. (Often when i played tennis during chemo,.60‐70% of the courts for tennis were empty around me..in pickeball, on any given day at memorial park, you have line ups of people waiting to play!) I urge all of you, especially the most skeptical, to step onto a pickeball court and after 2 hours, tell me.its not the most fun and physically inspiring experience you've had in years.. and then think of sharing that with both your parents and your kids. We need more reasons to bond over health: pickleball deserves dedicated courts that foster this relationship for all.of us. Thank you for taking the time to read Sincerely Dominika Juillet Item 16.F 10/25/22 11 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 27 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 8 Vernice Hankins From:Janet K <kaplan.janet@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 10:21 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda # 16 (Pickleball Access) EXTERNAL Dear City Council, I write this email to support greater access for pickleball in Santa Monica and in support of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. I have been a resident of Santa Monica since 1991, initially as a renter, and as a homeowner since 1998, having purchased my current residence. My children were raised in Santa Monica and attending the SMMUSD from kindergarten through the 12th grade, got into good colleges, and have been successful in their endeavors since then. I have continued to reside in Santa Monica and one of my sons has moved back and his children are now attending elementary school in the SMMUSD. I could not be prouder of their upbringing in Santa Monica. I am a very active person and have involved myself in the pickleball community and enjoy playing on the public courts with so many other Santa Monica residents. I play pickleball about two to four times a week. Naturally, I became a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club and support their efforts to expand the availability of courts for pickleball players. I have concerns though that pickleball as a newer and now very popular sport, is not given the same attention and priority as other sports, despite that the number of people who are playing outweighs the number of people playing other sports, such as tennis. It is a sport for all ages, and has gained popularity among the younger generation as well as the 50 and up community. One of my sons has actually taken up the sport, having been exposed to the game at Memorial Park. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica, the vast majority of which are exclusively for tennis players and not for pickleball players to enjoy. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica in total, 19 of which are for tennis only, with the 4 at Memorial Park for dual purpose tennis/pickleball. This seems to be an extremely unfair allocation of public spaces, when in fact the number of pickleball players outweighs the number of tennis players that are using our public courts. Even when I was a tennis player (which I do still occasionally do), it seemed unfair for a private instructor to use our public courts for a private lesson, ahead of Santa Monica residents, tax paying members of our community. In addition to the unfair and improper use of our public courts by private instructors, the use of our public courts by private schools, who are charging the families of their students in excess of $50,000 a year, seems egregious, and deprives tax-paying Santa Monica residents of the ability to utilize the courts at public parks and other public spaces. Given the number of people that are playing pickleball and who are interested in the sport, I request that the City build and maintain pickleball courts, at such spaces as the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport, protect Memorial Park for use by pickleball players and designate specific courts for pickleball use only, and Item 16.F 10/25/22 12 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 28 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 9 find other public spaces for pickleball players. There are other public courts that could allocate courts and/or court time for pickleball players, such as Reed Park, Marine Park, and other public parks with courts. I thus urge the City of Santa Monica to step up to the plate and take action to make pickleball more available and accessible in our community. It will enhance our City by doing so. Thank you. Janet Kaplan (Santa Monica Resident for 31 years) Item 16.F 10/25/22 13 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 29 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 10 Vernice Hankins From:Nick Bicanic <nick@never.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 10:03 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL This email is about Pickleball - the fastest growing sport in the USA for the last 5 years running. Embarassingly for such an important and influential city - Santa Monica has ZERO dedicated Pickleball courts and only one facility (Memorial Park) where the general public can play Pickleball on a daily basis. However there are very few courts there - and even then those courts are sometimes prioritised to Tennis - so you get these unfortunately scenarios where 2 players playing tennis are preventing 40 people from playing pickleball. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual purpose tennis/pickleball courts. I think the fairest allocation would be that the Memorial Park courts become Pickleball only. As a citizen of Santa Monica and a tax payer I would like to humbly request that the city find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices since Memorial Park is the ONLY park that currently allows pickleball. Additionally I would like to request that the city to build dedicated pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport as soon as possible. I have lived in Santa Monica for 6 years and I play at Memorial Park daily - and I can see how many people are positively affected by Pickleball. Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis. Pickleball is inclusive; all ages, genders, athletic abilities, income levels, political affiliations, EVERYONE is welcome. And everyone can play; the barrier of entry is low meaning it’s a quick game to learn (though a hard game to master). Pickleball is everything mental health experts say American’s need: exercise, mental stimulation, social, and fun. Thanks again - looking forward to attending the session on the 25th to go into this deeper. Nick Bicanic Item 16.F 10/25/22 14 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 30 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 11 Vernice Hankins From:Gail Kawaguchi <gail.kawaguchi@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 19, 2022 9:56 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 Pickleball in Santa Monica EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council Members, Respectfully as a Santa Monica resident and business owner for over a decade I am requesting that you please facilitate pickleball in Santa Monica. Our city is already known as a place to go play Pickleball, the sheer numbers of players that show up for Open Play on any given day reflect that Santa Monica is a leading destination for players to come play Pickleball. However, as a resident, I must say, I am disappointed that my city makes it very difficult for me to actually play on any given day. I see very logical and easy solutions- Make Memorial Park courts be dedicated pickleball courts. Four pickleball courts with 16 players utilize the space of one tennis court with usually two players. Redirect SMC and private schools tennis programs to the many other tennis courts that are underutilized in our city. There are 23 tennis courts in our outdoor loving city, only 4 allow pickleball… on any given weekend 200+ players show up to Memorial Park for pickleball games. Allow and develop other park spaces for pickleball. Of course keeping in mind for residential neighbors that pickleball may create undesirable noise pollution. How about the unused space of the old Santa Monica convention center? Or the interim space at the Santa Monica airport? Please if you are not prompted by letters from your constituents begging you to make space for pickleball, come out and see for yourself… pickleball is community. Pickleball is healthy aging. Pickleball is ethnic, gender, age and socioeconomic inclusiveness. Pickleball in Santa Monica brings business to restaurants and other small businesses. Pickleball brings attention to Santa Monica within the fastest growing sport in America. Why shouldn’t our awesome city be the city in West LA to embrace and put pickleball on the map for SoCal? Honestly and bluntly, I can’t believe my city council and parks and recreation haven’t done much of anything to help this growing Pickleball community in Santa Monica this past year. This is a topic important to my daily wellbeing and life as a resident in Santa Monica—- I will be paying attention to the council members who stay stubbornly, ridiculously and solely pro tennis and against giving Pickleball dedicated space. Even if Memorial Park courts become dedicated to only pickleball- Tennis will have 19 courts, seriously why is this still a discussion?! Please make Memorial Park courts dedicated for Pickleball Only. Tennis will have plenty of places to continue to play. Thank you. Respectfully, Gail Kawaguchi Resident and Business Owner in Santa Monica Item 16.F 10/25/22 15 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 31 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Heather Baroff <lamunchkin@aol.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 2:35 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 - Tuesday October 25th Council Meeting EXTERNAL My dear Council Members, I have lived in Santa Monica for 40 years and love our city and the facilities provided and maintained. I have a concern. Pickleball has become a phenomenon ‐ not only with the AARP crowd, but now it’s a sport for all ages. The uptick in popularity over the last year means that it’s almost impossible to get court time because Memorial Park is the only facility in Santa Monica that has open play courts lined for pickleball, but yet they need to be shared with tennis. This is an unfair situation. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual purpose tennis/pickleball courts. I’ve observed that many tennis courts throughout Santa Monica are for the most part unused. Most important is city planning to build as soon as possible, dedicated pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport and any other appropriate spaces, and I understand this will take time….. In the meantime, I would like to see a change in how courts are currently allocated and request the City Council to come up with a fair, equitable solution which maximizes court usage throughout the city. I request that the city find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices since Memorial Park is the ONLY park allowing pickleball. I would like to see all the tennis courts in Santa Monica be lined for pickleball. Recently SAMOHI repaved their courts, but sadly did not line them for pickleball. Thank you for your time, and your service to better our community. Sincerely, Heather Baroff 2618 Arizona Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90404 Item 16.F 10/25/22 16 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 32 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Adriana Senior <agesenior@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 2:18 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 - Dedicated Pickleball Courts in Memorial Park Plus New Courts at Santa Monica Airport EXTERNAL Dear Council Members, I am writing to you as a home-owning, tax-paying citizen of Santa Monica and member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club (SMPC) to ask for pickleball only courts in Santa Monica. There are two specific suggestions for how to do this: 1- Please make Memorial Park tennis courts pickleball only NOW, and find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices. 2- Please build dedicated pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. Consider the following:  There are a total of 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica, 19 of which are tennis only. The 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual-purpose tennis/pickleball courts!  We often find 64 people waiting to play pickleball on a single tennis court, while another court has just 1 tennis player taking a lesson. (The most people one tennis court can accommodate is 4. One tennis court equals four pickleball courts. Pickleball is a quick game with four playing at once, who then come off to allow four waiting on to play, and so on.)  Pickleball is currently allocated a mere 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park is designated pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time, with 81% still left for tennis. As I'm sure you're aware, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the world, and the fastest growing sport here in Santa Monica. To accommodate future growth of the sport I believe it is important to also create new, dedicated pickleball- specific courts at the Interim Open Space at the Santa Monica Airport. As this will take time, we still need Memorial Park courts now. I have lived in Santa Monica for 10 years, and have two daughters who have gone/are going through our public schools, but I have never felt more part of this community than I have since I began playing pickleball in June. I play 4-5 times a week. I play with kids as young as 8 and adults over 80, and all ages in between, all genders, and all beliefs. It truly is an inclusive sport that brings people together, something we very much need during such a divided time in our nation’s history. I have watched people grow fitter and happier these last few months and come out of their post-Covid physical and mental health slumps. Members have become friends, and we often frequent local businesses for a coffee or a bite to eat or a drink after playing. What the SMPC has created has attracted recognition from around the world - I regularly meet people from out of town who have made it a point to visit Santa Monica so that they can play and be part of our pickleball community! I invite you to come and be part of it as well! Ensuring that the SMPC has enough space to play is an important issue to me, my family and my fellow members as we consider how we vote in this upcoming election. Item 16.F 10/25/22 17 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 33 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Thank you for your consideration. Adriana Senior Item 16.F 10/25/22 18 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 34 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Caroline Lenher <cklenher@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 12:20 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 Item EXTERNAL Hello: I am writing as tax‐paying Santa Monica resident, renter and member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. I have lived in Santa Monica for 13 years. I play pickleball 3‐5 times a week. I am reaching out in support of creating/establishing dedicated pickleball courts in Santa Monica, I write this as a pickleball player as well as as a tennis player. Pickleball, as I am sure you know, is the fastest growing sport in the US and is exploding in Santa Monica as evidenced by the number of rackets piled up for the next game on any given court during open play. If you have not seen it, you should come to Memorial Park on Saturday or Sunday and see the volume of people and overall dedication of the players. The beginner nets are consistently packed, so the interest is not only here to stay but growing exponentially. Requests: ‐ Memorial Park is the ONLY location that allows pickle ball in Santa Monica. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual‐purpose tennis/pickleball courts. Please find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices to allow those four courts to be dedicated to pickleball. o Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis. o Is it fair that SMC requests 3 courts regardless of the number of students or instructors? At the very least, shouldn’t there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio? o Is it fair that tennis classes/instructors/private schools get priority over SMPC for permits when there are other Santa Monica courts they could use? ‐ Please build dedicated pickleball courts to meet the needs of community and volume of players. Locations could include the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. NOTE the request of dedicated courts at Memorial Park stands until this can be built. Why Pickleball? ‐ Pickleball is inclusive; all ages, genders, athletic abilities, income levels, political affiliations, EVERYONE is welcome. And everyone can play; the barrier of entry is low meaning it’s a quick game to learn (though a hard game to master). ‐ Public schools now teach pickleball in PE. Let’s give the kids a place to play. ‐ Pickleball is everything mental health experts say American’s need: exercise, mental stimulation, social, and fun. ‐ Pickleball has become a go to sport for me with the friends I have made, those that I have not, the sheer social element to the game, not to mention the business relationships (is pickleball the more accessible version of golf for building business relationships? Maybe? Item 16.F 10/25/22 19 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 35 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Regardless of what people get from the sport, it is here to stay and clearly has become a staple for the Santa Monica Community so let’s do something to embrace what residents and tax‐payers in Santa Monica want. Thank you for your consideration and support. Caroline Lenher Caroline Lenher, CMC cklenher@gmail.com 310.429.3139 Item 16.F 10/25/22 20 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 36 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 Vernice Hankins From:Doug Friedman <doufried@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 9:10 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 - Build Dedicated Pickleball Courts! EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica Councilmembers: I am writing to urge you to consider ideas that will increase the availability of pickleball courts in Santa Monica. The same real estate footprint of a tennis court is large enough to accommodate four pickleball courts (4x). The average duration of a tennis match is 90 minutes whereas the average duration of a pickleball game is 20 minutes (4.5x). This means that in the same 90 minutes that might be used for two tennis players, could instead be used and enjoyed by 36 individual pickleball players! My wife and I have been residents of Santa Monica since October 2019. We rent an apartment. After discovering the sport this summer we have been regularly visiting Santa Monica's Memorial Park to participate in Santa Monica Pickleball Club's (SMPC) open play. SMPC has been a wonderful community and there are always a consistent stream of Santa Monica residents playing on the courts morning, day, and night. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, and is not slowing down. Dedicated pickleball courts such as the courts that Santa Barbara https://www.santabarbarapickleball.com/ have built are exactly what Santa Monica needs! Specifically, we request: 1. The city find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices since Memorial Park is the ONLY park they allow pickleball. 2. The city to also build dedicated pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. SMPC believes this to be important, but as it will take years to accomplish, our priorities are for more time available for pickleball at Memorial Park NOW, and for the city to build dedicated courts as soon as possible. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/19/1081257674/americas‐fastest‐growing‐sport‐pickleball https://usapickleball.org/news/fastest‐growing‐sport/ Thank you for your time and consideration. Doug Friedman 11th and Wilshire Santa Monica, CA 90401 Item 16.F 10/25/22 21 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 37 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 7 Vernice Hankins From:Kerry Kane <kerrykaneok@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 8:20 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear Council Member, I play Pickleball 4 days a week at Memorial Park. I meet up with 11 other people on a regular basis, all Santa Monica homeowners like me. The last time I engaged in the park system so much was when I had small children. I’m happy to be back using the courts in the park for exercise and socializing. This is what public parks are for. I feel engaged and happy. Of the 23 courts in Santa Monica, 19 are tennis only. The 4 at Memorial Park are Tennis and Pickleball, dual purpose. Please give Pickleball dedicated courts. If you drive by Memorial Park at pretty much any time of day, you’ll see the courts are packed with people having a great time. You’ll also see many people waiting to get on a court. Memorial Park has few homes nearby, so the noise is not a factor there. Could Memorial be Pickleball only? On one tennis court you get 4 Pickleball courts with eight people on each and it still isn’t enough to accommodate Pickleball interest. That is sixteen people of all ages socializing on ONE tennis court! One of my favorite players is a guy in is 80s who can play at my level, because that is what the game is about. All levels can actually play together without much problem. Plus, the sport is a quick learn, so lots of new people are coming each day. Thank you for listening to me, Kerry Kane Item 16.F 10/25/22 22 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 38 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Hello, I am Lynn Soodik, a long-time resident of Santa Monica (over 30 years) and a board member of the nonprofit corporation known as the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, hereinafter “SMPC”. We started SMPC in January of this year and now have over 953 members. I am sorry I cannot speak at the meeting as I will be out of town. First, thank you for acknowledging that something must be done for pickleball. I know there is talk about building at the airport, which is great, and will take some time so we need to address the current situation. IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS: 1. Work with the school district and install lights at JAMS and under your joint use agreement allow pickleball only to be played nightly at JAMS from 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm. This does not take away from tennis, it just adds playing time for pickleball. 2. Add lights at Ocean View Park. The city has 6 tennis only courts at this venue. The courts currently close at sundown. You could move tennis instruction and community classes from Memorial Park to Ocean View Park so Memorial Park can be designated 100% pickleball in the evenings. The net result is you add more hours for tennis, just at another location. 3. Negotiate with SMC to build its own courts? (I will address below.) If you can’t do that, only provide them with permits commencing at 11:00 am to allow pickleball to be played from 8:00 am – 11:00 am on courts 1,2 and 3, while continuing to allow SMPC to permit out court 4. SMC uses three courts on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 – 11 and 12:30 – 2, breaking up the day for pickleball players. SMC doesn’t start until 11:00 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 4. Consolidate summer camps so they take less locations, without taking less campers so pickleball play is not taken away in the summer or forced to consolidated on one court. Below are signs that were posted at Ocean View Park on the left and Clover Park on the right. Item 16.F 10/25/22 23 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 39 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) I find it interesting that the city doesn’t post a warning like “if you see any vandalism call this number” but they do ask people to call if they see anyone playing pickleball on the courts. Please stop pitting tennis players against pickleball players. I will mention that after these signs were posted on our Facebook page Micah had the insight to have them removed. Also, the sign that says “when an instructor is not on these court’s they are available for the Public” is not sending a good message. It sends a message that public courts first go to tennis instructors who run their business on city courts, but, if they don’t happen to be occupying the space, then you, the taxpaying public, can use the courts. Let me ask each of you a question. Do you think the time available to play tennis vs. pickleball on city courts should be divided 50/50? I think the average person would think that is fair. Or do you think the allocation should be lopsided with a 60/40 split? If your answer is yes, what is the rationale for the uneven allocation? Surely you don’t think a 70/30 allocation of court time is fair, do you? Answer that question for yourself then I hope you are appalled at the facts. Pickleball currently has less than 8% of all available time on the Santa Monica city courts. If Memorial Park become 100% pickleball the division of the playing time on city courts would be 81% of all tennis court time allocated to tennis and only 19% of all city court time allocated to pickleball. Isn’t that astoundingly unfair? But the reality is, pickleball players don’t even have 19% of the time because they don’t have 100% of the time at Memorial Park. Including Memorial Park there are 8823 hours available on city tennis court to be allocated between the two sports (or maybe between tennis players, tennis instructors and pickleball players.) If pickleball even had 40% of the court time at Memorial Park, then the allocation between tennis and pickleball in the city would be 8154 hours for tennis and 669 hours for pickleball or 92% of all court time in the city is for tennis and 8% of all tennis court time in the city is being used for pickleball. If Memorial Park was 100% pickleball, then tennis would still have 7,150 hours of court time on city courts and pickleball would only have 1,673 hours of court time on city courts. If nothing is done, tennis would have 8154 hours of court time on city courts and pickleball would have at most, 669 hours of court time on city courts. Item 16.F 10/25/22 24 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 40 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Please see the notes at the end of this letter if you want to know how I came to my percentages. I have listed the tennis courts in the city and the hours they can be used in the notes. To sum it up: 1. If Memorial is used 40% by pickleball players, which I assume is an overestimate, then if you look at all of the courts in the city 92% of playing time is allocated to tennis and 8% to pickleball. (7150 provided from non Memorial courts + 1011 from Memorial amounts to 8,161 hours available to play tennis and 674 hours to play pickleball.) 2. If you would make Memorial Park all pickleball then the city courts would be allocated 81% to tennis and 19% to pickleball. (7150 hours tennis vs 1685 for pickleball.) I know your mantra is “we don’t want to take away from tennis” but can anyone say that it is even slightly fair that tennis is provided 92% of the available court time and pickleball is relegated to what is left over. We haven’t asked for things to be equal. We are only asking that you don’t permit out the only place pickleball can be played. Also, don’t try to pit tennis against pickleball with those signs. Yes, it is not fair to pickleball players to give them only 19% of the available court time, but can you at least give us that much? Look at my solutions above, you can solve these issues without “taking away from tennis.” Santa Monica Public Tennis Courts Hours of Court Time Per Month 40% Case Total Available Hours / Month Pickleball Allocation Pickleball Time Reed Park - Note 1 2433 -- – Clover Park - Note 2 837 -- – Ocean View Park - Note 3 1788 -- – Douglas Park - Note 4 837 -- – Marine Park - Note 5 1255 -- – Memorial Park - Note 6 1673 40.0%669 Total Court Time 8823 7.6%669 100% Case Total Available Hours / Month Pickleball Allocation Pickleball Time Reed Park - Note 1 2433 -- – Clover Park - Note 2 837 -- – Ocean View Park - Note 3 1788 -- – Douglas Park - Note 4 837 -- – Marine Park - Note 5 1255 -- – Memorial Park - Note 6 1673 100.0%1,673 Total Court Time 8823 19.0%1,673 Item 16.F 10/25/22 25 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 41 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) We know a pickleball complex needs to be built in the city but until that time comes, make Memorial Park a dedicated pickleball venue. Also, look into SMC building their own courts. Below is SMC space on Bundy. Have them build some courts. They could have practice, classes, and tournaments at this space. (The rendering is for pickleball courts, but you could have three tennis courts. As to the issue of rescheduling SMC, they currently use Memorial Park as follows: 3 courts from 9:30- 11 and 12:30- 2 which is 6 hours a week plus 3 courts on Tuesday and Thursday from 11- 12:35 and 2 courts from 12:45-2:05. Don’t let them schedule before 11:00 am. On October 17, 2022, I was playing pickleball on court two. I was required to vacate the courts at 9:30 am since SMC had three courts reserved. SMC only had ten players for three courts. With one instructor and ten players why do they need three courts while countless pickleball players need to vacate or sit and wait for time to play? I drove to Marine Park. I arrived at 10:00 am and at a few minutes after 10:00 I observed two empty courts and one court with an instructor with four players. I drove to Douglas and observed one court with two players and one court with four players taking instruction. So of the five public courts, two were empty, two had for profit instructors and one court had two players. I wanted to show you another few photos. Courts rules say no permits are issued for peak hours, weekends, 8:00 am – noon and weekdays, 6pm – 8:pm but you let instructors bypass this by teaching through “community classes & camps.” Basically, you are allowing instructors to earn money during peak hours by allowing instructors to run their classes through the city whereby both the instructor and the city makes money. If you put in lights at Ocean View Park you could move community classes to that venue. Item 16.F 10/25/22 26 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 42 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) We do want you to build pickleball courts but don’t end this meeting without making more time for us now. Very truly yours, Lynn Soodik Item 16.F 10/25/22 27 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 43 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Note one: 6 courts at Reed Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am -10 pm. That is 14 hours of playing time a day x 7 days x 6 courts or 588 hours for tennis per week. Multiplied by 4.3 (since a year has 52 weeks not 48) that is 2,451 hours of tennis a month. I will reduce this by 18 hours as the courts are washed once a month and not available for use. 2,451 hours less (3 hours x 1 day x 6 courts) 18 hours = 2,433 hours for tennis only at this facility. Note two: 2 courts at Clover Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am to 10 pm. That is 14 hours of playing time a day x 7 days x 2 courts or 196 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 843 reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 2 courts=6) providing 837 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note three: 6 courts at Ocean View Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am – sundown. (Sundown can be as early as 4:45 pm or after 8:00 p.m. While it probably averages to be 7:00 pm. I will use 6:00 pm which favors the tennis equation) Based on a closing time of 6:00 pm these courts offer 10 hours of playing time a day x 7 days x 6 courts or 420 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 1,806 hours reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 6 courts) 18 hours leaving 1,788 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note four: 2 courts at Douglas Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am to 10 pm. That is 14 hours x 7 days x 2 courts or 196 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 843 reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 2 courts = 6) providing 837 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note five: 3 courts at Marine Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am to 10 pm. That is 14 hours x 7 days x 3 courts or 294 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 1264 hours reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 3 courts=9) 9 hours providing 1255 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note six: Memorial Park has 4 courts that are open from 8 am to 10 pm for tennis and pickleball. That is 14 hours x 7 days x 4 courts which is 392 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 for 1,685 hours a month reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 4 courts) 12 hours providing 1,673 hours to be used by both tennis and pickleball. Item 16.F 10/25/22 28 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 44 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jon Moonves <jmoonves@delshaw.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 4:12 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:pickleball courts agenda item #16 EXTERNAL I am a longtime Santa Monica resident and am writing about the lack of pickleball courts in Santa Monica. Pickleball is a great sport rapidly growing in the US and Santa Monica. Some of the reason for the rise is the efficient use of space and the welcoming aspects of the game itself. People of all ages and skill levels can enjoy the game much more so than with tennis. There is room for tennis and pickleball but the allocation currently being made in our town are way off. Please support a significant increase in pickleball courts in Santa Monica through a fairer allocation of existing courts and looking to build dedicated courts. The growth is only going to continue and we should be ahead of the curve and not chasing it. I will point out that for every tennis court that 2 or tops 4 people can enjoy, there is room in that same space for 16 people simultaneously playing on 4 pickleball courts (pickleball is almost always played recreationally as doubles)! 16 happy Pickleballers versus probably 2 tennis players in the exact same space. We all know space is a premium in Santa Monica. Please remedy the situation and help our town better serve its people. Thanks, Jonathan D. Moonves Santa Monica Email: jmoonves@delshaw.com Item 16.F 10/25/22 29 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 45 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Matthew Hines <matthew.a.hines@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 3:36 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Public Comments for City Council Meeting Oct. 25 Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Hello, I would like to express my support for Councilmember Negrete's requests for the Council to investigate building dedicated pickleball courts in SM and/or potentially expanding the Memorial Parks facilities for permanent pickleball use. The city is undersupplied in this rapidly growing sport and there are often 100+ people sharing only 8‐12 courts and only at specified times. Permanent pickleball facilities would benefit the community by creating more space for this physically beneficial sport. I personally play pickleball 3‐4 times a week in Santa Monica and I know these courts bring people from across LA to enjoy Santa Monica's famous weather, community, positive attitude, and welcoming environment. I strongly support Agenda Item #16 for the October 25th City Council meeting. Thank you, Matthew Hines ‐‐ Matthew Alan Hines matthew.a.hines@gmail.com Item 16.F 10/25/22 30 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 46 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jasmyne Boswell <jasmyne@jasmyneconsulting.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 7:54 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear Sirs and Madams, I am a Santa Monica senior resident and since July have been revitalized by playing Pickleball at Memorial Park. On behalf of many of the players, we request the City Council to come up with a fair, equitable solution which maximizes court usage throughout the city build dedicated pickleball courts. We also request the city find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices since Memorial Park is the ONLY park you allow pickleball, and that the city to also build dedicated pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. SMPC believes this to be important, but as it will take years to accomplish, our priorities are for more time available for pickleball at Memorial Park NOW, and for the city to build dedicated courts as soon as possible. This issue is very important to other seniors like myself and people of all ages, genders and races. We thank you in advance for taking our request seriously. Joan Boswell Jasmyne Consulting Writing & Memoir Coach/Editor 808‐268‐5807 jasmyne@jasmyneconsulting.com http://www.jasmyneconsulting.com Zoom‐by appointment Join my email list http://eepurl.com/gqKeR5 and receive 9 Essential Self‐Publishing tips Item 16.F 10/25/22 31 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 47 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Ben Kiel <bpkiel@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, October 20, 2022 6:24 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 - Pickleball EXTERNAL Hi there, I've lived in Santa Monica for nearly eight years, all of which as a renter. For the past year, I have played pickleball at Memorial Park for around 20 hours each week. It's my community, my exercise, and, as someone recently diagnosed with severe depression, a big part of keeping my mental health on a good path. I'm not sure what I would do if I didn't have pickleball. I hope that the council considers the volume of people who play (hundreds every week!), and how important it is to all of us to have this community. Right now we still have to share the courts with tennis, which can be frustrating, since there are many other tennis courts in the city, but not other pickleball options. Ideally we could make the Memorial courts fully dedicated to pickleball - at least until permanent courts can be built. The sport is exploding, and other nearby communities have already made pickleball a big part of their parks and rec planning, and it would be great to see Santa Monica listen to its residents' needs and do the same. Not sure if there are opportunities to put permanent courts at the Santa Monica airport or other locations in the city, but would strongly urge you to consider this. I have (not entirely jokingly) mentioned to friends that if the courts at Memorial are going to go away for a substantial period of time during renovation, I may move out of Santa Monica to be closer to the pickleball facilities in other nearby towns. And regardless, this is the most important issue to me, especially when considering how to vote. Thanks for your consideration, Ben Kiel Item 16.F 10/25/22 32 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 48 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Laurie Dolan <lauriedolan55@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, October 21, 2022 1:12 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; sue.hiummelrich@smgov.net; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David.whjite@smgov.net Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL I have been playing pickleball at Memorial Park since September 2018 ‐ it saved my life after losing my husband. I developed new skills, found the love of the sport, made numerous new friendships, in other words I came back to life. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help us keep it going by making dedicated new courts, or a new location, I play seven days a week, frequent lots of restaurants in Santa Monica, and other businesses. We need your help, don't let us down. Laurie Dolan Item 16.F 10/25/22 33 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 49 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Lauren Krieger <laurenk50@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, October 21, 2022 10:03 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich Subject:Pickleball in Santa Monica EXTERNAL Hello, I am a long term resident of Santa Monica. I live on Yale Street and I am an avid Pickleball player. Please create permanent and dedicated courts at Memorial Park for the residents of Santa Monica. We pay taxes and we are committed to the long term success of this city. There are plenty of other places for tennis to be played. Make Santa Monica a destination site and build 24 to 30 permanent Pickleball course at the Memorial Park site. Nothing else will be substantial enough Thank you. Lauren Eric Krieger, MD Item 16.F 10/25/22 34 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 50 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Deven Khosla <devenkhosla@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, October 21, 2022 4:00 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Deven Khosla Subject:Pickle ball proposal Attachments:PastedGraphic-3.tiff EXTERNAL I am an avid raquet sport enthusiast and have played Tennis most of my life competitively and recreationally. Recently, after not having access to tennis facilities across the city because of 1) shortage of courts from high demand for tennis and 2)reservation systems that favor only those who have time to sit and click right away, 3) Pickleball takeover on Memorial Park, I had to resign myself that I might not be able to pass on my love of tennis to my children without a private club which I am not wanting to spend money on. So I got a pickleball raquet and went to Memorial for a drop in and found it to be fun and will likely go back. I can see the social aspect of the sport and it is a workout but in a different way than tennis. I do find it not palatable that one has to choose between two sports with their own beauty and fun and level of exercise. I would ask to consider an inclusive strategy for the city which would be a model to many other communities facing the same issue with the rising popularity of the pickle ball sport. It is a simple solution, build dedicated courts to support the growth of pickle ball and not at the expense of tennis please. I am sure there will be concern as to cost and I do feel that a business case for this could be made for this given that so many people from LA come into Santa Monica to play pickle ball as the drop in is so much fun for them. The revenue from the money they will spend here in the shops and eateries would increase and help offset the cost. Alternatively, the pickle ball court could charge like the tennis reservations $5 per use. I will point out that the pickle ball players often do not leave for 2+ hours when they arrive which is different from Tennis where those players have to leave after an hour. Instructors for tennis also depend on their livelihood and they are being negatively impacted ‐ this will lead to a loss of that intellectual property if they move to other cities. Thank you for your consideration. Deven Khosla, MD Neurological Surgery FAANS, Board Certified Phone: 310 710 1919 Fax: 424 238 8362 dkhosla@achievebrainandspine.com Item 16.F 10/25/22 35 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 51 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 www.achievebrainandspine.com 2811 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 930 Santa Monica, CA 90403 Item 16.F 10/25/22 36 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 52 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:STEVE REIFMAN <sreifman@verizon.net> Sent:Friday, October 21, 2022 5:33 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 (10/25/22 City Council Meeting) EXTERNAL Hello, My name is Steve Reifman. I am a 28‐year resident of Santa Monica, renter, and SMMUSD teacher. In the summer of 2021 I discovered Pickleball, and I quickly became an enthusiastic player and supporter of the sport. I typically play four times a week at Memorial Park. I am reaching out to advocate for the creation of dedicated Pickleball courts in Santa Monica. Pickleball, as I am sure you know, is the fastest growing sport in the U.Ss and is exploding in Santa Monica. The crowds at Memorial Park seem to increase every week. If you have not seen it, you should come to Memorial Park on Saturday or Sunday and see the volume of people and overall dedication of the players. The beginner nets are consistently packed, so the interest is not only here to stay but growing exponentially. Requests: ‐ Memorial Park is the ONLY location that allows Pickleball in Santa Monica. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual‐purpose tennis/Pickleball courts. Please find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices to allow those four courts to be dedicated to pickleball. o Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis. o Is it fair that SMC requests 3 courts regardless of the number of students or instructors? At the very least, shouldn’t there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio? o Is it fair that tennis classes/instructors/private schools get priority over SMPC for permits when there are other Santa Monica courts they could use? ‐ Please build dedicated pickleball courts to meet the needs of community and volume of players. Locations could include the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. NOTE: the request of dedicated courts at Memorial Park stands until dedicated courts can be built. Why Pickleball?  Pickleball is inclusive; all ages, genders, athletic abilities, income levels, political affiliations, EVERYONE is welcome. And everyone can play; the barrier of entry is low meaning. It’s a quick game to learn (though a hard game to master).  Public schools now teach pickleball in PE. Let’s give the kids a place to play.  Pickleball is everything mental health experts say American’s need: exercise, mental stimulation, social time, and fun.  Pickleball has become a go‐to sport for me with the friends I have made. Regardless of what people get from the sport, it is here to stay and clearly has become a staple for the Santa Monica Community, so let’s do something to embrace what residents and taxpayers in Santa Monica want. Thank you for your consideration and support. Item 16.F 10/25/22 37 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 53 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Steve Reifman Item 16.F 10/25/22 38 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 54 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Robert Elbinger <relbin@yahoo.com> Sent:Friday, October 21, 2022 7:09 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 - Tuesday October 25th Meeting / increase pickleball EXTERNAL Dear City Council, I am a Santa Monica homeowner who plays Pickleball at Memorial Park. The four tennis/pickleball courts at Memorial Park are allocated mostly for tennis. I am in favor of Councilperson Lana Negrete's request that the Council evaluate the current use of the Memorial Park courts for the potential to expand the use for pickleball. The demand for pickleball courts has increased dramatically while most of the City's courts are allocated to tennis. Sincerely, Robert Elbinger By Robert Elbinger 2628 Kansas Ave. Unit 1 Santa Monica, CA 90404 cell phone (310) 279-2109 fax (310) 453-7032 e-mail relbin@yahoo.com Item 16.F 10/25/22 39 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 55 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Shannon Skaff <shannonskaff@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, October 22, 2022 10:44 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Save Reed Park Tennis courts EXTERNAL Dear City Council, While I understand the pickle ball craze that is sweeping LA, I know Santa Monica to be a city that caters to the diversity of its constituents. Tennis remains an extremely popular sport with an avid following. To scrap the tennis courts in favor of pickle ball would be to unfairly punish one community in favor of another. Please find a way to strike a balance, and keep Reed Park available for the tennis community. Thank you, Shannon Skaff Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 40 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 56 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Bryan Goldsmith <Bryan.Goldsmith@networkit.com> Sent:Saturday, October 22, 2022 10:28 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Pickeball at Reed Park Tennis Courts EXTERNAL To whom it may concern I’d like to express my concern with allocating our courts at Reed park for use for Pickleball. We already experience limited availability and this will only make things worse for us. Regards Bryan Goldsmith Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 41 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 57 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Kathy KelleherMcCarthy <kathykelleher@verizon.net> Sent:Saturday, October 22, 2022 6:08 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Sue Himmelrich; kristin.mcgowan@smgov.net; Oscar de la Torre; David White; Cc: Kevin McCarthy Subject:Re: Agenda #16 Oct. 25 Council Meeting EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Councilmembers, I am a longtime Santa Monica homeowner (30+years) and taxpayer. My children were born and raised here, attending Santa Monica public schools from K-12. My husband and I learned of pickleball at the invitation via email from the city parks and rec department, urging us to come for a free clinic to experience this nutty sounding "sport". We did. Soon we were swept up in it, finding it ridiculously fun, addicting, athletic and intensely social, all due to the Santa Monica city's invite. I had never met a friendlier group of people in my life. One woman handed me her paddle when I was just learning to play, and said "did you want to play? Here take my paddle, I will take a break." That woman is still my friend and my husband and I play regularly with her and her husband. Memorial Park, the ONLY tennis courts in the city where we are ALLOWED to play and where pickleball court lines are painted, is central to our life now. When Memorial Park tennis courts were locked due to the pandemic in 2020 March, we were bereft. The city shut down the city run pickleball program following the pandemic, and when the courts reopened, there was a void, In stepped, Ho Nyguen who volunteered daily to stake a claim for us picklers by putting up nets for play at Memorial. Then we formed the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. Now the club spends about $4,000 a month reserving again the only courts where we are ALLOWED to play pickleball. We also have JAMS on weekends from 8am-12pm. Our situation is unique because unlike tennis players in the city, we can ONLY play at Memorial Park tennis courts and JAMS on 8-12pm weekends. Tennis players have options, many. There are 23 tennis courts and an additional 7 tennis courts at SAMO highschool (listed on a tennis website as available public tennis courts) and 2 courts at the Colorado Water Garden which are also Santa Monica city courts managed by a private entity I was told. There also is a city tennis court at Los Amigos Park adjacent to John Muir and SMASH schools. My point is simple: Tennis players, unlike Santa Monica pickleballers, have a surfeit of optional tennis courts to choose from. Most they can walk to within the city, something Santa Monica city planners are exceptionally enthusiastic about promoting and engineering. Moreover, when pickleballers have on occasion tried to use sidewalk chalk or painters' tape to delineate a pickleball court on non-Memorial Park tennis courts, city employees chided them for "defacing public property" and hastily prohibited the use of said tennis courts. So while we are thrilled that the city appears to be ready to move ahead with the Memorial Park redesign and that there are pickleball courts in the plan, there are two outstanding burning issues we'd like to bring to your attention. First, we ask that you create stand alone dedicated pickleball courts that are strictly for pickleball, especially since there is a glut of tennis courts available to tennis players and we have one primary option: Memorial Park. The dual tennis-pickleball courts at JAMS are great but open only 8am-12pm Saturday and Sunday which is not enough time to meet the need. (Hopefully, we will also eventually get pickleball courts at the airport park as well). Item 16.F 10/25/22 42 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 58 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Second, when the demo of the tennis courts happens, which I understand is the first phase of the redesign, we need the city to find us some replacement courts and ALLOW us to play on those tennis courts (we have 16 total pickle courts for the 4 tennis courts at Memorial Park). With so many city tennis courts, especially for a city this size, there should be a way to designate a spot for temporary or permanent pickleball courts to replace the to-be-demolished Memorial Park courts. Additionally, we feel that it is simply not fair for the city to make tennis courts and pickleball courts dual use when the city allows tennis instructors and classes and private schools to have priority over SMPC for permits. Again, when there are a ridiculous number of avaiable tennis courts that they can use this does not make sense or seem equitable. (Why was SMC allowed to tear out their tennis courts then have priority use of the courts at Memorial Park, impinging on taxpaying residents' use of the courts? This is an outrage). We are currently allowed just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickle ony, pickleball would have 19% of all city court time.That means that tennis would still stand as holding a majority of court time at 81%. We observe that SMC has three courts regardless of the number of students there for tennis, and ask that at the very least, there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio. We play pickleball as a family (our children are now 25, and 29, respectively) and have introduced it to neighbors on our street and Santa Monica friends. It replaced beach volleyball for us when we could no longer get a group of committed people to show up. We never fail to meetup and play with pickleballers because the community of players always show up to play. That's because of the joy, health and spirit of community that is inherent to the experience. Please take our concerns seriously and consider what makes sense for the valuable recreational space that is so crucial to the lives of taxpaying Santa Monicans who call this city home. Best Regards, Kathleen Kelleher McCarthy 1206 Grant St., Santa Monica, CA 90405 310-463-3329 cel Item 16.F 10/25/22 43 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 59 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Kathy KelleherMcCarthy <kathykelleher@verizon.net> Sent:Saturday, October 22, 2022 5:38 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Sue Himmelrich; kristin.mcgowan@smgov.net; Oscar de la Torre; David White Cc:Kevin McCarthy Subject:re: set aside pickleball courts for the exploding community of picklers in SMPC et al EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Councilmembers, I am a longtime Santa Monica homeowner (30+years) and taxpayer. My children were born and raised here, attending Santa Monica public schools from K-12. Me and my husband learned of pickleball at the invitation via email from the city parks and rec department, urging us to come for a free clinic to experience this nutty sounding "sport". We did. Soon we were swept up in it, finding it ridiculously fun, addicting, athletic and intensely social, all due to the Santa Monica city's invite. I had never met a friendlier group of people in my life. One woman handed me her paddle when I was just learning to play, and said "did you want to play? Here take my paddle, I will take a break." That woman is still my friend and my husband and I play regularly with her and her husband. Memorial Park, the ONLY tennis courts in the city where we are ALLOWED to play and where pickleball court lines are painted, is central to our life now. When Memorial Park tennis courts were locked due to the pandemic in 2020 March, we were bereft. The city shut down the city run pickleball program following the pandemic, and when the courts reopened, there was a void, In stepped, Ho Nyguen who volunteered daily to stake a claim for us picklers by putting up nets for play at Memorial. Then we formed the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. Now the club spends about $4,000 a month reserving again the only courts where we are ALLOWED to play pickleball. We also have JAMS on weekends from 8am-12pm. Our situation is unique because unlike tennis players in the city, we can ONLY play at Memorial Park tennis courts and JAMS on 8-12pm weekends. Tennis players have options, many. There are 23 tennis courts and an additional 7 tennis courts at SAMO highschool (listed on a tennis website as available public tennis courts) and 2 courts at the Colorado Water Garden which are also Santa Monica city courts managed by a private entity I was told. There also is a city tennis court at Los Amigos Park adjacent to John Muir and SMASH schools. My point is simple: Tennis players, unlike Santa Monica pickleballers, have a surfeit of optional tennis courts to choose from. Most they can walk to within the city, something Santa Monica city planners are exceptionally enthusiastic about promoting and engineering. Moreover, when pickleballers have on occasion tried to use sidewalk chalk or painters' tape to delineate a pickleball court on non-Memorial Park tennis courts, city employees chided them for "defacing public property" and hastily prohibited the use of said tennis courts. So while we are thrilled that the city appears to be ready to move ahead with the Memorial Park redesign and that there are pickleball courts in the plan, there are two outstanding burning issues we'd like to bring to your attention. First, we ask that you create stand alone dedicated pickleball courts that are strictly for pickleball, especially since there is a glut of tennis courts available to tennis players and we have one primary option: Memorial Park. The dual tennis-pickleball courts at JAMS are great but open only 8am-12pm Saturday and Sunday which is not enough time to meet the need. (Hopefully, we will also eventually get pickleball courts at the airport park as well). Item 16.F 10/25/22 44 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 60 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Second, when the demo of the tennis courts happens, which I understand is the first phase of the redesign, we need the city to find us some replacement courts and ALLOW us to play on those tennis courts (we have 16 total pickle courts for the 4 tennis courts at Memorial Park). With so many city tennis courts, especially for a city this size, there should be a way to designate a spot for temporary or permanent pickleball courts to replace the to-be-demolished Memorial Park courts. Additionally, we feel that it is simply not fair for the city to make tennis courts and pickleball courts dual use when the city allows tennis instructors and classes and private schools to have priority over SMPC for permits. Again, when there are a ridiculous number of avaiable tennis courts that they can use this does not make sense or seem equitable. (Why was SMC allowed to tear out their tennis courts then have priority use of the courts at Memorial Park, impinging on taxpaying residents' use of the courts? This is an outrage). We are currently allowed just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickle ony, pickleball would have 19% of all city court time.That means that tennis would still stand as holding a majority of court time at 81%. We observe that SMC has three courts regardless of the number of students there for tennis, and ask that at the very least, there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio. We play pickleball as a family (our children are now 25, and 29, respectively) and have introduced it to neighbors on our street and Santa Monica friends. It replaced beach volleyball for us when we could no longer get a group of committed people to show up. We never fail to meetup and play with pickleballers because the community of players always show up to play. That's because of the joy, health and spirit of community that is inherent to the experience. Please take our concerns seriously and consider what makes sense for the valuable recreational space that is so crucial to the lives of taxpaying Santa Monicans who call this city home. Best Regards, Kathleen Kelleher McCarthy 1206 Grant St., Santa Monica, CA 90405 310-463-3329 cel Item 16.F 10/25/22 45 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 61 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Grace Benn <gepbenn@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, October 22, 2022 6:20 PM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Lynn Soodik Subject:Agenda 16.F EXTERNAL Lynn Soodik sent the following previously as an attachment to her email to the council, but she requested I send her letter in the body of this email to be certain it is included in the public record. She is currently out of the country. Thank you. - Grace Benn Hello, I am Lynn Soodik, a long-time resident of Santa Monica (over 30 years) and a board member of the nonprofit corporation known as the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, hereinafter “SMPC”. We started SMPC in January of this year and now have over 953 members. I am sorry I cannot speak at the meeting as I will be out of town. First, thank you for acknowledging that something must be done for pickleball. I know there is talk about building at the airport, which is great, and will take some time so we need to address the current situation. IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS: 1. Work with the school district and install lights at JAMS and under your joint use agreement allow pickleball only to be played nightly at JAMS from 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm. This does not take away from tennis, it just adds playing time for pickleball. 2. Add lights at Ocean View Park. The city has 6 tennis only courts at this venue. The courts currently close at sundown. You could move tennis instruction and community classes from Memorial Park to Ocean View Park so Memorial Park can be designated 100% pickleball in the evenings. The net result is you add more hours for tennis, just at another location. 3. Negotiate with SMC to build its own courts? (I will address below.) If you can’t do that, only provide them with permits commencing at 11:00 am to allow pickleball to be played from 8:00 am – 11:00 am on courts 1,2 and 3, while continuing to allow SMPC to permit out court 4. SMC uses three courts on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 – 11 and 12:30 – 2, breaking up the day for pickleball players. SMC doesn’t start until 11:00 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 4. Consolidate summer camps so they take less locations, without taking less campers so pickleball play is not taken away in the summer or forced to consolidated on one court. Below are signs that were posted at Ocean View Park on the left and Clover Park on the right. Item 16.F 10/25/22 46 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 62 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.IMG_4721.jpeg I find it interesting that the city doesn’t post a warning like “if you see any vandalism call this number” but they do ask people to call if they see anyone playing pickleball on the courts. Please stop pitting tennis players against pickleball players. I will mention that after these signs were posted on our Facebook page Micah had the insight to have them removed. Also, the sign that says “when an instructor is not on these court’s they are available for the Public” is not sending a good message. It sends a message that public courts first go to tennis instructors who run their business on city courts, but, if they don’t happen to be occupying the space, then you, the taxpaying public, can use the courts. Let me ask each of you a question. Do you think the time available to play tennis vs. pickleball on city courts should be divided 50/50? I think the average person would think that is fair. Or do you think the allocation should be lopsided with a 60/40 split? If your answer is yes, what is the rationale for the uneven allocation? Surely you don’t think a 70/30 allocation of court time is fair, do you? Answer that question for yourself then I hope you are appalled at the facts. Pickleball currently has less than 8% of all available time on the Santa Monica city courts. If Memorial Park become 100% pickleball the division of the playing time on city courts would be 81% of all tennis court time allocated to tennis and only 19% of all city court time allocated to pickleball. Isn’t that astoundingly unfair? But the reality is, pickleball players don’t even have 19% of the time because they don’t have 100% of the time at Memorial Park. Including Memorial Park there are 8823 hours available on city tennis court to be allocated between the two sports (or maybe between tennis players, tennis instructors and pickleball players.) If pickleball even had 40% of the court time at Memorial Park, then the allocation between tennis and pickleball in the city would be 8154 hours for tennis and 669 hours for pickleball or 92% of all court time in the city is for tennis and 8% of all tennis court time in the city is being used for pickleball. If Memorial Park was 100% pickleball, then tennis would still have 7,150 hours of court time on city courts and pickleball would only have 1,673 hours of court time on city courts. If nothing is done, tennis would have 8154 hours of court time on city courts and pickleball would have at most, 669 hours of court time on city courts. Item 16.F 10/25/22 47 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 63 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Please see the notes at the end of this letter if you want to know how I came to my percentages. I have listed the tennis courts in the city and the hours they can be used in the notes. To sum it up: 1. If Memorial is used 40% by pickleball players, which I assume is an overestimate, then if you look at all of the courts in the city 92% of playing time is allocated to tennis and 8% to pickleball. (7150 provided from non Memorial courts + 1011 from Memorial amounts to 8,161 hours available to play tennis and 674 hours to play pickleball.) 2. If you would make Memorial Park all pickleball then the city courts would be allocated 81% to tennis and 19% to pickleball. (7150 hours tennis vs 1685 for pickleball.) I know your mantra is “we don’t want to take away from tennis” but can anyone say that it is even slightly fair that tennis is provided 92% of the available court time and pickleball is relegated to what is left over. We haven’t asked for things to be equal. We are only asking that you don’t permit out the only place pickleball can be played. Also, don’t try to pit tennis against pickleball with those signs. Yes, it is not fair to pickleball players to give them only 19% of the available court time, but can you at least give us that much? Look at my solutions above, you can solve these issues without “taking away from tennis.” We know a pickleball complex needs to be built in the city but until that time comes, make Memorial Park a dedicated pickleball venue. Also, look into SMC building their own courts. Below is SMC space on Bundy. Have them build some courts. They could have practice, classes, and tournaments at this space. (The rendering is for pickleball courts, but you could have three tennis courts. Item 16.F 10/25/22 48 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 64 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. As to the issue of rescheduling SMC, they currently use Memorial Park as follows: 3 courts from 9:30- 11 and 12:30- 2 which is 6 hours a week plus 3 courts on Tuesday and Thursday from 11- 12:35 and 2 courts from 12:45-2:05. Don’t let them schedule before 11:00 am. On October 17, 2022, I was playing pickleball on court two. I was required to vacate the courts at 9:30 am since SMC had three courts reserved. SMC only had ten players for three courts. With one instructor and ten players why do they need three courts while countless pickleball players need to vacate or sit and wait for time to play? I drove to Marine Park. I arrived at 10:00 am and at a few minutes after 10:00 I observed two empty courts and one court with an instructor with four players. I drove to Douglas and observed one court with two players and one court with four players taking instruction. So of the five public courts, two were empty, two had for profit instructors and one court had two players. I wanted to show you another few photos. Courts rules say no permits are issued for peak hours, weekends, 8:00 am – noon and weekdays, 6pm – 8:pm but you let instructors bypass this by teaching through “community classes & camps.” Basically, you are allowing instructors to earn money during peak hours by allowing instructors to run their classes through the city whereby both the instructor and the city makes money. If you put in lights at Ocean View Park you could move community classes to that venue. To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.IMG_0824.jpg Item 16.F 10/25/22 49 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 65 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.IMG_0826.jpg We do want you to build pickleball courts but don’t end this meeting without making more time for us now. Very truly yours, Lynn Soodik Note one: 6 courts at Reed Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am -10 pm. That is 14 hours of playing time a day x 7 days x 6 courts or 588 hours for tennis per week. Multiplied by 4.3 (since a year has 52 weeks not 48) that is 2,451 hours of tennis a month. I will reduce this by 18 hours as the courts are washed once a month and not available for use. 2,451 hours less (3 hours x 1 day x 6 courts) 18 hours = 2,433 hours for tennis only at this facility. Note two: 2 courts at Clover Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am to 10 pm. That is 14 hours of playing time a day x 7 days x 2 courts or 196 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 843 reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 2 courts=6) providing 837 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note three: 6 courts at Ocean View Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am – sundown. (Sundown can be as early as 4:45 pm or after 8:00 p.m. While it probably averages to be 7:00 pm. I will use 6:00 pm which favors the tennis equation) Based on a closing time of 6:00 pm these courts offer 10 hours of playing time a day x 7 days x 6 courts or 420 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 1,806 hours reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 6 courts) 18 hours leaving 1,788 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note four: 2 courts at Douglas Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am to 10 pm. That is 14 hours x 7 days x 2 courts or 196 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 843 reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 2 courts = 6) providing 837 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note five: 3 courts at Marine Park that are tennis only which is open from 8 am to 10 pm. That is 14 hours x 7 days x 3 courts or 294 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 = 1264 hours reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 3 courts=9) 9 hours providing 1255 hours per month for tennis only at this facility. Note six: Memorial Park has 4 courts that are open from 8 am to 10 pm for tennis and pickleball. That is 14 hours x 7 days x 4 courts which is 392 hours a week multiplied by 4.3 for 1,685 hours a month reduced by (3 hours x 1 day x 4 courts) 12 hours providing 1,673 hours to be used by both tennis and pickleball. Item 16.F 10/25/22 50 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 66 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:brody franzen <brodyfranzen@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 10:50 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL To Whom it May Concern‐ I am writing you regarding the topic of demolishing memorial park Pickleball courts. With no other viable alternative locations to play the sport, eliminating these courts will amount to thousands of people losing their favorite recreational hobby. I personally can attest for the hours and hours of fun and new friends that memorial park has provided me as a Santa Monica resident. I implore you to reconsider demolishing these courts, or at least until a suitable alternative location is provided. Respectfully, Brody Franzen Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 51 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 67 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:susan livingston <susanlivingston14@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 8:45 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear City Council Members, My husband and I moved to Santa Monica full time two and a half years ago. We own our own house at 852 22nd Street. We moved from Scarsdale, NY where there are lots of dedicated Pickleball courts. We were shocked to find no dedicated courts here, and so few that we have to share with tennis players. We are both ex-tennis players and only play Pickleball now. We try to play three times a week at Memorial, but the wait time is way too long. Sometimes we will have to wait half an hour to play for 20 minutes. Then wait another half hour to get back on the court. As I'm sure you are aware, there is only one tennis court (converted to 4 PB courts) that we can use. My husband has Parkinson's and has been told by his neurologist that exercise is the best thing for him to help slow the progression of the disease. Pickleball is his favorite form of exercise and it certainly would be a lot better to be playing on the court more, rather than just waiting around. I know there are other tennis courts in SM, but my understanding is that they haven't been approved for PB. PLEASE consider converting the four tennis courts at Memorial to 16 dedicated Pickleball Courts. Pickelball is only going to get more and more popular, and it seems to me that is the fair thing to do. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Sincerely, Susan Livingston Item 16.F 10/25/22 52 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 68 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Eileen T <eileentaschereau@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, October 22, 2022 11:40 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 for Council meeting 10/25/22 EXTERNAL Dear City Council, I am writing to you as a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, regarding the issue of Pickleball Court availability in the City of Santa Monica. I have been living in Santa Monica as a renter for 7 years, and have worked in Santa Monica for 11 years. I have been playing pickleball for 4 years, having been introduced to the game when the City of Santa Monica Recreation Department used to have a pickleball program before it was ended by the pandemic. The sport of pickleball filled a great need for me, as I had to stop playing volleyball due to a shoulder injury. The sport has become very popular, as it is very accessible and fills a need that many people have for a fun, social and competitive way to keep physically active. I have witnessed the great expansion over these past years in the numbers of people coming to the courts to play pickeball. I usually play 2‐3 times per week. I have to spend a long time waiting to play, as the number of players is typically double or triple the available court capacity. This problem of limited court availability for pickleball is something that is very solveable, and I hope that the council will take actions toward alleviating this problem. Currently, the only courts in Sant Monica where Pickleball can be played are at Memorial Park, where the courts are multi‐use with tennis. (Also some limited availability at JAMS, also multi‐use with tennis ‐ weekends only; no lights for after‐dark play.) While there are 19 other public tennis courts in Santa Monica, the 4 courts at Memorial park are the only ones that can be used for pickleball. There is an urgent need for these courts to be allocated/prioritized for pickleball alone. Tennis instructors can use any of the 19 other courts available, whereas when tennis instructors take up the 4 courts at Memorial Park, there is no option for pickleball players. In the short‐term, it would make a big difference for pickleball players if Memorial Park were allocated for Pickleball only. It seems eminently feasible that tennis instructors can make use of other courts available throughout the city rather than taking up the only place that pickleball players can use. In the long‐term, the city sorely needs dedicated pickleball‐only courts. A bare minimum of 16 dedicated pickleball courts would be a good start. Note that the space of one tennis court is equal to four pickleball courts. Therefore a space like Memorial Park with 4 tennis courts equals 16 pickleball courts. There are typically 4 people playing at a time on each pickleball court, so at Memorial park, if all courts are used for pickleball you can have a total of 64 players playing at one time. Even when all courts are available for pickleball, there are often easily more than double the capacity present at the court, so more than 128 players coming out to play. So you can see, there is really a great demand for pickleball court space. Thank you for taking this matter into consideration. Sincerely, Eileen Taschereau Item 16.F 10/25/22 53 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 69 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Hugo Soldier <hugo_soldier@icloud.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 2:43 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Picks all EXTERNAL Hi.. we have heard that Pickleball organization in Santa Monica wants to take over more tennis courts. I don’t know if you guys are fully aware of this, but it is already a shortage of tennis courts for the tennis players and we do not need another sport to take our facilities. Instead, tennis courts should be for tennis play. Thank you for understanding this and instead they should build Pickleball courts so they don’t have to interrupt on the tennis courts. Hugo yuan Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 54 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 70 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Evert Kruse <tennisbykruse@me.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 2:40 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:No pickaball EXTERNAL Hi and thank you for taking your time with this issue, we are Santa Monica Residence and business owners and we have been involved in tennis for over 25 years and we have seen how some tennis facilities have closed down and the facilities left are very hard to get any time play on and the latest is that the pickle ball wants to take over more tennis courts we all feel this is a very bad idea as we already struggling to get courts and with appreciated if tennis courts are left alone for tennis players and not other sports is equal as basketball courts are not made for soccer or roller hockey or other activities hopefully this could be respected, and understood so we can continue with our tennis programs/games here in Santa Monica and not being interfered by Pickleball. Thank you. Evert Item 16.F 10/25/22 55 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 71 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:holly ghilotti <hollyghilotti@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 2:24 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:AGENDA #16 -Support Pickleball Courts EXTERNAL To All Santa Monica Board Members, As a homeowner, landlord and avid pickleball player I feel compelled to encourage those of the SM Board to not only support but grow the sport of Pickleball in our community. I have lived, and or supported SM for over 42 years and this is the first time, i've written the Board. These last few years, for which I've been retired, I have enjoyed the sport of pickleball and currently play 6 days a week. It is no surprise that this 'fastest' growing sport has caught the attention of the young and old alike. As a healthcare worker with a Masters in Public Health, the sport has many attributes, not just for the elderly but all individuals with varying skill levels. To name a few ,Pickball encourages a sense of community, improves social life, hand‐ eye coordination, mental health, reduces sedimentary rate & loneliness, promotes overall well‐being, and in So. Calif., is primarily played outdoors. With 16 individuals playing on the size of 1 tennis court, it is 'land‐use' efficient. Pickleball not only adds to the image but overall value to the city as a whole. There are plenty of studies that support the health benefits of playing outdoor sports/games and with adequate investment, and sports‐marketing, SM could easily make a profit that would be self‐sustaining. (Tournaments) It is quite apparent that the sport has grown so much in SM that players are waiting in line to get into Memorial Park, and that JAMS is now full of players, waiting on courts, on both Saturday and Sunday (thank you JAMS). It is also well known that there are not enough dedicated PB courts yet there are 19 tennis 'only' courts. Memorial Park (MP) also splits time with private tennis classes and private schools, for which I don't see a problem if the time allocated for Pickleball was equal. MP, equal play time, between tennis and pickleball, addresses only MP. The reality is that there are not enough courts in the city to meet the demand. It is clear that pickleball is the sport that requires the board's full attention 'now'. Please consider the matter of equal allocation time of pickleball at MP and look for ways to increase the number of pickleball courts in our community. This will become a matter of high‐priority when MP undergoes its expansion and makeover. Thank you for your consideration, Holly Ghilotti Homeowner/Landlord Item 16.F 10/25/22 56 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 72 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:brody franzen <brodyfranzen@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 12:23 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Kristin McCowan; David White Subject:Fwd: Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Begin forwarded message: From: brody franzen <brodyfranzen@gmail.com> Date: October 23, 2022 at 10:49:42 AM PDT To: councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov Subject: Agenda #16 To Whom it May Concern‐ I am writing you regarding the topic of demolishing memorial park Pickleball courts. With no other viable alternative locations to play the sport, eliminating these courts will amount to thousands of people losing their favorite recreational hobby. I personally can attest for the hours and hours of fun and new friends that memorial park has provided me as a Santa Monica resident. I implore you to reconsider demolishing these courts, or at least until a suitable alternative location is provided. Respectfully, Brody Franzen Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 57 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 73 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Allen Tran <realallentran@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 11:50 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Maintaining Access to Tennis Courts EXTERNAL Hi, I am writing to express concern at the reduced access to tennis courts due to their use for Pickleball (both permitted and not). I’m a long time resident of Santa Monica. While I in favor of the increased outdoor activity and exercise that Pickleball offers, it is unfair that this comes at the cost of access to tennis courts, which are already difficult to access because of overuse, particular at weekends and/or evenings. A fairer solution would be courts dedicated to Pickleball. Otherwise one can imagine pickleball (or any other sport) appropriating other sports facilities at will (why not soccer on basketball courts?). Best Allen Tran Santa Monica 90402 Item 16.F 10/25/22 58 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 74 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:LISA T Kruse <lisetee@hotmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 2:48 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:No more pickleball EXTERNAL Hi , it’s come to my attention that the city of Santa Monica is looking to readdress some of the tennis courts into Pickleball courts. As a tennis player and resident of SM , I will speak against this action. I already can’t get enough hours on the courts. I don’t think it’s fair that tennis is being eliminated when it’s actually growing in popularity and there aren’t enough courts. It’s is also very distracting when a large group plays next to me. It seems to be a fad like racket ball was years ago. Thank you Lisa Magneson Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 59 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 75 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Katy Higgins <khiggins11989@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 5:04 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:SMPC for Memorial Park EXTERNAL Hello, I’m writing this email to request the city find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices since Memorial Park is the ONLY park you currently allow pickleball. Pickleball has been the only good thing to come of the pandemic for me‐ I made new friends, have stayed active, and have LOVED finding a new hobby. Every weekend I meet new people at this wonderful community. It deserves a place at memorial park. In the meantime, I would also like to request the city builds dedicated pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. SMPC believes this to be important, but as it will take years to accomplish, our priorities are for more time available for pickleball at Memorial Park NOW, and for the city to build dedicated courts as soon as possible. I will be attending the meeting on Tuesday, and I absolutely beg you to reconsider what you’re doing to SMPC at memorial park. ‐Katy Higgins Item 16.F 10/25/22 60 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 76 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jami Miyamoto <swamisan@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 11:10 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear City Council members, As a Santa Monica homeowner and business owner I am advocating for permanent pickleball courts in Santa Monica. As you know pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America right now and I’d like to see my city be in the forefront of this national trend. Here is what I as a 37 year resident and 65 year old senior knows about pickleball in Santa Monica:  There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual purpose tennis/pickleball courts. Is this fair for pickleball players?  Memorial park allows tennis classes, instructions, and practices from PRIVATE instructors and PRIVATE SCHOOLS. Is that fair when there are many other tennis courts for them to play at. They also get priority over SMPC for permits when there are other Santa Monica courts they could use.  Pickleball is enjoyed by all ages, genders and athletic abilities. It is especially enjoyed by seniors like me who need more venues to keep fit.  Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis.  Public schools now teach pickleball in PE and they love it. Kids need practice courts. I’ve seen 14 year old boys play with 60 year old women on the pickleball courts.  The courts at Memorial Park can be filled with up to 64 pickleball players vs. 8 tennis players. Please find an alternative location for tennis classes, instructions and practices other than Memorial Park. Please build dedicated pickleball courts at the interim Open Space at the Santa Monica Airport. When Memorial Park is being remodeled, please find an alternative space for people to play at. Pickleball people are fanatical about the sport. They have to play. At Memorial Park we get pickleball visitors from all over the country. I just played with someone from Seattle and Westport, Conn. LET’S MAKE SANTA MONICA A PICKLEBALL DESTINATION FOR PLAYERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. CABO SAN LUCAS IS DOING IT, WHY NOT US? THERE’S MONEY FOR THE CITY IN PICKLEBALL!!! Thank you! Jami Miyamoto 37 year resident of Santa Monica 25 year homeowner in Santa Monica Parent of a child that went to all the Santa Monica Public School Parent of a child that plays pickleball Item 16.F 10/25/22 61 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 77 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Santa Monica, CA 310‐210‐1442 studioroja@gmail.com Studio RoJa Santa Monica, CA 310‐210‐1442 swamisan@yahoo.com Item 16.F 10/25/22 62 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 78 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Sharon Hearn <sjhearn@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 9:35 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Regarding:Agenda #16 Dear Santa Monica City Council Members, I am writing as a longtime homeowner in Santa Monica, since 1979, and pickleball player at Memorial Park. I play pickleball 4 -5 days a week and it has improved both my physical and mental health. My pre-diabetes numbers have come down and I have found a sense of community that I hadn’t had before. The Santa Monica Pickleball Club (SMPC) welcomes all at Memorial Park. It is a place where you can come alone as a beginner and always be welcomed into a game, as I was at my first pickleball game at Memorial Park. I would like to request that the city find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices since Memorial Park is the ONLY park where pickleball is allowed. Due to its popularity with players of all ages there is a need for more access to pickleball courts in Santa Monica. I am also hoping that the city can build more dedicated pickleball courts as soon as possible. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual purpose tennis/pickleball courts. Is it fair that tennis classes/instructors/private schools get priority over SMPC for permits when there are other Santa Monica courts they could use? Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Sincerely, Sharon Hearn 1323 Maple St. Santa Monica 90405 Item 16.F 10/25/22 63 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 79 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Jessica Improta <jessica.improta@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, October 23, 2022 6:37 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Pickleball courts EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council, I am writing to add my voice to the concerns regarding the current state of pickleball courts in the city. I am a Santa Monica resident of more than 20 years, and an avid and active Pickleball player of more than a year. As the pandemic wind, and I found much of my friend group moving out of town, I found an incredible new outlet in the Pickleball community just be on my front door. Over the last year alone, I’ve witnessed firsthand the skyrocketing growth occurring at Memorial Park and quite frankly we have vastly outgrown these courts. On any given day, especially days in which the Santa Monica pickleball Clubhouse reserved courts, you will find dozens to hundreds of people backed up waiting to play. It’s hard enough to continue to have to share with tennis players, on second rate courts, in one of the most wealthy cities. It will be disastrous for the community should you choose to tear down these courts anytime in the near future without a matching or surpassing venue at the ready. As you know, it is already a consistent point of frustration that in what is virtually the only place to play in the city, tennis instruction continues to occur, kicking off pickleballers who have nowhere else to go. Considering there are so many tennis courts available around the city, it makes no sense that there can’t be at least one dedicated facility to this incredibly fast growing sport. I would also like to voice support to creating a facility at the unused space at the airport. There are many communities around the country, in which real Investment is going into Pickleball, with even some fees involved, and the popularity and participation is off the charts. Imagine if we had a space in which Pickleball felt accommodating, and allowed people to both play recreationally and train for higher level events, which I am trying to do myself. It’s frustrating to see counties like Ventura county starting to really put time and energy into what the community is asking for. You can’t turn on the tv or read a news outlet without a new pickleball article or story popping up. I understand that tennis has the historical advantage, and in fact I was a Division I college tennis player, but nothing offers the community, camaraderie, and health benefits for such a wide swath of people as Pickleball. It is also incredibly fun and some thing that can be played at every range of age in every type of body. Not everything has to be incremental. A big bold action would be welcomed and supported by thousands. But at the least please: 1) relocate tennis from Memorial parks to any of the other facilities that cater to tennis and dedicate Memorial Park strictly to pickleball. The can play elsewhere. We cannot. 2) please do not tear down memorial park courts even temporarily as that would be disastrous for this growing and vocal community. Item 16.F 10/25/22 64 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 80 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Thank you for your consideration. Jessica Improta, LCSW Item 16.F 10/25/22 65 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 81 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) |W -N FE =[)YO LU Santa Monica City Council will decide/ |THERE!aeage ne =fe eg else ne |*Tadedicate:Pickleball at Memoriah/-? QO CT 95??move Tennis instruction to other parks. TUESDAY |*Build dedicated courts at the future 6:30 Pp M |=site of Open Space @SM Airport. *Where to play when Memorial?s courts Santa Monica cityHal,:are razed and developed in early 2023. end Floor,room 250 4.S.ye a 1685 Main Street 90401 aa It?s urgent that we have as many ; ah . f i people there as possible,or we might lose our courts for several Parking next.door.at333??---|.years,as no other option has been r Wa v offered.Let?s sav Civic Cente tes/y every go mins.$14"|,save our courts, EREEfor 1st 30 minu together! max CCsiaccepted.?| If unable to attend,please emai]your ?Let?s show our Council Members what a concerns to!72 atEe,passionate,and co-oe .mmitted gr councilmtgitems@ santamonica.gov ?we are.Sroup with subject Agenda #16 By midnight on the 24th ?Y Item 16.F 10/25/22 66 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 82 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Nancy Wolf <nswolf18@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:00 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Pickleball at Memorial Park EXTERNAL Good Morning, I understand that there is planned demolition and development at Memorial Park. I urge you, in whatever you plan, to make sure that there is a sufficient location for people to play pickleball. I’m sure you are aware of pickleball’s popularity and how it is the fastest‐growing sport. Personally, pickleball has been a life‐saver for me. I recently moved to California, without knowing anyone. Learning to play pickleball at Memorial and being able to continue to play several times a week has not only kept me physically active, but it also has given me a place to socialize and meet people. I was injured for several months recently, and my mental health definitely declined without being able to play pickleball and have that social and physical outlet. Pickleball can offer this to people of all ages. It is vital to our community to maintain sufficient court space to play. I urge you to find alternative locations for tennis classes, instruction and practices since Memorial Park is the ONLY park where you currently allow pickleball. During the summer when you rent out the space to Santa Monica College, so many pickleball players are displaced with nowhere to go, while may tennis courts sit unused. I also request that you strongly consider building dedicated pickleball courts at the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. While this will take years to accomplish, I encourage you not to lose focus on what should be your priority— more time available for pickleball at Memorial Park now, and build dedicated courts as soon as possible. Please help keep the mental and physical health of our community at it’s best. Keep courts available at all times for pickleball players. One more thing I’d like to point out—the economics are in favor of allowing pickleball. You can charge the same court fee as tennis, but 4 groups can play on one tennis court. So, Santa Monica gets more revenue from pickleball than tennis, while satisfying the needs of more people at the same time. If you haven’t tried playing pickleball yourself, I encourage you to come to Memorial Park to try it and see what all the fuss is about. Thank you for your time and consideration, Nancy Wolf (on behalf of myself, my husband Jim and my daughter Sophie who all are addicted to the sport) Item 16.F 10/25/22 67 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 83 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Eva Myers <ejohnmyers49@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:39 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Fwd: Delivery Status Notification (Failure) EXTERNAL ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <mailer‐daemon@googlemail.com> Date: Sun, Oct 23, 2022 at 12:21 PM Subject: Delivery Status Notification (Failure) To: <ejohnmyers49@gmail.com> Address not found Your message wasn't delivered to councilmtgitems@santaminica.gov because the domain santaminica.gov couldn't be found. Check for typos or unnecessary spaces and try again. LEARN MORE The response was: DNS Error: DNS type 'mx' lookup of santaminica.gov responded with code NXDOMAIN Domain name not found: santaminica.gov Learn more at https://support.google.com/mail/?p=BadRcptDomain ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Forwarded message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ From: Eva Myers <ejohnmyers49@gmail.com> To: councilmtgitems@santaminica.gov Item 16.F 10/25/22 68 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 84 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Cc: Bcc: Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2022 12:21:02 ‐0700 Subject: Agenda #16 My wife and I are homeowners in Santa Monica since 2006. My wife is a graduate of SM high school. Our daughter attended SM high school as well. We would like to strongly urge the Council to dedicate pickleball courts at Memorial Park currently and to ultimately build dedicated pickleball courts at the future site of Open Space at SM Airport. We are avid players in our late fifties and early sixties who rely on this form of exercise to keep healthy and in shape. Thank you for your consideration in this important matter. Eva and John Myers Item 16.F 10/25/22 69 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 85 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:kevin chapman <chapkevi@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 10:13 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Cc:Cindy Gold Subject:Agenda Item #16 EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council Members, My name is Kevin Chapman. I am a home owner in Santa Monica, and have lived here for 11 years. I am an avid pickleball player, and am quite concerned that Santa Monica has very few options for play. Tennis currently dominates court availability in Santa Monica with 19 of 23 courts designated as tennis only. Demand for pickleball court time is intense, and frequently wait times for play are long. If you work, like I do, the times you are able to play are limited, and long wait times are prohibitive. It is disheartening to see vacant tennis courts when there are such long lines for pickleball time. I am writing to encourage you, as city council members to strongly consider expanding access to pickleball in Santa Monica. Pickleball is an amazing activity for people of all ages. My wife and I are 63, and we would play every day if we could get on courts. Needless to say this is great activity for us that we can continue for many, many years. We routinely play with outstanding players in their 80s as well and young players in their teens and 20s. Pickleball is an outstanding activity for the people of Santa Monica. It’s true, that we can access courts in Pacific Palisade, or pay for court time in Beverly Hills, but it would be far better for us to have access to courts near by. Also, we frequently dine with friends after pickleball, and these activities should support Santa Monica businesses. I strongly encourage the Santa Monica City Council to increase the availability of pickleball courts to improve the health and well being of the citizens. Thank you for your consideration. Best, Kevin Chapman CSO, Prellis Biologics, Inc. 519 Stassi Ln Santa Monica, CA 90402 Sent from my iPad Item 16.F 10/25/22 70 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 86 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Karen Morrison <karen_624@msn.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 10:55 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 Pickleball in Santa Monica EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council members I am writing to support the ever expanding group of people who play pickleball in this city. I have lived in Santa Monica for 21 years and have been a homeowner for 10 of those. I feel very fortunate to live here despite disagreeing with some of the City Council's decisions over that time. I hope my request to improve facilities for pickleball will not be one of them. For those of you who have not heard, though I think it unlikely as pickleball is becoming a BIG thing, pickleball is inclusive; all ages, genders, athletic abilities, income levels, political affiliations, EVERYONE is welcome. It’s a quick game to learn (though a hard game to master). It is also everything mental health experts say American’s need: exercise, mental stimulation, socialization, and fun. All great attributes I think you would agree? And something that should be encouraged? The Santa Monica Pickleball club has embraced all the positive properties of the game and has created a wonderful community of picklers here in this city. The club membership has grown considerably and has really outgrown the facility that is currently available to them, namely courts shared with tennis at Memorial Park. I go to Open Play most Monday and Wednesday evenings and have a great time, apart from the increasing waiting times between games! The courts are full from 5 - 10pm with many people waiting for their turn to play. I used to sometimes go to play on weekends but I gave up on that as it was just too busy. It's great to have these courts but we definitely need more! I understand there are 23 tennis courts available for public play in Santa Monica, but only 4 are dual purpose pickleball and tennis. And of those 4 some are often taken up by tennis lessons, sometimes with only one coach and client! I understand tennis is also a great sport but does not appeal to such a wide demographic as pickleball, and getting people out there to exercise is important. Let's create more places for those people to play! Please consider increasing the number of tennis courts available for pickleball. I'm sure if a study of tennis court usage was carried out in Santa Monica the findings would show that they are not fully utilized and a better distribution of pickleball and tennis throughout the city could be promoted. Additionally, future development of dedicated pickleball court venues really should be considered as a longer term plan If you doubt the positive vibes it brings to all who play come along to Memorial Park and see! Pickleball is here to stay so let's not be a city that is slow in welcoming it! Karen Morrison Item 16.F 10/25/22 71 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 87 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) RICHARD GOLDENSON 1217 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 3293 Santa Monica, CA 90403 310.358.3393 • Richard@SantaMonicaTennis.com Dear Santa Monica City Council and Santa Monica Parks and Recreation Commission: I have been a contract instructor for the City of Santa Monica Parks and Recreation Department since 1996. I have been the coach of the SMC women’s tennis team since 2001 and I have taught tennis classes for the general student body at SMC since 2001. I know, based on my experience, that tennis players, college tennis classes, private tennis instructors, high school and college tennis teams, and individual players already find it difficult to obtain sufficient court time. I am aware that a group of pickleball players, of which I am told a majority are not Santa Monica residents, want the tennis courts at Memorial Park to be “pickleball only” and to take away a limited resource and an amenity that the Santa Monica residents and tennis players have enjoyed, and continue to need, since the 1920s. Here are some facts about tennis court usage at Memorial Park: 1) Santa Monica College has been using the tennis courts at Memorial Park for tennis classes, and the SMC women’s tennis team practices there, since 2000 or earlier per a contract between the college and the City. 2) Crossroads School uses the tennis courts at Memorial Park for its students and both boys and girls tennis teams and tennis tournaments, all of which generates revenue for the City of Santa Monica 3) Many private instructors teach regularly on the Memorial courts, and pay a fee to the City of Santa Monica each hour they do so. 4) I have been the camp director of youth tennis camps for the City of Santa Monica since 1996, and the +-City has run tennis camps for children for the past 20 years at Memorial Park during the summer, winter and spring which otherwise would have to limit use of Ocean Park, Reed Park and Douglas Park courts if Memorial was not available, not to mention the camps have been consistent revenue generators for the City for over 20 years. 5) The City of Santa Monica also conducts group tennis classes for youth and adults at Memorial tennis courts, another revenue generator for the City. 6) As a contract instructor for the City of Santa Monica since 1996, I can assure you that tennis court availability does not meet the demand for tennis players’ needs – every day I am asked where there is an available tennis court. I am aware that the pickleball players are an organized group of people and are very vocal in expressing their needs and desires to the Santa Monica City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission. Unfortunately, rather than organizing to construct pickleball courts, the group has organized to take away tennis courts from tennis players. I wish the pickleball folks would Item 16.F 10/25/22 72 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 88 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) promote their interests without taking away the tennis courts from other groups like the children that use the tennis courts at Memorial Park; the high school students such as Crossroads School that use the courts for classes, team practices and tennis tournaments; the college students who take tennis classes and use the courts for team tennis practices; and the camps that are held at Memorial Park during the Summer, Winter and Spring vacation breaks. It is unlikely the children of Santa Monica and students from Crossroads and SMC will be vocal and press their self-interest to the Council; lack of expression does not equate to lack of need. Please know that the loss of the Memorial tennis courts will hurt many groups of Santa Monica residents ranging from children in lessons and camps, to high school students in classes and on teams, to college students in classes and on teams, to private instructors needing courts to teach on, to individual players who already find it very difficult to find a court to play on. I believe pickleball opportunities can and should be promoted without taking away critically limited facilities for tennis players. I am also aware that the pickleball players play in Venice whenever the Memorial courts are closed for washing, so it is not clear to me the Memorial courts are needed by the pickleball players, most of whom are not Santa Monica residents even. I do not agree with the “zero-sum” approach being used by the pickleball group. I keep thinking that if the pickleball group would organize to create facilities for themselves, that might be best. Perhaps pickleball facilities can be constructed at the airport, or along the beach, or by re- purposing a parking lot. I ask that you please think of everyone when you discuss the issue of taking away tennis-playing opportunities. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Richard Goldenson Item 16.F 10/25/22 73 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 89 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Cindy Gold <cindygoldphoto@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 12:45 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 F EXTERNAL Dear Council Members, I am a home owner in Santa Monica and have lived here most of my life. I am an avid pickleball player, and am concerned that Santa Monica has very few options for play. Tennis currently dominates court availability in Santa Monica with 19 of 23 courts designated as tennis only. Most often the tennis courts remain empty while the Demand for pickleball court time is overwhelming and frequently wait times for play are too long. If you work, like I do, the times you are able to play are limited, and long wait times are prohibitive. It is disappointing to see vacant tennis courts when there are such long lines for pickleball time. I am writing to ask you, as city council members to strongly consider expanding access to pickleball in Santa Monica. Pickleball is an amazing activity for people of all ages. My husband and I are 63, and we would play every day if we could get on courts. Needless to say this is a great activity for us that we can continue for many, many years. We routinely play with outstanding players in their 80s as well and young players in their teens and 20s. Pickleball is an important activity for the people of Santa Monica. Also, we frequently dine with friends after pickleball, and these activities support Santa Monica businesses. I strongly encourage the Santa Monica City Council to increase the availability of pickleball courts and find an alternative while the Memorial courts are under construction. This improves the health and well being of the citizens, residents and patrons of Santa Monica. Thank you for your consideration. Best, Cindy Gold 519 Stassi Lane Santa Monica,California 90402 Item 16.F 10/25/22 74 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 90 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Ben Sharples <bensharples@mac.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 12:42 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda item number 16F EXTERNAL To whom it may concern, My name is Ben Sharples, and I’m a Santa Monica tennis instructor. I’ve been teaching tennis close to 20 years, and the explosion of interest in tennis during and since the pandemic is something I’ve never seen before. The number of existing tennis courts in Santa Monica‐ at Ocean View, Reed, Memorial, Douglas, Marine and Clover Parks‐ is already extremely limited, and it is very difficult for players and instructors to get court time, especially during prime time hours. The amount of people who want to play tennis far exceeds the number of courts available, and this leads to at best, frustration, and at worst, altercations. I’ve seen the gamut. If Memorial Park were to lose its four tennis courts, the recreational play, private and group lessons, city camps and classes, Santa Monica College classes and teams, high school and middle school practices and matches that take place there would have to all be re‐routed to the other Santa Monica locations, making it even more difficult to get courts. I worry that this would lead to even more frustration among tennis patrons and as a result, more altercations. While I support that pickleball players should be able to enjoy their sport, it should not come at the expense of tennis players and instructors and their already limited facilities. Taking tennis courts away from tennis players is not the answer. Pickleball should have their own courts. Best, Ben Sharples Item 16.F 10/25/22 75 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 91 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Cohen, Rick <RCOHEN@buchalter.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 12:17 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Pickleball Expansion EXTERNAL I have been a resident of Santa Monica since 1974 and an avid user of Santa Monica’s wonderful public tennis courts since 1976. I an writing in the hope that the availability of those courts will continue long into the future and without diminution in favor of pickleball. If one is a consumer of the news, as I am, it is just not possible to be unaware of the growing popularity of pickelball. But a a member of Santa Monica’s tennis loving community, I am also acutely aware of how frustrating we find it that court time has become harder and harder to secure. Pickleball will no doubt continue to surge in popularity for some time, but that suggests to me, at least, that perhaps pickleball ought to have built for it some dedicated facility or facilities ‐ not that tennis, always popular and loved by those who play it, should see its facilities shrunk. And that is precisely what I fear will be a very predictable result of expanding pickleball at Memorial Park. I hope that Santa Monica can see its way here to addition rather than subtraction, that a solution can be found to accommodate the growth of pickleball other that on a zero sum basis with pickleball as the winner and tennis losing out. Buchalter Rick Cohen Partner Emeritus T (213) 891‐5120 F (213) 630‐5647 RCOHEN@buchalter.com 1000 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1500 Los Angeles, CA 90017‐1730 https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.buchalter.com__;!!OfuUnHCITYtmmjM!oVVuo3zJY_7TJrpAJYBcBPSozPyBW9C juL‐50glpp9CQdhn3rLPGe2D8Pu8_JjVQAw1X1RXK6WUqsIhBZ4pGHlxNAzz8$ Notice To Recipient: This e‐mail is meant for only the intended recipient of the transmission, and may be a communication privileged by law. If you received this e‐mail in error, any review, use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e‐mail is strictly prohibited. Please notify us immediately of the error by return e‐mail and please delete this message and any and all duplicates of this message from your system. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. For additional policies governing this e‐mail, please see https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.buchalter.com/about/firm‐ policies__;!!OfuUnHCITYtmmjM!oVVuo3zJY_7TJrpAJYBcBPSozPyBW9CjuL‐ 50glpp9CQdhn3rLPGe2D8Pu8_JjVQAw1X1RXK6WUqsIhBZ4pGHp2BBJLS$ . Item 16.F 10/25/22 76 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 92 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Karen Chen <kitchenkfc9@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 1:25 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Hi Santa Monica City Council, I am a homeowner in Santa Monica, and have lived here for over 2 years. I discovered Pickleball in Santa Monica during the pandemic and have found it to be a hugely revitalizing and necessary part of my life, and seemingly of hundreds of others! Because it's so important to my day‐to‐day life (I play 6 days a week!), I find this to be one of the most important items to vote about this year. And socially, I've met a majority of my friends here thanks to Pickleball and it's expanded my exploration with them at local restaurants and shops because of its close vicinity to downtown Santa Monica. Key points: 1. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual purpose tennis/pickleball courts. What is a fair allocation for courts? a. Is it fair that tennis classes/instructors/private schools get priority over SMPC for permits when there are other Santa Monica courts they could use? b. Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis. c. Is it fair that SMC requests 3 courts regardless of the number of students or instructors? At the very least, shouldn’t there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio? 2. Pickleball is inclusive; all ages, genders, athletic abilities, income levels, political affiliations, EVERYONE is welcome. And everyone can play; the barrier of entry is low meaning it’s a quick game to learn (though a hard game to master). 3. Public schools now teach pickleball in PE, and even major celebrities are investing in Pickleball such as Lebron James, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees. 4. Pickleball is everything mental health experts say American’s need: exercise, mental stimulation, social, and fun. Thank you for listening to someone like me! Karen Item 16.F 10/25/22 77 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 93 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Sean Pinney <sean.pinney@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 1:25 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16 EXTERNAL Hi, play pickelball several times a week over at Memorial Park and really enjoy the experience. Recent SM resident and would like this to continue and be developed. Please don’t allow this program to die. Thanks, Sean Pinney 1534 17th Street #203 Santa Monica, CA 90404 Item 16.F 10/25/22 78 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 94 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Kenia Alvarado <keniaalvaradof310@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 2:01 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:16F EXTERNAL Hello I’m a student at Santa Monica College I play tennis at the tennis court. Please don’t take my privileges of using the tennis court. I enjoy playing and having my free time at the courts. Tennis is my physical activity I do and easy to access. Thank you 16F Item 16.F 10/25/22 79 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 95 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Lynn Bowers <lynn31751@hotmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 2:15 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; David White; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre Subject:Agenda item #16 EXTERNAL I am a 24 year homeowner in Santa Monica and a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. I play Pickleball 3 to 4 mornings each week at Memorial Park. This sport provides physical and mental exercise, social interaction with others from Santa Monica and is just plain fun. It is important to me to have access to Pickleball courts in my local community. Pickleball is inclusive; all ages, genders, athletic abilities, income levels, political affiliations, where all are welcome. Everyone can play; the barrier of entry is low meaning it’s a quick game to learn and enjoy. We need more Pickleball courts in Santa Monica, where this sport can be played year round. Currently, there are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual purpose tennis/pickleball courts. Is it fair and appropriate that tennis classes/instructors/private schools get priority over Santa Monica Pickleball Club for permits when there are other Santa Monica courts they could use? Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis. Is it fair and appropriate that Santa Monica College requests 3 courts regardless of the number of students or instructors? At the very least, shouldn’t there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio? Public schools now teach pickleball in PE. Let’s give the kids a place to play. I am asking that Council to come up with a fair, equitable solution which maximizes court usage throughout the city. Additionally, I request they build dedicated pickleball courts. The building will take time, but the reallocation of court time could be immediate. Thank you for your consideration. Lynn Bowers 2408 34th St. #1 Santa Monica, CA 90405 Item 16.F 10/25/22 80 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 96 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 81 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 97 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Ai Takamori <takamori@scta.usta.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 2:20 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda #16F EXTERNAL To whom it may concern, We received notice that the tennis courts at Memorial Park are in danger of being converted to pickleball courts. Tennis is essential in the City of Santa Monica as it provides programming to junior tennis players of all ages; there is currently no youth programming for pickleball. There are also a dozen tennis tournaments in the city that help fund these junior programs. WIthout these courts, these tournaments will cease to exist. Pickleball is a hobby, whereas tennis provides millions of dollars in college scholarships to athletes every year. I also hear that the pickleball players are out there drinking, which can result as a nuisance to the community. Pickleball may be a fad now but tennis will always be a sport of a lifetime. Thank you. Ai Takamori Assistant Director, Junior Tennis United States Tennis Association | Southern California Los Angeles Tennis Center | P.O. Box 240015 | Los Angeles, CA 90024 | M‐F 9am‐5pm (310) 208‐3838 | Takamori@scta.usta.com | ustasocal.com To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you received this email in error please notify the system manager. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of USTA Southern California. The USTA Southern California accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Item 16.F 10/25/22 82 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 98 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Esther Hendershott <ehendershott@scta.usta.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 2:36 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:In support of Tennis EXTERNAL Hello Santa Monica City Council ‐ As Director of Community Tennis, I am very concerned about the sudden surge of Pickleball and the urgency to take away public park tennis courts for Pickleball. Public parks are where most families learn and play tennis. Under‐ resourced youth are provided opportunities to learn and play at no cost ‐ low cost in these programs. Taking courts away from the tennis providers will negatively impact many families who rely on the tennis programs offered at Memorial Park and other Santa Monica park sites. Pickleball is a for‐profit entity. Tennis is a non‐profit organization that supports local area programs and park & recreation facilities. The Santa Monica Collective is a tennis provider and USTA Member organization in good standing. They are a non‐profit organization that runs community classes and summer camps at Memorial Park. Some schools use the tennis courts for practice. A vibrant tennis community at Memorial Park has existed for many years. Please consider the following: Pickleball can have 4 pickleball courts on one tennis court and 8 with two tennis courts. Please view Memorial Park with four tennis courts. To give two courts to pickleball gives them eight courts leaving tennis with two courts. Giving pickleball more courts removes tennis's ability to exist at Memorial Park. This will negatively affect community clinics, junior team tennis, and events to grow and promote the sport of tennis. There is also a noise factor associated w/ pickleball that is increasingly becoming problematic in neighborhoods where pickleball fails to share in meetings. Other behaviors are not provided, such as pickleball players who enter and sit on the benches during tennis classes where children play tennis and refuse to leave. Parents have expressed concerns about having adults no one knows seated on the benches during the class despite requests to wait outside the tennis court. This is happening at Memorial Park, and it continues to occur. Does the City have policies regarding photos being taken and unknown adults sitting on benches to watch young kids play? This should not be ignored by the City Parks & Rec Department. It seems to be a tactic to make families feel uncomfortable and intimidate the tennis provider. We are aware of the misrepresentations about tennis and the photographs of empty tennis courts taken by pickleball Ambassadors. The same can be said and done about pickleball. There are dead hours when tennis players are either at work or school. We can share photos of empty pickleball courts too. We are most concerned about the tactics used and the misrepresentation given about tennis. We understand pickleball is not going away. We know we will need to learn to co‐exist, but it should not be at the expense of losing our tennis courts because of these misrepresentations and tactics against tennis. We want pickleball to respect our sport, our active tennis community, and its families and learn to co‐exist with us. The USTA SoCal supports keeping the tennis courts at Memorial Park as tennis courts. Thank you. Respectfully, ‐‐ Esther Hendershott Item 16.F 10/25/22 83 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 99 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Director of Community Tennis & NJTL United States Tennis Association | Southern California Los Angeles Tennis Center | P.O. Box 240015 | Los Angeles, CA 90024 (310) 824‐5560| ehendershott@scta.usta.com | ustasocal.com To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. Item 16.F 10/25/22 84 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 100 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jennifer Beckerman <jenbeckerman@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 3:27 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16 EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council Members, As a long time resident of Santa Monica, Santa Monica small business owner and a member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, I would like to ask that Pickleball be made a priority in our city. There are over 1000 members, plus several hundred local non‐members, relying on a dedicated space to play. Where will we go with no dedicated courts while the city shuts down memorial park for several years? There are SO MANY tennis courts in Santa Monica and only ONE place we are allowed to play pickleball. Every other city in Los Angeles and in the U.S. is prioritizing the fastest growing sport in the nation. Please make space for us all and allocate dedicated courts to the pickleball community. We will only continue to grow as more people come out to play every week. It has brought a sense of community in a way I have never experienced in my nearly 20 years living and working in Santa Monica. Kind Regards, Jennifer Beckerman Item 16.F 10/25/22 85 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 101 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Tizoc Campos <tizoc.campos@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 3:15 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:PIckleball at Memorial Park - Agenda #16 EXTERNAL To Who is May Concern Good Afternoon and my name is Tizoc Campos. I have been a Santa monica resident for about 10 years. I currently rent a unit off Ocean Park Blvd and absolutely love the city of Santa Monica. As you are probably aware, I'm here to voice my concerns about the pickleball courts. If you've never visited these courts, they're completely oversaturated with people waiting to play Monday to Sunday during all available pickleball times. On any Saturday morning, you're looking at 16 pickle ball courts, with 64 people playing while there's another 120 waiting to get in game. Yes its insane but as you may have heard, its not going away. This sport allows all age groups to play/compete and grow regardless of limitations. I used to play tennis but now in my 50's, I have limited movement. But in this sport, its like I'm 20 again and playing against kids half my age. Now when you compare what Santa Monica racquet sports options, its pretty depressing for pickle/paddleball. Paddle Tennis, you have to go venice to play PIckle ball Memorial or Jams(Saturdays/Sundays)am only. But there are no other courts. Tennis on the other hand has 22 Dedicated courts, so its definitely no comparison. In my opinion, it might be best to either: 1‐Build up if its cost effective. So it would be indoor pickleball with Tennis on the upper level. 2‐ There are 6 baseball/softball fields there which take up a ton of space. More than half the season there is an adult league that can only use 2 of the 4 fields on the north side because adults hit the ball much further. Remove the North West Field and expand with another 4 tennis/16pickle ball courts. Item 16.F 10/25/22 86 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 102 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 OR, you work with JAMS Middle School to add lights and expand courts there if possible. Overall, this is an important issue and we're counting of urgent attention to this matter. I will you all tomorrow and looking forward to hearing some good feedback. Regards Tizoc Campos Item 16.F 10/25/22 87 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 103 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jennifer Weber <jenniferweber007@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 6:06 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:RE: AGENDA ITEM 16F! EXTERNAL I and MANY other friends who play tennis absolutely abhor the idea of dedicating these courts at memorial park to be committed to pickleball. These are the best tennis courts, recently repainted, free to the community, NO SUPERVISION so that we tennis players can have access to the court. We want access as tennis players to these courts, they are continuously taken over by pickle ballers who can play in any parking lot, any driveway any basketball court. I and my friends love memorial park "Tennis" courts. The pickleball community is New, so they need to wait their turn! They are generally rude, and don't care that they NEVER share the courts... Go see for yourselves. try to go wait and play tennis. Please vote NO and don't even allow for the Pickleballers...UNLESS it's 1 court for pickleball and then THEY have to wait!!! Let them see how it feels to wait to get onto a court! They will be on 1 court for Hours, they just don't care. Tennis is historical and these beautiful courts should be devoted to "tennis" pickle ball requires much less space. Thank you. Jennifer Weber 310‐500‐8705 Santa Monica Residence Subject: Request of Councilmember Negrete to direct the City Manager to develop construction and annual maintenance cost estimates and evaluate the impacts of constructing courts dedicated to pickleball on the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport adjacent to Airport Park as soon as possible while supporting other current and planned uses on the Interim Open Space. The City Manager is also being asked to produce a schedule of permitted and open recreational use of the tennis / pickleball courts at Memorial Park and evaluate the potential to expand the use of the courts at Memorial Park for pickleball. ‐‐ Jennifer Weber 310.500.8705 Item 16.F 10/25/22 88 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 104 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Susan Kanner <suedives2@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 6:44 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:SM Pickleball Please! EXTERNAL I will keep this brief…..Please create more Pickleball opportunities for us in Santa Monica! I am a homeowner who just took up this sport and would love to have an SM community for Pickleball but we need more courts! Thank you ‐ Susan Kanner 2930 Neilson Way Unit 410 Santa Monica Item 16.F 10/25/22 89 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 105 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:CATHY RODGERS WARD <nscrw@g.ucla.edu> on behalf of nscrw@ucla.edu Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 6:40 PM To:councilmtgitems; councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Cc:lsoodik@lynnsoodik.com Subject:Agenda Items #16 -October 25th - Pickleball Courts in Santa Monica EXTERNAL Dear City Council Members, As a Santa Monica resident for the past 34 years, I am writing in support of pickleball courts in the city of Santa Monica. Pickleball is a sport for all ages and can be played outdoors year‐ round. Many tennis players have converted to pickleball. I am requesting the City find an alternative location for the tennis classes at Memorial Park on 14th St., (since this is the ONLY park that allows pickleball) so that pickleball players can have a chance to play at an already crowded facility. I also support the plan to build dedicated pickleball courts by the Santa Monica Airport before renovating the courts at Memorial Park so that we have a place to play during that renovation or provide an alternative for that time period. I have recently completed a cross country tour of the United States and EVERY city I encountered has available pickleball courts. Let’s show the world Santa Monica can step up also and provide the facilities we need to enjoy this health‐promoting sport! Thank you! Cathy Rodgers Ward 122 Hart Avenue 310‐498‐6106 Item 16.F 10/25/22 90 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 106 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Kevin McCarthy <kmac1206@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 7:09 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Sue Himmelrich; kristin.mcgowan@smgov.net; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Re: Agenda #16 Oct. 25 Council Meeting EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Councilmembers, I am a longtime Santa Monica homeowner (30+years) and taxpayer. My children were born and raised here, attending Santa Monica public schools from K-12. My wife and I learned of pickleball at the invitation via email from the city parks and rec department, urging us to come for a free clinic to experience this nutty sounding "sport". We did. Soon we were swept up in it, finding it ridiculously fun, addicting, athletic and intensely social, all due to the Santa Monica city's invite. Memorial Park, the ONLY tennis courts in the city where we are ALLOWED to play and where pickleball court lines are painted, is central to our life now. When Memorial Park tennis courts were locked due to the pandemic in 2020 March, we were bereft. The city shut down the city run pickleball program following the pandemic, and when the courts reopened, there was a void, In stepped, Ho Nyguen who volunteered daily to stake a claim for us picklers by putting up nets for play at Memorial. Then we formed the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. Now the club spends about $4,000 a month reserving again the only courts where we are ALLOWED to play pickleball. We also have JAMS on weekends from 8am-12pm. Our situation is unique because unlike tennis players in the city, we can ONLY play at Memorial Park tennis courts and JAMS on 8-12pm weekends. Tennis players have options, many. There are 23 tennis courts and an additional 7 tennis courts at SAMO highschool (listed on a tennis website as available public tennis courts) and 2 courts at the Colorado Water Garden which are also Santa Monica city courts managed by a private entity I was told. There also is a city tennis court at Los Amigos Park adjacent to John Muir and SMASH schools. My point is simple: Tennis players, unlike Santa Monica pickleballers, have a surfeit of optional tennis courts to choose from. Most they can walk to within the city, something Santa Monica city planners are exceptionally enthusiastic about promoting and engineering. Moreover, when pickleballers have on occasion tried to use sidewalk chalk or painters' tape to delineate a pickleball court on non-Memorial Park tennis courts, city employees chided them for "defacing public property" and hastily prohibited the use of said tennis courts. So while we are thrilled that the city appears to be ready to move ahead with the Memorial Park redesign and that there are pickleball courts in the plan, there are two outstanding burning issues we'd like to bring to your attention. First, we ask that you create stand alone dedicated pickleball courts that are strictly for pickleball, especially since there is a glut of tennis courts available to tennis players and we have one primary option: Memorial Park. The dual tennis-pickleball courts at JAMS are great but open only 8am-12pm Saturday and Sunday which is not enough time to meet the need. (Hopefully, we will also eventually get pickleball courts at the airport park as well). Second, when the demo of the tennis courts happens, which I understand is the first phase of the redesign, we need the city to find us some replacement courts and ALLOW us to play on those tennis courts (we have 16 total pickle courts for the 4 tennis courts at Memorial Park). With so many city Item 16.F 10/25/22 91 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 107 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 tennis courts, especially for a city this size, there should be a way to designate a spot for temporary or permanent pickleball courts to replace the to-be-demolished Memorial Park courts. Additionally, we feel that it is simply not fair for the city to make tennis courts and pickleball courts dual use when the city allows tennis instructors and classes and private schools to have priority over SMPC for permits. Again, when there are a ridiculous number of avaiable tennis courts that they can use this does not make sense or seem equitable. (Why was SMC allowed to tear out their tennis courts then have priority use of the courts at Memorial Park, impinging on taxpaying residents' use of the courts? This is an outrage). We are currently allowed just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickle ony, pickleball would have 19% of all city court time.That means that tennis would still stand as holding a majority of court time at 81%. We observe that SMC has three courts regardless of the number of students there for tennis, and ask that at the very least, there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio. Please take our concerns seriously and consider what makes sense for the valuable recreational space that is so crucial to the lives of taxpaying Santa Monicans who call this city home. Best Regards, Kevin McCarthy 1206 Grant St Santa Monica 90405 Item 16.F 10/25/22 92 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 108 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:English Man <isaytomato@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 7:09 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda item #16 - From local resident/homeowner Kennedy Taylor EXTERNAL Dear Council Members, Many thanks for the work you do in an era of democracy that sometimes feels like it’s on the wane. My name is Kennedy Taylor; I’m a homeowner in Santa Monica (1760 10th st) and proud resident since 2011. I’m sure you’re all aware of the burgeoning pickleball community. I came across the game 4 years ago when it was still under the auspices of the city. I was immediately struck by the fact that it gave me access to a wide demographic of Santa Monica society in a very inclusive and welcoming manner. The physical barrier to entry is low and soon my wife and I were playing with a lovely multitude of ages and backgrounds. Since that time the court at Memorial Park has become something of a mecca. Young people are flocking to the sport. I understand it is being taught in schools, too. My Samohi alum die‐hard tennis addict son, Archie is now a convert. This momentum will only grow. It would seem to me that Pickleball is a lovely addition to our community and every effort by the council to foster it would be much appreciated. Tennis is important but I hope you can see your way to accommodating Pickleball’s growth and increasing our share of the asphalt pie, as it were. Many thanks in advance, Kennedy Taylor 323.253.4649 Item 16.F 10/25/22 93 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 109 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Debbie Mahdessian <debbie@tedanddebbie.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:03 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting Attachments:2022-10-23 18-41.pdf; USTA Parks_Rec_Pickleball.pdf; Statement-of-guidance FINAL.pdf EXTERNAL Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country.  2021Tennis Figures‐ 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States  2021 Pickleball Figures1‐4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures‐USTA So Cal Membership 2021 ‐35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal‐ just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number)  Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non‐lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct.  There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica.  Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)‐ new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk‐ 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)‐ Item 16.F 10/25/22 94 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 110 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2  In 2021‐22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps.  2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting o Private Instruction‐Unlike Pickleball‐ licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play‐ This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared  DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball  There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights  There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non‐lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Debbie Mahdessian Lifelong Santa Monica Resident Santa Monica Homeowner Santa Monica Business Owner Parent of 5 children who attend/attended SMMUSD and who all play tennis‐ from NCAA to certified teaching pros to nationally ranked Jr. All of which came through the public Community Classes ,team tennis, and local tournaments in Santa Monica. Item 16.F 10/25/22 95 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 111 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3  Attached is the misleading flyer pickle ball players and ambassadors are circulating online and in person regarding pickleball in Santa Monica. o o o o Item 16.F 10/25/22 96 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 112 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Meri Weingarten <meribw@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 7:43 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Pickleball courts EXTERNAL I have been a resident of Santa Monica since 1988. I started playing Pickleball when I retired earlier this year. Dedicated courts would help us enjoy playing in Santa Monica and allow us to play even if we don’t own a net. I often play in Westchester since there are more courts available. I prefer to play in Santa Monica. Dedicated courts please! Thank you for your consideration. Meri Weingarten Item 16.F 10/25/22 97 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 113 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Emma Stanford <emma@alumni.upenn.edu> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 7:25 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL To Santa Monica council, I am a member of Santa Monica pickle ball club and have been playing there for over a year. There are hundreds of people who play here on a weekly basis, and pickle ball has made such a difference to our lives, helping people connect and stay active. I would be devastated if the courts get taken away for a few years for a development, as it would really reduce my quality of life and happiness and connection as well as so many other great people. Please care for the people of Santa Monica and retain these courts as the community will fall apart if this is taken away from us Regards Emma Stanford Item 16.F 10/25/22 98 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 114 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Alex Nazarov <usaalexnaz@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:24 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16 EXTERNAL Hi, Please do not give up tennis courts to pickle ball, make them new ones. Our kids deserve a chance to play tennis. Thanks, Alex Item 16.F 10/25/22 99 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 115 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Danielle L <danielle.davies.litak@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:20 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Save tennis EXTERNAL Hello City Council. In reference Agenda 16 F ‐ please oppose giving more tennis courts to pickle ball. It has been extremely hard for my kids and I ti play tennis this year. There are only 25 courts in Santa Monica and over 1300 tennis members trying to share them all. Pickel ball is taking many of the courts. Tennis though is still a loved sport. We are having a very hard time getting courts and coaches are too. Making it almost impossible for kids and adults to learn and play tennis . We oppose giving more tennis court space to Pickle ball. Thank you for your time and all that you do as a city council member. Thank you! Danielle Litak Santa Monica resident Mother to two SMMUSD kids Item 16.F 10/25/22 100 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 116 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:maya goldenson <mayagoldenson14@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:20 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL Dear City Council, I have been attending my dad's tennis camp at Memorial Park since I was about six years old. I hope this opportunity to play tennis at memorial park isn't taken away from me and my friends. We can all share Memorial Park. Below I have cut and pasted an article that shows a study that tennis is the #1 growing racket sport. Tennis in recent years has grown more than "pickleball, badminton, table tennis and padel combined, and has largely been driven by a rise in popularity amongst young people and communities of color." To take this opportunity to play tennis from many people, especially children hoping to learn more about tennis, is wrong. Thank you for time and consideration. Sincerely, Maya Goldenson, age 13 Recent surge in tennis participation outpacing all other racquet sports, study finds June 22, 2022 With an increase of nearly 5 million players since 2019, tennis participation in the United States is outpacing that of all other racquet sports, according to new analysis from Sports Marketing Surveys. SMS released this and other data as a follow‐up to the Physical Activity Council’s (PAC) Participation Report, an annual study that reports and monitors more than 120 different sports and activities participated in by Americans. Earlier this year, the USTA announced the PAC study's latest findings: that more than 22.6 million players took to the court in 2021, a 4.5% increase from 2020 and a 27.9% increase from 2019. Tennis participation has grown by 4.9 million tennis players over the last two years, an increase that has outpaced that of pickleball, badminton, table tennis and padel combined, and has largely been driven by a rise in popularity amongst young people and communities of color. In 2021, participation among youth ages 6‐17 grew by half, from 4.6 million in 2019 to 6.9 million; over the same period, participation among Hispanic and Latino players increased by 60% (2 million in 2019 to 3.2 million) and participation among Black and African American players increased by nearly 44% (1.6 million in 2019 to 2.3 million.) Item 16.F 10/25/22 101 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 117 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 “We are incredibly energized by the tremendous growth our sport has seen these past two years, and especially gratified that this growth is being driven by young players and new communities,” said Mike McNulty, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “The USTA built a strong foundation for growth, and we are now seeing the results of all of that hard work.” To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Doubles team playing. Data from the Tennis Industry Association also reported upticks in racquet sales last year, with increases of 22.7% in total units (3.4 million units) and 46.2% in total dollars ($122.9 million) as compared to 2020. The 3.4 million wholesale racquet units represents the largest year‐end racquet unit total since 2010, while the $122.9 million in racquet dollar shipments is the largest year‐end total on record. Tennis is for everyone, and everyone can tennis. Are you ready to play? The USTA is here to help you have fun and stay active, no matter your level. So what are you waiting for? Let's Tennis. Subscribe https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/03/20/tennis‐participation‐bounced‐even‐higher‐in‐2021‐up‐279‐since‐ 2019/?sh=67828bdd45f5  To help protect yMicrosoft Office pautomatic downlopicture from the USTA Foundatioparticipation incr In recent year, there's been a resurgence of tennis participation in the U.S. Pictured here is a ... [+] Manuela Davies/USTA Last year saw yet another “net” increase in people playing tennis. The Physical Activity Council (PAC) has just served up their 2021 report on sports, fitness, and recreation participation in the U.S. And for a second year in a row, the results were smashing for tennis. Over 22.6 million people raised a racket last year, which was an upward bounce of about a million players or a 4.5% increase from 2020. Speaking of making a racket, a report from the Tennis Industry Association also revealed another positive swing in racket sales with 22.7% more rackets being sold for a 46.2% increase in sales dollars in 2021 compared to the year before. Assuming that one person didn’t buy 3.4 million rackets, this increase in racket sales was another sign that more and more people are now playing tennis. That, of course, is good news if you are in the tennis industry and bad news if you happen to be a tennis ball. But it also may be very positive from a public health standpoint. Tennis can not only be a lot of fun (and a lot of pun), it can help people of all ages stay more physically active and socially and intellectually engaged as well. This would be especially important for the youth of America because didn’t Whitney Houston sing something about the children being our future? Dan Faber, Chief Executive of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Foundation, described how tennis can Item 16.F 10/25/22 102 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 118 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 “keep kids active and engaged. Close to 14 million youth live in poverty. Close to 75% of crimes are committed by high school dropouts. There is also the childhood obesity issue. These are things that the USTA Foundation can focus on.” Last July, I already reported for Forbes how tennis had successfully courted around four million new players (for a 22% increase) during the first year of the pandemic. With social distancing in place in 2020, tennis offered everyone a way to get exercise and social interaction while remaining at least one Federer (because Roger Federer is a little over six feet tall) away from each other. Apparently, that’s how many people saw 2020, so to speak. And such momentum seemed to carry into 2021. Over the two year period from 2019 through 2021, tennis has experienced a 27.9% boom in participation, adding around 4.9 million players. That’s an impressive return for a sport that not too long ago seemed to be on the downswing in the U.S. PROMOTED To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.2021 US Open - Day 13 The National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network helped develop Robin Montgomery, seen here ... [+] Getty Images While the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and its yucky spike proteins may have contributed to this recent spike in tennis participation, don’t overlook the continuing efforts of the USTA Foundation and the tennis community in general to break down barriers to playing. Despite what the sport can offer, over the years one stereotype has been weighing tennis down like a sweater vest made out of sandbags: the perception has been that tennis is somehow only a sport for the elites, the wealthy. Sure, tennis equipment and court time can often seem pricey, too pricey for those who don’t have more resources. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. The USTA Foundation has been trying to change that image. Faber explained that his “charge is to make sure that underrepresented communities have more access to tennis.”   Item 16.F 10/25/22 103 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 119 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Reckamp, Karen, M.D. <Karen.Reckamp@cshs.org> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:25 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting Attachments:USTA Parks_Rec_Pickleball.pdf; Statement-of-guidance FINAL.pdf EXTERNAL Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country.  2021Tennis Figures‐ 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States  2021 Pickleball Figures1‐4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures‐USTA So Cal Membership 2021 ‐35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal‐ just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number)  Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non‐lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct.  There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica.  Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)‐ new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk‐ 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)‐ Item 16.F 10/25/22 104 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 120 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2  In 2021‐22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps.  2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting o Private Instruction‐Unlike Pickleball‐ licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play‐ This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared  DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball  There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights  There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non‐lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Karen Reckamp, MD, MS Director, Division of Medical Oncology Associate Director, Clinical Research Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine Cedars-Sinai Cancer karen.reckamp@cshs.org office 310-423-7197 : fax (310) 423-7182 Item 16.F 10/25/22 105 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 121 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 IMPORTANT WARNING: This message is intended for the use of the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged and confidential, the disclosure of which is governed by applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this information is strictly prohibited. Thank you for your cooperation. Item 16.F 10/25/22 106 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 122 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Lisa Lashkari <lisa.massey11@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:39 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis courts EXTERNAL > To whom it may concern, > > I am writing this letter to inform you that it would be a shame to > further transform Santa Monica public tennis courts into pickle‐ball courts. There are very few public tennis courts in Santa Monica at this present time. Furthermore, there are always long wait times to play tennis which only confirms the popularity of this sport and, my personal favorite, in the city I call home. I understand that pickle‐ball has become very popular and that there is higher demand for more courts. The solution, however, is not to reduce the number of public tennis courts in the process. We have already seen this transition occur as Memorial Park has converted their four tennis in to pickle‐ball courts. Our community from young to old would be very sad to see tennis further transition into a private club sport if fewer tennis courts were available. There needs to be another solution. > > Yours, > > Lisa > Item 16.F 10/25/22 107 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 123 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Ben Rekhi <ben@reunitedstates.tv> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:36 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis courts EXTERNAL Dear council members, I love tennis and have been playing regularly in Santa Monica as a resident for the past few years . I hear there’s a movement to take more tennis courts and turn them into pickle ball courts. That just doesn’t seem right. I know there’s a lot of other things to worry about in the world, but I think this new sport should do what sports have done over time, build new courts. Please save the tennis courts :). Thank you so much for your consideration, Ben Rekhi Item 16.F 10/25/22 108 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 124 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Mary <maryrpierce@hotmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:33 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16F EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council, Please note that I oppose giving more tennis court space to Pickle ball. There are limited courts for tennis, and this will unfairly penalize tennis players who have been playing in Santa Monica for some time. Mary Pierce Get Outlook for iOS Item 16.F 10/25/22 109 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 125 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Plaza Loans <plazaloans@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:31 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis Courts EXTERNAL Good Morning, Please please do not take the courts away. My grand daughter only plays tennis. We have had problems to get any free court , and also her instructor has had much problem to get tennis courts. Please build somewhere else for the Pickle ball players. It is not fair to take it away from us to give it to them Not fair at all. What do you want me to say to my grand daughter? Thank you thank you, thank you. Sincerely, Albert Partovi Item 16.F 10/25/22 110 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 126 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Paren Knadjian <parenk@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:31 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Oscar de la Torre; David White Cc:SMPC Board Subject:City Council Meeting - 9.25.22 Agenda Item 16 F EXTERNAL My name is Paren Knadjian. I am a resident of Santa Monica, and a regular pickleball player. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the United States. There are an estimated 5 million people playing nationwide, double the number from just five years ago. And it is very popular in Santa Monica. At peak, on Saturdays and Sundays, we estimate that over 300 players play pickleball at Memorial Park per day. The number of tennis players there rarely exceeds 20. It’s tempting to dismiss pickleball as a fad. But with so many people of different ages and backgrounds coming together at a time when social activity and camaraderie feel increasingly rare, any activity that can foster community must surely be taken seriously. Santa Monica has many events that bring people together – Heal the Bay, music events, food tastings – but these events are annual or every few months. A strong social network event is occurring daily, indeed hourly, at Memorial Park. And unlike online social networks that are engineered to profit from our divisions, this in‐person social network is building friendships, providing entertainment, and improving people’s health. Studies have found that societies with low social capital suffer higher rates of crime and worse physical health. On the other hand, community level, cross‐ class connections are the greatest booster of trust and cooperation. I would argue that the pickleball community we have built in Santa Monica is the greatest source of social capital we have right now. We are not asking for much beyond what is already planned. We ask for a delay in the Memorial Park expansion until there is an alternative destination for pickleball. We ask that the redeveloped Memorial Park courts are dedicated to pickleball and that the other tennis courts that Santa Monica owns are used for tennis camps, tennis instructions, and general open play. More ambitiously, we propose that the city build a new dedicated world‐class pickleball complex for tournaments and open play at Santa Monica Airport. Imagine the publicity and economic benefits that a destination sporting attraction would bring to the city from the influx of visitors and advertisers. It's time for the Santa Monica Council to take action on this sport, not as a reluctant follower, but as an enthusiastic leader. Thank‐you. Paren Knadjian Item 16.F 10/25/22 111 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 127 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Julie MacIntosh Levin <julie.m.levin@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:42 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting EXTERNAL Santa Monica City Council, Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country.  2021Tennis Figures‐ 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States  2021 Pickleball Figures1‐4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures‐USTA So Cal Membership 2021 ‐35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal‐ just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number)  Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non‐lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct.  There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica.  Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)‐ new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk‐ 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)‐ Item 16.F 10/25/22 112 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 128 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2  In 2021‐22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps.  2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting o Private Instruction‐Unlike Pickleball‐ licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play‐ This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared  DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball  There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights  There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non‐lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Julie MacIntosh Levin Tennis player and mother to three current junior tennis players, all of whom have developed their skills on Santa Monica tennis courts Item 16.F 10/25/22 113 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 129 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Peter Fox <petekfox09@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:54 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Regarding Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL Hello, My name is Peter Fox and I am writing this letter in regards to the Pickle Ball vs Tennis debate/issue in Santa Monica. I am a tennis teacher in Santa Monica and I have been teaching as an instructor for the Community Classes Office as well as a private instructor since 2005. I have seen the tennis program grow greatly over that time in Santa Monica along with, recently, the sport of Pickle Ball. But more specifically, both of these sports have grown exponentially in the last few years in the face of COVID due to them being outdoor sports with space between participants. As a result, the competition for time on tennis courts has become fierce, making it downright unpleasant for both instructors and the general public to find a court in both arenas. As the situation has grown more tense in recent months it occurs to me that the solution is not to argue over access to the courts, which essentially shrinks each group's accessibility, but rather to increase each group's accessibility by increasing opportunity. The argument should not be one of "fairness" to current court capacity, but one of, "How do we provide more access for both groups?" The answer to that question is unequivocally to build more Pickle Ball courts that the community will have access to. This will not only solve the problem of the territorial issue between Tennis and Pickle Ball players but can be a great source of revenue to the city. By building Pickle Ball courts you are building a Pickle Ball Program that can make a great deal of money for the city. Pickle Ball lessons, classes, court rental fees, etc. can all be a revenue generator for the city just like tennis is now. Also, based on the growth of the sport, there is tremendous potential there to generate revenue. Moreover, this will produce greater opportunity to generate greater revenue overall. If you just swap Pickle Ball for Tennis at Memorial Park you are merely swapping the source from where you generate your revenue, not expanding it. And based on the fact that SMC, middle schools, high schools and 2 courts of private instructors will all have to be displaced, this seems like a solution that will produce more problems than it will solve. I can't stress that point enough: IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CREATE MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT WILL SOLVE! While I am aware that building courts can be expensive, I also know the Pickle Ball community is very open to a fund raising effort to have a "home of their own." Perhaps the city can strike a fundraising agreement where the city will match the funds raised by the Pickle Ball community dollar for dollar based on the assumption that there will be a classes and teaching program structured similarly to the tennis program that generates revenue for the city and pays for its own upkeep. And the crossover of athletes between these two sports will actually increase public participation in both sports even more, thereby generating more revenue and more accessibility. It should be all about more, more, more not less, less, less. Historically, whenever there is growing competition over limited space, the solution becomes more volitale in the short term and more difficult to solve in the long term. Correspondingly, in the face of providing fairness to different groups vying for similar treatment the best solution has always been to increase access rather than limiting it. I urge you to really consider the long term benefits of how to properly solve this issue. The pressure from both sides will always try to put their personal interests first. I won't try to convince you that I am writing this letter without keeping my own interests at least a little bit in mind, but I can honestly say that I want to find the BEST solution for everyone involved Item 16.F 10/25/22 114 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 130 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 and I know for certain that taking space and accessibility away from either group will not solve the issue. Please consider the possibility of expansion and cooperation in finding the solution to this debate as opposed to the alternative. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Pete Fox Item 16.F 10/25/22 115 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 131 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Marisa Seiss <mseiss@me.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:49 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16F EXTERNAL Please do NOT give more space to pickle ball. Thank you, Marisa Seiss Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 116 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 132 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Marisa Seiss <marisa.seiss@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:49 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16F EXTERNAL Please do NOT give more space to pickle ball. Thank you, Marisa Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 117 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 133 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Jesslyn Hutton <jesslynhutton@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:46 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis courts EXTERNAL Good evening, It has been brought to my attention that there is discussion to replace or renovate the tennis courts with pickleball courts at the Reed park facilities. My son has been taking lessons there for years, and I am concerned that continuing to have the courts available for kids lessons and practice will be impacted with this change. I am writing to implore you to reconsider altering or removing the existing tennis courts. It is hard enough to get court time without this change. Thank you so much for your time. Warmest Regards, Jesslyn Kahler Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 118 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 134 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 Vernice Hankins From:Jennifer Harris <jennleetex@aol.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 8:42 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Re: agenda 15 EXTERNAL Please do NOT increase Pickleball court spaces in Santa Monica at the expense of tennis courts. My family has lived here since 2009 and own a house on Marine St and children go to Grant Elementary: Out whole family and all our friends play tennis weekly. It’s already difficult to get court times. Again, please do support agenda 16 F expanding Pickleball courts at Memorial Park. Regards, Jennifer and Scott Harris Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 119 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 135 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jennifer Weber <jenniferweber007@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:06 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:RE: Agenda # 16F EXTERNAL Pickle Ball should be played Anywhere, but a tennis court. Pickle ball is NOT tennis… it’s glorified Ping Pong, practically paddle tennis for the beach. See Below, and SAVE our tennis courts. Recent surge in tennis participation outpacing all other racquet sports, study finds June 22, 2022 With an increase of nearly 5 million players since 2019, tennis participation in the United States is outpacing that of all other racquet sports, according to new analysis from Sports Marketing Surveys. SMS released this and other data as a follow‐up to the Physical Activity Council’s (PAC) Participation Report, an annual study that reports and monitors more than 120 different sports and activities participated in by Americans. Earlier this year, the USTA announced the PAC study's latest findings: that more than 22.6 million players took to the court in 2021, a 4.5% increase from 2020 and a 27.9% increase from 2019. Tennis participation has grown by 4.9 million tennis players over the last two years, an increase that has outpaced that of pickleball, badminton, table tennis and padel combined, and has largely been driven by a rise in popularity amongst young people and communities of color. In 2021, participation among youth ages 6‐17 grew by half, from 4.6 million in 2019 to 6.9 million; over the same period, participation among Hispanic and Latino players increased by 60% (2 million in 2019 to 3.2 million) and participation among Black and African American players increased by nearly 44% (1.6 million in 2019 to 2.3 million.) “We are incredibly energized by the tremendous growth our sport has seen these past two years, and especially gratified that this growth is being driven by young players and new communities,” said Mike McNulty, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “The USTA built a strong foundation for growth, and we are now seeing the results of all of that hard work.” To help protect yMicrosoft Office pautomatic downlopicture from the Doubles team pla Data from the Tennis Industry Association also reported upticks in racquet sales last year, with increases of 22.7% in total units (3.4 million units) and 46.2% in total dollars ($122.9 million) as compared to 2020. The 3.4 million wholesale racquet units represents the largest year‐end racquet unit total since 2010, while the $122.9 million in racquet dollar shipments is the largest year‐end total on record. Item 16.F 10/25/22 120 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 136 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Tennis is for everyone, and everyone can tennis. Are you ready to play? The USTA is here to help you have fun and stay active, no matter your level. So what are you waiting for? Let's Tennis. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2022/03/20/tennis‐participation‐bounced‐even‐higher‐in‐2021‐up‐279‐since‐ 2019/?sh=67828bdd45f5  To help protect yMicrosoft Office pautomatic downlopicture from the USTA Foundatioparticipation incr In recent year, there's been a resurgence of tennis participation in the U.S. Pictured here is a ... [+] Manuela Davies/USTA Last year saw yet another “net” increase in people playing tennis. The Physical Activity Council (PAC) has just served up their 2021 report on sports, fitness, and recreation participation in the U.S. And for a second year in a row, the results were smashing for tennis. Over 22.6 million people raised a racket last year, which was an upward bounce of about a million players or a 4.5% increase from 2020. Speaking of making a racket, a report from the Tennis Industry Association also revealed another positive swing in racket sales with 22.7% more rackets being sold for a 46.2% increase in sales dollars in 2021 compared to the year before. Assuming that one person didn’t buy 3.4 million rackets, this increase in racket sales was another sign that more and more people are now playing tennis. That, of course, is good news if you are in the tennis industry and bad news if you happen to be a tennis ball. But it also may be very positive from a public health standpoint. Tennis can not only be a lot of fun (and a lot of pun), it can help people of all ages stay more physically active and socially and intellectually engaged as well. This would be especially important for the youth of America because didn’t Whitney Houston sing something about the children being our future? Dan Faber, Chief Executive of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Foundation, described how tennis can “keep kids active and engaged. Close to 14 million youth live in poverty. Close to 75% of crimes are committed by high school dropouts. There is also the childhood obesity issue. These are things that the USTA Foundation can focus on.” Last July, I already reported for Forbes how tennis had successfully courted around four million new players (for a 22% increase) during the first year of the pandemic. With social distancing in place in 2020, tennis offered everyone a way to get exercise and social interaction while remaining at least one Federer (because Roger Federer is a little over six feet tall) away from each other. Apparently, that’s how many people saw 2020, so to speak. And such momentum seemed to carry into 2021. Over the two year period from 2019 through 2021, tennis has experienced a 27.9% boom in participation, adding around 4.9 million players. That’s an impressive return for a sport that not too long ago seemed to be on the downswing in the U.S. PROMOTED Item 16.F 10/25/22 121 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 137 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.2021 US Open - Day 13 The National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network helped develop Robin Montgomery, seen here ... [+] Getty Images While the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and its yucky spike proteins may have contributed to this recent spike in tennis participation, don’t overlook the continuing efforts of the USTA Foundation and the tennis community in general to break down barriers to playing. Despite what the sport can offer, over the years one stereotype has been weighing tennis down like a sweater vest made out of sandbags: the perception has been that tennis is somehow only a sport for the elites, the wealthy. Sure, tennis equipment and court time can often seem pricey, too pricey for those who don’t have more resources. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. The USTA Foundation has been trying to change that image. Faber explained that his “charge is to make sure that underrepresented communities have more access to tennis.”  ‐‐ Jennifer Weber 310.500.8705 Item 16.F 10/25/22 122 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 138 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Lexie Heredia <lexieheredia@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:04 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis Courts in Santa Monica EXTERNAL To whom it may concern, I was writing as i heard that the pickleball association is trying to hijack tennis courts in Santa Monica, which is very upsetting. Tennis instructors' income depends on their access to these city courts, and as a resident of Santa Monica and a recent student of one of these instructors, I do not think this is fair. I understand that pickleball has picked up in popularity, however if that is the case, and given that they have many wealthy older players involved, I do not understand why they cannot figure out a way to build their own courts. They obviously require much less room, however as tennis players, we can only play on these regulation courts. To me, it seems like this would be the equivalent of taking over all the basketball courts for roller hockey, or beach volleyball courts to play badminton - that is not why these places exist. If the courts were always empty, that would be one thing, but the fact is that it's extremely difficult to reserve them as it is because of their popularity. Please do not take our tennis courts. Sincerely, Alessandra Heredia 1218 9th St., Santa Monica Item 16.F 10/25/22 123 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 139 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Katherine Bauer <katherinebauer111@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:04 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:reference Agenda 16 F re: tennis vs. pickle ball EXTERNAL Hi, I am reaching out to say that I oppose giving more tennis court space to pickle ball players. It is very difficult to book courts for lessons and on weekends for playing games. My understanding is that pickle ball can be set up on other courts (like basketball or other hard surfaces) with a portable net, so my hope is they can find other spaces to play and allow the 1300+ tennis members to continue to use the limited space in Santa Monica to play tennis. Thank you for your time and consideration. Best, Katherine Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 124 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 140 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 Vernice Hankins From:Mina T. Son <minatson@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:02 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting EXTERNAL Please DO NOT agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country. • 2021Tennis Figures‐ 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States • 2021 Pickleball Figures1‐4.8 million pickleball players ◦ So Cal Figures‐USTA So Cal Membership 2021 ‐35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal‐ just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number) • Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non‐lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct. • There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica. • Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. ◦ CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)‐ new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk‐ 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS ◦ COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)‐ ▪ In 2021‐22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps. ▪ 2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents ▪ 1,000 were YOUTH ▪ Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting ◦ Private Instruction‐Unlike Pickleball‐ licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. Item 16.F 10/25/22 125 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 141 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 7 ◦ Open play‐ This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared • Demographics Tennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball • There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica ◦ 12 have no lights/19 have lights • There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) ◦ 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) ◦ 2 non‐lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Mina Son Item 16.F 10/25/22 126 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 142 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:joanie wread <wreadster@icloud.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:08 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16F EXTERNAL I’m writing to passionately request a stay on the aggressive takeover of the Santa Monica tennis courts by the pickle ball players, and request they be directed to find their own courts elsewhere, rather than obstructing the long established practice of TENNIS on the tennis ball courts. We take lessons from a single mother who’s dependent upon courts for her income — and we are dependent upon the courts for playing. She has been increasingly squeezed out of getting courts suddenly, with no notice. It’s unfair and makes very little sense —if the pickle ball people want to have more courts, let them build some. They are clearly a wealthy, aggressive (and sadly often somewhat rude/aggressive in most of my encounters with them…it’s somewhat puzzling) and resourceful. So why not put it upon them to use their resourcefulness not to TAKE AWAY from people whose livelihood is dependent upon tennis courts — if they “need” more courts, raise money, draw up plans and get some proper pickle ball courts into existence. Don’t destroy the tennis culture and the chance to earn money for long standing tennis teachers and students. Please use discernment and recognize what’s going on here…it’s fine for them to have SOME courts, but to increasingly take them all, and be unconcerned with the impact they have on anyone else is not right. Sincerely, Joanie Wread 615 Ocean Ave SM 90402 Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 127 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 143 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jordan Tolbert <coach.jtolbert@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:28 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Reed Park - Pickle Ball EXTERNAL To Whom It May Concern, Good evening! I hope you're well. Some rumors reached me that the pickleball groups are planning to overtake Memorial Park completely meaning that Reed Park will soon be a place where tennis players and pickle ballers compete for court time The pickleball situation (even at memorial) has been tough because pickle ballers have a tendency to occupy courts. Because there are so many of them, they just continue to rotate and not share very well. Tennis players come 2‐4 per court so pickle ballers argue that the courts are less utilized I'm sure you're getting a lot of criticism with this one and hope you can take this story into consideration Have a great day! Jordan Item 16.F 10/25/22 128 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 144 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Ken Freimann <ken@circleofconfusion.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:26 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16F EXTERNAL > > I’m writing to passionately request a stay on the aggressive takeover of the Santa Monica tennis courts by the pickle ball players, and request they be directed to find their own courts elsewhere, rather than obstructing the long established practice of TENNIS on the tennis ball courts. > > We take lessons from a single mother who’s dependent upon courts for her income — and we are dependent upon the courts for playing. She has been increasingly squeezed out of getting courts suddenly, with no notice. It’s unfair and makes very little sense —if the pickle ball people want to have more courts, let them build some. They are clearly a wealthy, aggressive (and sadly often somewhat rude/aggressive in most of my encounters with them…it’s somewhat puzzling) and resourceful. So why not put it upon them to use their resourcefulness not to TAKE AWAY from people whose livelihood is dependent upon tennis courts — if they “need” more courts, raise money, draw up plans and get some proper pickle ball courts into existence. Don’t destroy the tennis culture and the chance to earn money for long standing tennis teachers and students. > > Please use discernment and recognize what’s going on here…it’s fine for them to have SOME courts, but to increasingly take them all, and be unconcerned with the impact they have on anyone else is not right. > > Sincerely, > > Ken Freimann > 615 Ocean Ave > Santa Monica, CA 90402 > > > Item 16.F 10/25/22 129 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 145 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Jasmine Enberg <jasmine.enberg@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:22 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16F EXTERNAL I am writing in opposition to giving more tennis court space to pickle ball. There are 13,000+ tennis members who already share just 25 tennis courts in Santa Monica. There is no reason to give up more of our already sparse tennis space to pickle ball as it is my understanding that pickle ball does not require a tennis court in order to be played. Thank you, Jasmine Enberg Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 130 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 146 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:joanie wread <wreadster@icloud.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:14 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:16F agenda item - it’s wrong to take away memorial park tennis courts from tennis players/teachers/students EXTERNAL This will have a roll over affect on all other availability for teaching and learning and seriously affect the viability of tennis as an instructed sport in Santa Monica. We have been unable to continue our lessons all month, because of this disappearing availability that the pickle ball users are causing. Jenny Freimann Lincoln Middle School. Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 131 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 147 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Erica Rich <ericalrich@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:12 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda item 16F: Tennis / Pickleball Courts EXTERNAL Hello Santa Monica City Council, Re: 10/25/22 Agenda item 16F: Tennis / Pickleball Courts I am writing to you as a concerned citizen, dismayed by the news that the tennis courts at Memorial Park may be expanded for pickleball at the expense of the tennis courts. I strongly urge this body to find an alternate solution that does not negatively impact the availability of tennis courts in Santa Monica. Both my nine‐year‐old daughter and I play tennis with instructors who abide by the rules and obtain permits to teach on Santa Monica public courts. My understanding is that these courts are already limited. Any further limitation at Memorial Park will have ripple effects across all courts in Santa Monica. Given the long time popularity of tennis and the already limited court space, it is hard enough for these instructors ‐‐ whose livelihoods depend on court availability ‐‐ to find time, let alone any recreational players hoping to luck into some court time. I understand that tennis rose in popularity during the pandemic as a physically distant outdoor sport, and now we're all contending with the positive effects and challenges of more people playing tennis. Of course, this coincided with the explosive rise in popularity of pickleball. Great! More people are getting outside, exercising, and engaging in safe and healthy social activities. The fact that pickleball courts can be created on surfaces other than tennis courts should be strongly considered. The Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport offers an excellent opportunity to create more pickleball courts to accommodate the sport's growing popularity. Any expansion should not be done at the expense of the limited tennis courts in the city. It's also my understanding that certain schools reserve these public courts, further limiting time for instructors and recreational players. The bottom line is Santa Monica needs more tennis courts, not fewer, and I urge you to consider all options to build more tennis courts as soon as possible as well. Surely the City of Santa Monica, world famous for outdoor recreation and a friendly atmosphere does not want to choose pickleball over tennis. Tennis, the sport a Danish study declared the best activity to promote longevity, a news item picked up by the New York Times and multiple other publications. (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/well/move/the‐best‐sport‐for‐a‐longer‐life‐try‐tennis.html) Pickleball is popular and here to stay. But so is tennis. I'm appalled by reports I've heard about bad behavior by pickleball players toward tennis players over limited court space. This is an opportunity for the City of Santa Monica to choose the high road. To remind us all about good sportsmanship. To encourage wellness, fitness, and camaraderie. To support those who make their living teaching this lifetime sport, and all players, young and old. With your leadership, City Council, we can all get along. With your leadership, we can thrive. Thank you, Erica Rich Item 16.F 10/25/22 132 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 148 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Norman Castillo <norman.castillo05@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:37 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda item 16 F EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, Norman Castillo Item 16.F 10/25/22 133 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 149 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Ping Ha <pingha63@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:36 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear officer: My name is Ping Ha, long time resident in Santa Monica and a pickleball player. We are terribly affected by the current court situations. Please consider the following:  Delay Memorial Park expansion/demo until there is a destination in Santa Monica for pickleball.  Make the current Memorial Park courts pickleball only and find other venues for tennis camps, tennis instruction, and any tennis usage.  Simultaneously, build new a dedicated world-class pickleball complex for tournaments as well as daily open play at the new Airport Park Thank you and Sincerely Ping Ha Item 16.F 10/25/22 134 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 150 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Mike Layton <laytonmethod@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:33 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:10/25/22 Meeting - Agenda Item #16.F EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council, Thank you for addressing our concerns regarding tennis and pickleball. We need to find an equitable solution that focuses more on expanding the supply of tennis courts and pickleball setups in the community instead of pitting the two sports against each other over a minimal resource of space. The Santa Monica tennis community has exponentially suffered immensely due to pickleball usurping tennis courts, which are specifically designed for tennis play. Solution: Given the nature and equipment, tennis is limited to only being played on a tennis court, which requires a high fence and appropriate square footage space. Pickleball, however, can be played on a much smaller surface area and does not need much height of a barrier. In fact, about a 3-foot barrier will suffice to stop the pickleball from rolling. Therefore, you do not need a 10+ foot fence to play pickleball, such as a tennis court. Pickleball also has a tremendous advantage over tennis, given the portability of equipment (pickleball nets) and the flexibility of playing on various paved surfaces and venues. In this case, given that pickleball is the intruder/usurper of active tennis courts, which are designed specifically for tennis, and that pickleball has a lot more flexibility to play on various surfaces, they (pickleball) should be actively seeking alternative venues which may require a little creativity—unused basketball courts, parking lots, etc. Pickleball is a "pop-up" type of game, and it shouldn't take much scouting of space to come up with a solution. Other pickleball communities have created portable barriers, which can be set up on many different flat surface venues. This is a proven and successful concept and I have personally constructed replicas of these barriers on hand of this set up. Please reach out to me because I am happy to collaborate and share all of the details of how I constructed my own version of the barrier system so we can replicate a lot more. Sincerely, Mike Layton Item 16.F 10/25/22 135 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 151 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Julie Chan2 <nswgroup11@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:30 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Memorial Park Pickleball EXTERNAL Hello Council Members, Thank you for taking the time to listen to the Pickleball community at Memorial Park tomorrow evening. We were all very shocked to hear of the closing of the courts possibly as soon as January of next year this past weekend. We hope with your support the City will be able to dedicate Memorial Park for pickleball until a new location becomes available. It has become such an important recreation for multi-generational families, friends, and relatives. So many positive vibes throughout the courts every weekend. it really is uplifting and has formed a strong community bond for most of the players who come to exercise, have fun, play, and chat together. We would urge the city council to look at building dedicated pickleball courts at the interim Open space at Santa Monica Airport. We know this may take a couple of years so request your help in prioritizing more time available for pickleball at Memorial Park until alternative options are available. There are so many tennis courts in Santa Monica for tennis. Why not have Memorial Park dedicated to ONLY Pickleball? Each tennis court can provide enough space for 16 pickleball players rather than just the usual 2 or 4 for tennis. The open space is a perfect location with no housing nearby to cause noise disturbance to neighbors. Please keep us posted on any updates. Kind regards, Julie Chan Item 16.F 10/25/22 136 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 152 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Henry Cho <henry.cho@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:29 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Support for SM recreational tennis programs and court availability EXTERNAL Hello, I am a 22 year Santa Monica resident, and I only discovered the Santa Monica tennis program 6 months ago. I am currently taking 3 group classes at the beginner and intermediate level with 3 different instructors. These programs have connected me with over 25 fellow residents, 10 of which I am currently in contact with. 2 of these group classes are at Memorial park, where I believe 3 out of 4 courts are dedicated to pickleball. This leaves only a single court available for tennis programs. I believe this current ratio is fair, especially since the group classes have 8 residents per class. Please make sure the current tennis programs remain intact. I understand that there is great pressure to allocate the city resources equitably, but I encourage you to consider the considerable value of the tennis programs when deliberating allocation of the available court space. Thank you, Henry Cho 838 7th St, Santa Monica, Ca 90403 Item 16.F 10/25/22 137 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 153 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:HD Riordan <hdriordan@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:59 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F 10/25 City Council Meeting EXTERNAL Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country. • 2021Tennis Figures- 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States • 2021 Pickleball Figures1-4.8 million pickleball players ◦ So Cal Figures-USTA So Cal Membership 2021 -35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal- just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number) • Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non-lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct. • There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica. • Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. ◦ CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)- new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk-5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS ◦ COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)- ▪ In 2021-22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps. ▪ 2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents ▪ 1,000 were YOUTH ▪ Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting ◦ Private Instruction-Unlike Pickleball- licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. Item 16.F 10/25/22 138 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 154 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 ◦ Open play- This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared • DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball • There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica ◦ 12 have no lights/19 have lights • There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) ◦ 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) ◦ 2 non-lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Holly Riordan Item 16.F 10/25/22 139 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 155 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Yael Calderon <yaelcalderon05@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:55 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16.F EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, Yael Calderon-Aguirre Item 16.F 10/25/22 140 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 156 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Aldo Barrera <aldobarrera123@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:52 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL Hey I’m a student at SMC currently enrolled in tennis. Please keep the courts allowed for SMC classes. I know many students, myself included, that would feel let down if we no longer have access to the courts right by the college. I’ve taken great enjoyment in this class and its in a very convenient location. If it were not offered at this park I don’t believe I would have been able to take it at all. So please, allow SMC to keep teaching there, thank you. Sincerely. Aldo G. Barrera Item 16.F 10/25/22 141 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 157 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Rafael Ibay <rafael.ibay@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:39 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Dear Council Members of Santa Monica, I hope this e-mail finds you well! I'm writing to you today as an avid member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. I moved to Los Angeles a year ago, and like many others around the country, I am a fervent fan and player of America's fastest growing sport: pickleball. It was at Memorial Park where I discovered the joy of not only this game but also the thriving, vibrant community of fellow pickleballers from Santa Monica and surrounding neighborhoods. Through pickleball I have found my community in SaMo, where I can play this game with people of all different backgrounds across race, gender, age, class, etc. The game has become so popular that you'll find crowded pickleball courts on any given day. In light of this, and the expansion of Memorial Park, I am hoping my letter will convey the importance of supporting the growth of pickleball in Santa Monica. To this end, I'm asking that you consider delaying the Memorial Park expansion/demo until there is a destination in Santa Monica for pickleball, as well as to build a new dedicated world-class pickleball complex at the new Airport Park. Pickleball is growing rapidly, and with prominent figures like Lebron James, Tom Brady, and Kevin Durant purchasing Major League Pickleball teams, the sport is going to explore further. Santa Monica has the opportunity to become the premier place to play this wonderful sport. Indeed, the welcoming, social nature of Pickleball--especially the "Open Play" format where you can just show up and be welcomed in--is unlike any sport I've ever played. It's a sport that takes about 20 min to pick up and a lifetime to master. It's also just incredibly fun. Lastly, I'd like to invite you to come join us for a game or two at Memorial Park, where you'll be able to see for yourself the genuine magic that's happening right here in this beautiful city. Thank you for your time and consideration. Rafael Ibay Item 16.F 10/25/22 142 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 158 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 Vernice Hankins From:daily kata <yliadatak@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 9:37 PM To:council@santamonica.gov Cc:councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16: Pickleball Courts in Santa Monica EXTERNAL Dear City Council members, My name is Daily Miyamoto and I've been a resident of Santa Monica for all 23 years of my life. I went to the public schools in SMMUSD from K-12 and I recently became interested in pickleball around 2 years ago. I went to college in Massachusetts and found a community of pickleball players there, and hoped to continue being part of that community when I graduated college and moved back to Santa Monica. However, there are very few courts in Santa Monica that we can use for pickleball, and even those are being taken over by other tennis groups. Memorial Park is the only place that has designated pickleball courts, and there's never enough room for everyone to play. The pickleball community is growing, and it would be great if there could be space to reflect that growth. So many private tennis groups have priority over court reservations at Memorial Park and leave less room for pickleball players when there are 19 other courts that are just for tennis that they can use. One tennis court can hold 16 pickleball players and when one out of 4 total courts are being used for a private tennis lesson, two people just kicked off 16 people wanting to play. Please do not let tennis players take over Memorial Park!!! Thank you! Daily Miyamoto Item 16.F 10/25/22 143 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 159 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:susan zinn <susanzinnnyc@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 10:08 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting Attachments:2022-10-23 18-41.pdf EXTERNAL Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country. • 2021Tennis Figures- 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States • 2021 Pickleball Figures1-4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures-USTA So Cal Membership 2021 -35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal- just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number) • Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non-lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct. • There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica. • Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)- new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk- 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)- Item 16.F 10/25/22 144 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 160 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2  In 2021-22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps.  2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting o Private Instruction-Unlike Pickleball- licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play- This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared • DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball • There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights • There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non-lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Susan Zinn Parent of tennis players who has attended and played tennis in Santa Monica, local tournaments in Santa Monica, and community classes A life longer tennis player in Santa Monica A Santa Monica Business Owner Item 16.F 10/25/22 145 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 161 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 • Attached is the misleading flyer pickle ball players and ambassadors are circulating online and in person regarding pickleball in Santa Monica. o Item 16.F 10/25/22 146 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 162 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Dasom Lee <sssomi10@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 10:36 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Attachments:Recent surge in tennis participation outpacing all other racquet sports, study finds.pdf; How popular is Tennis in the USA.pdf EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to the proposed plans to expand the dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and are heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park, and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16F. Here are some articles related to the recent popularity of tennis. https://www.tennistips.org/how-popular-is-tennis-in-usa/ https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/recent-surge-in-tennis-participation- outpacing-all-other- racquet.html#:~:text=Earlier%20this%20year%2C%20the%20USTA,a%2027.9%25%20in crease%20from%202019. I appreciate you taking the time to read my mail. Item 16.F 10/25/22 147 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 163 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Thank you, Dasom Lee Item 16.F 10/25/22 148 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 164 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) |W -N FE =[)YO LU Santa Monica City Council will decide/ |THERE!aeage ne =fe eg else ne |*Tadedicate:Pickleball at Memoriah/-? QO CT 95??move Tennis instruction to other parks. TUESDAY |*Build dedicated courts at the future 6:30 Pp M |=site of Open Space @SM Airport. *Where to play when Memorial?s courts Santa Monica cityHal,:are razed and developed in early 2023. end Floor,room 250 4.S.ye a 1685 Main Street 90401 aa It?s urgent that we have as many ; ah . f i people there as possible,or we might lose our courts for several Parking next.door.at333??---|.years,as no other option has been r Wa v offered.Let?s sav Civic Cente tes/y every go mins.$14"|,save our courts, EREEfor 1st 30 minu together! max CCsiaccepted.?| If unable to attend,please emai]your ?Let?s show our Council Members what a concerns to!72 atEe,passionate,and co-oe .mmitted gr councilmtgitems@ santamonica.gov ?we are.Sroup with subject Agenda #16 By midnight on the 24th ?Y Item 16.F 10/25/22 149 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 165 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 150 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 166 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 151 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 167 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) USTA Statement Of Guidance As the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States and in concert with park professionals, we are putting forth a Statement of Guidance for the development, expansion, and renovation of public facilities and spaces related to tennis and pickleball. This guidance is presented within the context and understanding that tennis and pickleball are currently experiencing significant participation increases throughout the country and that both have ardent supporters advocating for their respective sport. We offer the following as a Statement of Guidance: PARTICIPATION STATISTICS • Tennis – The 2021 total of 22.6 million tennis players is a 4.5% increase from 2020 and a 27.9% increase from 2019 (4.9 million additional players over that 2-year span). • Pickleball – The 2021 total of 4.8 million pickleball players is a 14.3% increase from 2020 and a 39.3% increase from 2019 (1.36 million additional players over that 2-year span). OPTION #1: SPORT-SPECIFIC SITES With citizen participation for both sports at all-time highs and trending toward continued growth, the ideal solution to increased demand is the development and/or expansion of sport-specific public sites. The development of tennis and pickleball facilities as singular-focused sport-specific sites and courts will provide optimum opportunity for use, harmony, and revenue generation for each sport that may be unavailable in shared-use scenarios. These facilities should be offered either as one central facility complex or as separate sport-specific developments to best meet the needs of the citizens. PUBLIC FACILITIES APPROACH TO TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL Item 16.F 10/25/22 152 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 168 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) As you move forward with any decisions, or if you have any questions throughout the process, we would like to reiterate that we are here to serve as a consultative resource to you. For further information contact: United States Tennis Association (USTA) - Facilities@usta.com © 2022 USTA. All rights reserved. OPTION #2: NON-TRADITIONAL SPACES In the event that Option #1 is not possible, both tennis and pickleball can be played and enjoyed by citizens in non-traditional spaces. Look at all public hard surface areas for possible conversion, such as multi-sport court sites and/or vacant parking lot locations. When contemplating any type of conversion affiliated with public facility infrastructure, safety must be at the forefront of all considerations. OPTION #3: SHARED USE OF TENNIS FACILITIESIn the event that Options #1 and #2 are not possible, in the interest of equitable offerings for both tennis and pickleball, shared usage through blended lines on existing tennis courts is advisable for park locations of two (2) or fewer tennis courts. For park locations of three (3) or more tennis courts, every effort should be made to utilize Option #1 or #2 due to the sustained growth and increasing public demand for both sports. Item 16.F 10/25/22 153 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 169 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 154 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 170 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 155 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 171 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 156 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 172 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 157 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 173 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 158 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 174 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 159 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 175 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 160 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 176 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 161 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 177 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 162 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 178 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:J-T Bhaguandas-Bravo <trinigirll@hotmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 10:46 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:NO to Agenda 16 F!! EXTERNAL To whom it may concern I strongly oppose giving increased Pickle ball access at Memorial Park. It is already so hard for tennis players to get court space in Santa Monica. I understand Pickle ball has grown in popularity over the last few years, but so has tennis and it's so hard to find anywhere to play. I'm a 15-year, Santa Monica resident with 2 young boys, one of whom competes at a high level in the USTA 10 & Under junior circuit. We struggle to get practice courts and the few times we have made it on a court at Memorial Park, we have been regularly harassed by the pickle ball 'mob'. They bully tennis players off the court on a regular basis, walking on unannounced and literally setting up their equipment while we are still playing! On one occasion I had to call the police to make them leave us alone which was also traumatizing for my 8-year-old son. Now, we try to avoid Memorial Park as much as we can, but then we are left with even fewer options to get on a court. I am also a tennis instructor. I register through the city yearly, I pay my insurance, I submit my court requests and pay my instructor fees monthly, averaging $800-900 p/mo. I play by the rules! It seems there are no rules for Pickle ball however. Nobody is keeping track of their revenue. It is so unfair that they get to take over the courts all day long and are clearly teaching and making money under the table. Why does their sport need to impose upon ours? Why can't they find another cement surface besides our very few tennis courts to draw pickleball lines on? Please find an alternative for their needs and let the tennis players use the few courts we have to play tennis on. Thank you, Sincerely Triniti Bhaguandas www.mstriniti.com www.trinititennis.com Life is what you expect it to be.. Item 16.F 10/25/22 163 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 179 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:NAFAS DUNTIS <riaduntis@g.ucla.edu> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 11:08 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16.F EXTERNAL October 24, 2022 City Hall Council Chambers 1685 Main St, Room 250 Santa Monica, CA 90401 councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov Honorable council members, Today, I'm writing to express my vehement opposition to Memorial Park's tennis courts being used exclusively for pickleball. Public tennis courts in Santa Monica are already in great demand and are frequently used by leisure players. It is typical to wait an hour or longer to enter a court. Reducing the number of tennis courts in Memorial Park will further restrict this already scarce supply. As you may know, Memorial Park is home to a variety of tennis programs, including those run by local high schools and middle schools, Santa Monica College, the city of Los Angeles, private tennis instructors, recreational tennis players, and tennis camps and seminars. If Memorial Park's usage declines, these programs will have to relocate to other tennis locations, such as Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park, and Douglas Park. There are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players in the United States compared to 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has increased significantly in recent years, by 27.9% between 2019 and 2021. Tennis court availability should be increased, not decreased, as this will likely lead to increased community frustration and detrimental effects on public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16. F. Thank you for your support, Best Regard, Nafas Duntis Item 16.F 10/25/22 164 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 180 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Josh Lybarger <josh.lybarger@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 10:59 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Give Pickleball a Home in Santa Monica - Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Hello City Council Members, I'm writing on behalf of the entire Santa Monica pickleball community, but directly, I'm writing you from my heart. What Santa Monica Pickleball has done for me is almost indescribable. I started showing up there about a year ago, took a lesson, learned the ropes. I was immediately hooked. Not only is it one of the most fun sports imaginable to play, the community it creates is even better than the sport. This group of people, from young teenagers up through their 80s, I've met some of the nicest, and coolest people in my life. Everyone is so welcoming and inviting and excited to see new faces. And everyone is ecstatic to be playing pickleball together. It's truly incredible. I've only been a Santa Monica resident for about a year now, but I've lived in Venice for the last 6. I'm a renter. I play pickleball as frequently as I can but it's hard because we never really have court time. I try to go 2-3 times a week because if you have a day job, you have even less of a chance to play. We have to do anything in our power to keep this community alive and thriving. Which is really why I'm writing you. Not just because pickleball has greatly changed my life. I can't imagine how many other people can say the same. We need and deserve dedicated courts. I can point you to thousands of articles of these facilities built in other cities, why not ours? And I'm not talking about half tennis courts half pickleball where until just recently (thanks for the light blue lines) it was impossible to tell which court was which. We deserve dedicated courts that are always available to us. Just as we've built tennis courts, baseball fields, basketball courts - we deserve courts too. Why not utilize the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport for dedicated courts? Why not do something you can at Memorial Park right now, today?! You only allow pickleball at Memorial Park, so if that's the case, give us some dedicated courts. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica, and 19 are tennis only. The time is now. Pickleball is thriving and we need to thrive with it. We literally have 8% of the available court time in Santa Monica. Eight percent. If all of Memorial Park was dedicated to pickleball, pickleball would still have a total of less than 1/5 - ONE FIFTH - of all available court time in our city, Santa Monica. They teach pickleball in PE now and people don't even have a place to play. Kids don't have a place to play. Dedicate all the courts at Memorial Park to pickleball today. You know it's the right thing to do. Let's grow this community the way the people want it to, and really blossom. Construction takes time, I get it, but can we at least get more time available at the one park we can play at right now? We can change this. We deserve this. You deserve this. Let's make it happen. Thanks for listening. A Santa Monica local, Josh, 0-0-2 Item 16.F 10/25/22 165 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 181 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Aaron Lee <aaronwf.lee@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 11:16 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda 16- pickleball EXTERNAL Hi SM council, Thank you for all that you do in the city. I’m writing voice my support for organized pickleball and extra capacity in Santa Monica. Specifically, I would love for the city to • make the existing memorial park courts pickleball only to support the demand given the number of other tennis courts • start building new pickleball facilities When I moved to Santa Monica, pickleball at memorial park was how I found a community here with fellow residents young and old. Please continue to allow that to happen. Best, Aaron Lee 1226 23rd St Item 16.F 10/25/22 166 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 182 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Sascha A. Jovanovic <sascha@gidedental.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 11:16 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting EXTERNAL Dear council members Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country. • 2021Tennis Figures- 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States • 2021 Pickleball Figures1-4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures-USTA So Cal Membership 2021 -35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal- just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number) • Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non-lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct. • There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica. • Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)- new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk- 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS Item 16.F 10/25/22 167 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 183 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)-  In 2021-22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps.  2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting o Private Instruction-Unlike Pickleball- licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play- This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared • DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball • There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights • There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non-lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Dr. Sascha A. Jovanovic Specialist in Periodontics (UCLA); Specialist in Implant Therapy (LLU); Specialist in Prosthodontics (Aachen); Master of Science in Oral Biology (UCLA) Academic Chairman, gIDE Institute Asst Clin Professor, Loma Linda University Implant Program Item 16.F 10/25/22 168 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 184 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Past-President, European Association for Osseointegration gIDE Dental Center, 12217 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 Phone: 310-820-9641 www.gidedental.com www.gidecenter.com Item 16.F 10/25/22 169 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 185 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Michael Schwartz <schwartztennis@yahoo.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 11:23 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL Dear city council member’s I am responding to the Agenda item 16F, regarding expansion of Pickel ball courts at Memorial park , in Santa Monica. My Name is Michael Schwartz. I am USPTA certified tennis instructor, I currently teach tennis groups , cardio tennis , live ball groups , and private lesson in the city of Santa Monica parks. I have on many occasions gotten a permit to teach at memorial park when , Clover , Marine , Ocean View courts and parks have not been available. I also coach at a middle school The willows , and have worked in the past at such Schools as Crossroads, and Wildwood. I have a few concerns and comments to make regarding taking the Memorial park tennis courts and relegating them as a pickel ball faculty. First off the loss of the access or use of the courts for the schools , such as Santa Monica college , Crossroads as well as the passionate tennis members of this great city of Santa Monica. My colleges, other instructor who depend on the permit courts to teach and maintain our livelihood would be greatly effected. There are currently not enough courts available for myself as well as the other permitted tennis instructors. My monthly invoices for the tennis court rentals are between $800 to $1000. That’s just myself , I know of other institutions, instructors who pay much more for the use of the courts. I’m also concern about the parking at Memorial park, with the amount of Pickel ball players who show up , how can parents of children , who are enrolled in little league baseball, softball, the skatepark find parking spaces. ( there is an article in one of the tennis trade magazine regarding this crisis in other Pickel ball expansion facilities). The ironic thing is a do teach Pickel ball , I am currently a USPTA CERTIFIED Pickel ball instructor and a private club , that has special courts just for Pickel ball. I am not one who objects to Pickel ball or is opposed to it. What I have experience in the past at memorial park, is that some of rude behavior of the Pickel ball players. During my groups, they would run on the court while the group was going on the get to another court, come on the court and throw there nets down. Refuse to give up the court and remove 4 of the Pickel ball nets when I had mention and shown that I had a teaching permit for that particular court( usually court 1 or 4). I have also witnessed some of the Pickel ball players run into the court during a middle school match while the point was in progress. I think there can be a compromise and a solution to this great demand that would benefit everyone. Unlike tennis , Pickel ball can be set up in a gym a parking lot , and flat concrete space. I remember when Pickel ball first came to Memorial park it was solely played in the gymnasium. This move of realignment of the tennis court to just Pickel ball court, would have an enormous impact on the livelihoods of instructors, coaches ,and schools. I just wonder has all of the options and possibility been thought through. I would gladly be available to discuss alternatives and ideas regarding the growth and the expansion of this amazing sport. Thank you for your attention. Item 16.F 10/25/22 170 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 186 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 “ Can’t we all just get along “…. Rodney King. Michael Schwartz USPTA certified tennis and Pickel ball instructor. Schwartztennis.com Schwartztennis@yahoo.com Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 171 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 187 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Lauren Fox <laurenmeltzner@me.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 11:40 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis courts EXTERNAL Hello, I am a Santa Monica resident and active tennis player. I understand the increasing popularity of pickle ball however it is already difficult for the large population of tennis players in the community to get court time. Turning one of the few local parks exclusively into pickle ball courts would make it exponentially worse not only for regular players but also for students and instructors. - Lauren Meltzner Fox Item 16.F 10/25/22 172 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 188 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Francis Reyes <freyes.columbia@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 11:39 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16- pickleball EXTERNAL Hi SM council, Thank you for all that you do in the city. I’m writing voice my support for organized pickleball and extra capacity in Santa Monica. Specifically, I would love for the city to • make the existing memorial park courts pickleball only to support the demand given the number of other tennis courts • start building new pickleball facilities When I moved to Santa Monica, pickleball at memorial park was how I found a community here with fellow residents young and old. Please continue to allow that to happen. Best, Aaron Lee 1226 23rd St Item 16.F 10/25/22 173 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 189 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:julie roback <julie.roback@verizon.net> Sent:Monday, October 24, 2022 11:54 PM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL I have been a resident of Santa Monica since 1994. I am an avid tennis player but during Covid I picked up Pickleball and I had been a source of amazing community and fun for me. I have travelled to other parts of the state and country and seen Amazing Pickleball facilities and I am always saying that I love playing at memorial park but we have to fight with the tennis players. This situation has to be addressed. There are lots of other tennis courts in this city. If Santa Monica does not create an exception Pickleball center then people will go elsewhere and Santa Monica loses. We can bring more visitors to our city which helps hotels and businesses if we have a state of the art Pickleball center. All the media is reporting how big the sport is and how fast it’s going. We can’t ignore it but instead should embrace it! I have heard idea of building at sm airport and that could be a great idea but memorial could also be great while that is being built if we didn’t have to share with tennis. There are other courts around the city. Pickleball needs its own place. 0-0-2 Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 174 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 190 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:jay molsing <jaymolsing@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 1:11 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Save Santa Monica Tennis EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council, I have been a tennis instructor at Memorial Park for over twenty years. Working with my clientele, coaching the Santa Monica College's (SMC) tennis team, teaching tennis classes for SMC's general student body, running seasonal tennis camps (summer, winter and spring break) and working with numerous adult USTA league teams has kept me busy at Memorial seven days a week, for fifty-two weeks a year, for over two decades. As people and programs have come and gone, it seems I've been one of the very few constants. I am writing to you in response to a group of pickleball players in Santa Monica calling for the tennis courts at Memorial Park to eliminate tennis all together and turn it into a pickleball only facility. While I wholeheartedly support the growth of any hobby or sport, hard numbers and data will show that perhaps we are asking the wrong question, with the correct one being - why aren't we making more space for tennis courts/players? Please see the following stats: Pickelball - 14.8% increase for a total of 4.8 million players (Per the 2022 Sports and Fitness Industry Association Single Sport Report) Tennis - 27.9% increase for a total of 22.6 million players (Per the 2022 Physical Activity Council Participation Report) Yes, pickleball is starting to grow in numbers. But even with this "explosion" in popularity in the last year or two, tennis STILL had a higher growth rate and currently has FIVE times the number of participants. So, I ask you - how do we get more tennis courts? As it stands now, pickleball has essentially killed off recreational tennis at Memorial Park. But the displaced tennis players, most of whom are local Santa Monica residents, haven't stopped playing tennis - they just brought their patronage to other cities' courts and paying court fees there. So, basically, Memorial Park is housing pickleball players from all the surrounding cities (more than 60% are NOT Santa Monica residents), and not only displacing tennis playing Santa Monica residents, but having these same tennis players supporting OTHER cities with membership fees and court fees! Yes, I agree, this doesn't make sense in the slightest. And have you seen the madhouse of a parking lot when pickleball has use of most of the courts (feel free to come by Memorial any weekday after 6pm or on the weekends between 8am-2pm) and tell me how many cars are illegal parked, double parked, and hopped over the curb onto the grass partitions. Some facts - 1) No other tennis courts in the entire city of Santa Monica are as relied upon by as many tennis programs as Memorial Park - A) Crossroads Middle School practices and matches (Spring and Fall) Item 16.F 10/25/22 175 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 191 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 B) Crossroads High School practices and matches (Spring and Fall) C) Santa Monica College student body classes - year round (this is a vital location, as a vast percentage of students live near the campus and walk to Memorial for classes). D) Santa Monica Tennis Team E) Seasonal Tennis Camps (9 weeks in the summer, 2 weeks in the winter, 2 weeks during Spring Break, and various day long camps on holidays) F) Private Instructors G) City Instructors and City clinics Displacing all of these schools, programs, students and players will cause massive ripple effects throughout the City of Santa Monica's recreational department - and might even kill off some of the programs. 2) Financials - A) Along with Richard Goldenson, I help run the seasonal tennis camps at Memorial. Each week during the summer, the City of Santa Monica gains approximately $2500. Multiply that by 9 weeks of summer, and that's about $22,500 that our camp generates for the City in the summer alone. Now add in revenue from the other 5-6 weeks that we run camps throughout the year. B) As an instructor, I pay approximately $18 per hour to use their courts. 30 hours per week comes out to over $28,000 in revenue per year. And that is just from me. There are handfuls of other instructors that also teach there (the other courts in Santa Monica are already saturated with other instructors. C) The City also takes roughly 40% from all the tennis clinics that are run there. I cannot tell you how much they generate, but throughout the year, there are about ten clinics per week being run at Memorial. Tennis at Memorial Park generates over $100,000 per year for the City of Santa Monica. Again, with the other courts already saturated with instructors, this potential financial hit would be very significant for the City of Santa Monica. Can they afford that? Some possible solutions: - Create another facility or convert a facility/lot that will house pickleball and let tennis, specifically recreational tennis, begin to flourish once again at Memorial Park. This will also keep tennis playing residents from bringing their patronage to other cities. - You've got to be a resident of Santa Monica to gain tennis membership at Reed Park, why not limit pickleball use in the City of Santa Monica to residents of Santa Monica. Let the other cities spend money and resources to help support the pickleball playing residents of those respective cities. Why is Santa Monica going through all these problems and issues to take care of pickleball playing residents of other cities?? And not even benefitting financially?? - Have a membership at each facility that's capped off at a certain number. Once again, I fully support the growth of any hobby or sport, but not at the expense of another sport that 1) has already been firmly established there for decades upon decades, 2) has a higher growth rate than any other hobby or sport that can be played on those courts, and 3) already had FIVE times the number of participants. Anyone asking for a "zero-sum" approach doesn't have the best interests for their fellow man. Item 16.F 10/25/22 176 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 192 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Jay Molsing Item 16.F 10/25/22 177 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 193 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Julian A <4thstbaker@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 12:58 AM To:councilmtgitems; council@santamonica.gov; Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Oscar de la Torre; David White Subject:Agenda #16 EXTERNAL Hello: I am writing as tax-paying Santa Monica resident, renter and member of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club. I have lived in Santa Monica for 4 years. I play pickleball 3 times a week. I am reaching out in support of creating/establishing dedicated pickleball courts in Santa Monica, I write this as a pickleball player as well as an avid tennis player. Pickleball, as I am sure you know, is the fastest growing sport in the US and is exploding in Santa Monica as evidenced by the number of rackets piled up for the next game on any given court during open play. If you have not seen it, you should visit Memorial Park on weeknights, Saturday mornings or Sunday mornings and see the volume of people and overall dedication of the players. The beginner nets are consistently packed, so the interest is not only here to stay but growing exponentially. Requests: - Memorial Park is the ONLY location that allows pickle ball in Santa Monica. There are 23 tennis courts in Santa Monica; 19 of which are tennis only, the 4 at Memorial Park are the only dual-purpose tennis/pickleball courts. Please find an alternative location for tennis classes, instruction, or practices to allow those four courts to be dedicated to pickleball. o Pickleball is currently allocated just 8% of all the available court time in Santa Monica. If Memorial Park was designated as pickleball only, pickleball would have 19% of all available court time. 81% of all court time would still be for tennis. o Is it fair that SMC requests 3 courts regardless of the number of students or instructors? At the very least, shouldn’t there be a required number of student to instructor to court ratio? o Is it fair that tennis classes/instructors/private schools get priority over SMPC for permits when there are other Santa Monica courts they could use? - Please build dedicated pickleball courts to meet the needs of community and volume of players. Locations could include the Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport. NOTE the request of dedicated courts at Memorial Park stands until dedicated courts can be built. Why Pickleball? • Pickleball is inclusive; all ages, genders, athletic abilities, income levels, political affiliations, EVERYONE is welcome. And everyone can play; the barrier of entry is low meaning it’s a quick game to learn (though a hard game to master). • Public schools now teach pickleball in PE. Let’s give the kids a place to play. • Pickleball is everything mental health experts say American’s need: exercise, mental stimulation, social, and fun. • Pickleball has become a go to sport for me with the friends I have made, those that I have not met yet; the sheer social element to the game, not to mention the business relationships (is pickleball the more accessible version of golf for building business relationships? Maybe?) Item 16.F 10/25/22 178 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 194 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Regardless of what people get from the sport, it is here to stay and clearly has become a staple for the Santa Monica Community so let’s do something to embrace what residents and taxpayers in Santa Monica want. The diversity of players at any given morning or night in Memorial Park is what’s so beautiful in this city. Thank you for your consideration and support. Sincerely, Julian Ang. Item 16.F 10/25/22 179 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 195 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Mark Gerlach <mpgerlach@verizon.net> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 5:20 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Agenda Item 16F October 25, 2022 EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council and Parks and Recreation, My name is Mark Gerlach and I have lived in Santa Monica for 59 years and never lived east of Euclid. I not only grew up playing tennis on our courts but was a professional tennis player and then coached 2 WTA women players and 1 ATP Men’s top 20 player. I have also coached 5 US Junior number 1’s. I now for the last couple of years teach as a part time retirement job tennis about 25 hours a week on our courts here in Santa Monica. Tennis has an incredible history in Santa Monica going back 80 years. However we have less courts than we did due to the pool being built at SMC. Between the boom in tennis, the surge in tennis since 2019 we are short tennis courts. The courts are packed and our citizens are under served. I don’t need to mention that tennis is the fastest growing racquet sport in America as 22.6 million players took to the courts in 2021. Tennis has grown by 4.9 million players in 2019 to 6.9 million today and the majority of growth has come from Latino and Black and African American players. It has also been driven by participation by youth ages 6-17 and in my case over 75% of my tennis lessons are beginning Millennials who live by the courts and walk to their lessons. Locals. All of this is backed up the below link. https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/recent-surge-in-tennis-participation-outpacing-all-other- racquet.html However let us now go to the financial reality of tennis in Santa Monica versus Pickleball. The tennis courts are leased out to private teachers like myself, local schools for matches and practice, we offer community classes, and classes through the college and we have several non-profit groups renting out courts. The city receives revenue of some $50,000 - $60,000 dollars per month that unfortunately goes not to the upkeep of the facilities but to the city’s general fund. It is a travesty that we are putting our money elsewhere than where it is generated. Pickeball generates no revenue for the city, If you give the Pickleballers our courts at Memorial you will be depriving the city of revenue generated by locals for locals. And the statistics show even more alarming data, 75% of those playing Pickleball on our tennis courts are not Santa Monica residents. So here is the financial picture, the city is allowing non Santa Monica residents to overtake our tennis courts which generate huge revenue by locals for locals so that people outside of the city can come and use our facilities for free. Brilliant. Let’s go further into this problem. I am a tennis coach living in Santa Monica my whole life. But to get the right to teach tennis on our courts I have to jump through hoops. I have to have a Santa Monica business license. I have to have $2,000,000 in liability insurance and then I have to get a tennis permit. I have demand that I could be teaching 30-40 hours of week of tennis to revenue generating resident clients. However there is not enough court time available. The courts I teach on cost me $17/hour, which benefits the city. I recently was teaching at Ocean View Tennis courts and next to the courts are two backboards which the Pickleballers have taken over much to the chagrin of those wanting to practice their tennis. In walks two non-city residents and they take over a court. All of a sudden 10 people show up and they are teaching Pickleball lessons. Now those guys were charging those people for that instruction. However, unlike all of the us local teachers, that had no licenses, no insurance and were paying nothing to run their out of town business on our courts. If one of these students hurts themselves and then sues the city for $10,000,000 the city is on the line for it because of course the unlicensed and uninsured Pickleball “teachers” disappear from where they came. Item 16.F 10/25/22 180 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 196 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 So recently with all the income we generate for the city, what did the city do? They painted new Pickleball lines on the courts of Memorial Park. It is now impossible to play a skill based world wide sport on courts with conflicting lines. How much revenue does Pickleball bring to Santa Monica? Did the city put our money into resurfacing our courts, NO. How about new fences and wind screens, NO. Not only have I played professional tennis but I was Tennis Director of 2 private tennis clubs and the misuse of funds that are generated by tennis is ridiculous and the condition of our courts are a travesty. The city thought it was a good idea to paint Pickleball lines. That is financially a very bad decision. Pickleball can be played in city parking lots. So if Pickelball wants to exist, they need to build their own facilities far away from tennis. We as tennis players have invested millions into our city and they have done nothing. How about building Pickleball courts at the airport or other open parking lots. Sincerely, Mark Gerlach Item 16.F 10/25/22 181 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 197 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Matthew Bryant <mcbryant@me.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 5:58 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis courts and pickleball proposal / Agenda item 16 F EXTERNAL I strongly oppose the agenda item to make more pickleball courts on the city’s tennis courts. There is already a chronic shortage of tennis courts, and to make pickleball available on some of these courts would only make the shortage worse. Currently, when you click on the booking system at precisely 8:15am when it goes live for 3 days ahead, all courts are booked within 5-10 seconds of “availability”, and most attempts at booking are a failure. Your proposal would only make this worse. Tennis players and tennis teachers need more availability, not less. Tennis is one of those “games for life” that is important for kids to learn. Frankly, pickleball is mainly for “oldies” who don’t want the speed and exercise of tennis. So your proposal will not only affect those lifetime tennis players, but will also deprive tennis teachers and youth of the joy and exercise of learning tennis when young. I am not invalidating pickleball - no question it has caught on big time. But create new pickleball courts - they take much less room than a tennis court. It is a compromise to create pickleball courts on a tennis court - it’ a double negative, they are not proper pickle courts, and tennis suffers. You must reject this agenda item for the sake of Santa Monica’s many keen and fit tennis players, myself included, aged 75. Matthew Bryant 617 10th Street Santa Monica CA 90402 Item 16.F 10/25/22 182 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 198 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Gregg Rosenthal <greggrosenthal@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 9:09 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:AGENDA ITEM 16F Oct 25 EXTERNAL To Whom it May Concern I've lived in Santa Monica 9 years and my 2 kids have grown up playing tennis on the Memorial Park Courts. Some of our best memories as a family are there and I am certain their love of playing tennis wouldn't be the same without the access to free and easy access courts all together at Memorial. The kids have also attended many tennis camps there through the city and look forward to them. It is great to have Reed Park but as you know reservations are tricky and with a family and sometimes planning is last minute. We play at least once or twice a week. It is an incredible sport for families and increasingly hard to do without means and these courts mean everything to us. We have already had to strategize and work around pickleballers taking over the courts often but it would really break our heart if they had them exclusively. Thank you for your consideration! Gregg Rosenthal Item 16.F 10/25/22 183 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 199 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Henry Catanzaro <henryhaig@icloud.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 9:06 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. EXTERNAL To whom it may concern, My name is Henry Catanzaro and I grew up (born and raised) in Santa Monica and have lived here mt entire life. Tennis has been a crucial part of my life growing up and it all started for me taking City classes with Irene D’arcus at Douglas and Memorial park when I was 4 years old, I grew up playing all of the Dudley Cup tennis tournaments ran by Bill Nissley and did summer camps in the city every summer growing up. It has come to my attention that pickleball is attempting to make Memorial Park a dedicated pickleball park and I could not disagree more. I believe the 2 sports should co-exist and none should kick another out of any location (instead finding a way for them to exist together and work together.) and if it is a sport kicking one out it should not be the sport that is taking over the others site to use (in what world does it make sense that pickleball is the ONLY SPORT that’s allowed to be played on TENNIS COURTS?? so that’s saying that they’ll have tennis nets and tennis lines up but will not allow tennis players to play there??!!) doesn’t make sense to me Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country. • 2021Tennis Figures- 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States • 2021 Pickleball Figures1-4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures-USTA So Cal Membership 2021 -35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal- just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number) • Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non-lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct. • There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, Item 16.F 10/25/22 184 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 200 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica. • Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)- new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk- 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)-  In 2021-22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps.  2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting o Private Instruction-Unlike Pickleball- licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play- This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared • DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball • There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights • There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non-lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Item 16.F 10/25/22 185 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 201 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Sincerely, Henry Catanzaro Santa Monica Resident Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 186 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 202 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Ray Hugill <rayhugill10s@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 9:06 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Fwd: Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting EXTERNAL Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country. • 2021Tennis Figures- 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States • 2021 Pickleball Figures1-4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures-USTA So Cal Membership 2021 -35,647 members(23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal- just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number) • Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts week days and an additional 6(non-lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct. • There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data, and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total fo having 16 players play on the court.($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years, and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica. • Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING(City program)- new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk- 5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)-  In 2021-22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps. Item 16.F 10/25/22 187 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 203 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6  2,249 of the total figure were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting o Private Instruction-Unlike Pickleball- licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play- This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared • DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball • There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights • There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non-lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Ray Hugill USPTA Certified Professional Babolat Team Palisades High School Tennis Coach 623.308.0086 rayhugill10s@gmail.com Item 16.F 10/25/22 188 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 204 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 7 Vernice Hankins From:Santa Monica Tennis Club <smtctennis@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 8:46 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Reed Park Tennis Courts EXTERNAL Agenda Item 16F Hello Council Members, We are the Santa Monica Tennis Club, which has been playing tennis at Reed Park since 1928. We support PickleBall players being provided with their own pickleball courts and not taking tennis courts away from tennis players. Using tennis courts for pickleball has already had a negative impact on tennis, and we believe there are not enough tennis courts already for the demand of the public. We also believe that pickleballers have a right to play their game, too, and now that there is such a demand for the game, they should be provided with their own places to play. Simply taking tennis courts away from tennis players is not a solution. -- Santa Monica Tennis Club http://www.santamonicatennisclub.com/ P.O. Box 2012 Santa Monica, CA 90406 Item 16.F 10/25/22 189 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 205 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:T&D <ted@tedanddebbie.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 9:35 AM To:councilmtgitems; David White Cc:Gleam Davis; Phil Brock; Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan Subject:Tennis Courts/ Pickleball Attachments:2022-10-24 15-19.pdf EXTERNAL Dear City Council Members, My name is Ted Catanzaro. My wife was born and raised in Santa Monica. I am a longtime resident of Santa Monica and father of 5 boys who have all gone to school in the SMMUSD. All of my children play tennis and started their beginning tennis lessons in the Santa Monica Community classes on tennis courts at Chelsea and Cloverfield Park. Some of my sons played on the Santa Monica High School Varsity tennis team and continued on to play college tennis. My oldest son is 29 years old and still lives in Santa Monica and continues to play recreational and occasional tournament tennis at the very parks he learned to play on. Needless to say tennis is an important part of our family and we have been part of the long established tennis community in Santa Monica. Lately, an inundation of pickle ball players have commandeered tennis courts and has made it harder to play tennis. I’ve also seen a misleading flyer that has been circulating (see attachment) called “SAVE PICKLEBALL!” which is loaded with disinformation and portrays them as a victim. Pickleball may have a large group of passionate and committed members but it is important to remember that they are using TENNIS courts. Pickleball does not need to be played on tennis courts. They use a different size net, which they bring themselves and sets up in minutes and uses different dimensions or lines than tennis. It can be played on any hard surface. Santa Monica has been too generous and has let them play on tennis courts unchecked with no regard for rules, courtesy or sportsmanship. Now it seems this is not enough. They want Memorial Parks tennis courts dedicated to Pickleball. I strongly disagree with this proposal and ask you to keep the tennis courts for tennis. Thanks, Ted Catanzaro Item 16.F 10/25/22 190 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 206 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:troy_goh@yahoo.com Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 9:45 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F Oct 25 City Council Meeting EXTERNAL Please do not agree to item 16F to increase/dedicate Memorial Park to Pickleball. Since the pandemic, both tennis and pickleball have seen significant growth. There are 4x more tennis players than pickleball players in this country. • 2021Tennis Figures- 22.6 million tennis ball players in the United States • 2021 Pickleball Figures1-4.8 million pickleball players o So Cal Figures-USTA So Cal Membership 2021 -35,647 members (23,799 adults 11,848 juniors) These players do not represent close to the entirety of tennis players in So Cal- just the ones who compete in USTA leagues, tournaments or programming. There are other tennis organizations, clubs, school teams and recreational players who are not USTA members, so this is not a comprehensive number) • Santa Monica has over 1340 tennis reservation rec card holders who are all Santa Monica residents and hold those cards for the sole purpose of being able to TRY to reserve one of 6 tennis courts weekdays and an additional 6(non-lit) courts mornings on weekends. At both of these locations the 1340 players have less access than the 6 courts because of private schools that rent the courts for team practice and matches as well as licensed instructors who have limited hours they are allowed to instruct. • There is no way to accurately gauge how many Santa Monica residents are utilizing the courts for pickleball, as Santa Monica Pickle Ball Club holds all of the data and controls all pickleball activity in Santa Monica. Pickle ball is served through only one organization, who collects all the revenue from the classes, lessons, clinics, and activities they offer on our public courts. They are paying the city at a rate of $2.75 per pickleball court because they are being charged as a tennis court, not as 4 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court . They are collecting up to $240 for 2 hours total of having 16 players play on the court. ($15 per player). The tennis equivalent to Santa Monica Pickleball is Santa Monica Tennis Club, an organization which has been in existence for over 90 years and has never been granted the broad access to control courts that pickleball currently has at 2 sites in Santa Monica. • Tennis is accessed by the public through a number of ways and is dependent on increased not decreased access to our park courts. o CREST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING (City program)- new this year. Serving two elementary schools tk-5th graders. Both schools were filled to capacity. 100% Santa Monica Youth. These children are learning an intro to tennis on playground blacktops with the goal to progress to COMMUNITY CLASS o COMMUNITY CLASSES (City Program)-  In 2021-22 There were 2615 sign ups for Community Class Tennis clinics and camps.  2,249 of the total figures were Santa Monica residents  1,000 were YOUTH  Many of the clinics and camps are taught at Memorial Park during the same hours pickleball is requesting Item 16.F 10/25/22 191 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 207 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 o Private Instruction-Unlike Pickleball- licensed tennis instructors need to apply annually each year for approval, submit monthly court requests to the tennis office, and are restricted by certain times and group sizes. Since Santa Monica Pickle Ball controls all activity and revenue, the City only has word of mouth assurance about if and when pickleball private instruction is offered. o Open play- This is free, first come first serve access at certain courts in the City and is subject to availability due to community class, private instruction, school usage and pickle ball. Tennis open play at Memorial has all but disappeared • DemographicsTennis Both the city stats for community classes as well as the USTA stats break down to roughly 48% youth 52% adult. Pickleball does not come anywhere near this figure inserting youth players. They have no programming for youth and are utilizing courts that serve youth tennis players at Memorial and were built for youth at John Adams. Both sports deserve access and room for growth. Both have an increased demand for courts, and the problem is made worse by the trend of pickleball to take over existing tennis courts, rather than to construct dedicated courts or utilize other spaces that are suitable for pickleball.(see attached USTA Guidance and USTA Parks & Rec plans for the utilization of public spaces for both courts as viable options. We do not have enough courts to dedicate existing tennis courts to pickleball • There are 31 tennis courts in Santa Monica o 12 have no lights/19 have lights • There are 24 striped Pickleball courts (shared use with tennis) o 4 lit tennis courts at Memorial Park(16 pickleball lit courts) o 2 non-lit tennis courts at John Adams(8 non lit pickle ball courts) For a sport that has 4x fewer players nation wide, and already has access to 24 pickleball courts to play in our city, their demand for more access exceeds their percentage of players and has impacted the tennis community negatively. Pickleball should not be granted any increased access or have courts that were built for tennis dedicated to pickleball. They should be grateful that the city has provided them the immense access and preferential treatment they currently have until( and if )dedicated courts are built. They should be gracious to the tennis players, instructors and community classes that are sharing their courts with them. Sincerely, Troy Goh Item 16.F 10/25/22 192 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 208 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Hansol Yoon <yoonhs469@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 9:47 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16.F EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Sincerely, Item 16.F 10/25/22 193 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 209 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Marissa Hall Sharples <marissachall@hotmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 9:56 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Item #16F EXTERNAL To whom it may concern: I’m a long time tennis player in Santa Monica. Since the tennis boom during the pandemic it has become more and more difficult to find courts, resulting in more and more frustration among tennis players. Removing the tennis courts at Memorial Park in favor of pickle ball only will only increase that frustration. It will also eliminate many valuable tennis programs that generate thousands of dollars of revenue a month for the city to reward a vocal group of pickleball enthusiasts, many of whom aren’t Santa Monica residents, and all of whom do not bring in any revenue for the city. This does not make any fiscal sense. Sincerely, Marissa Hall Item 16.F 10/25/22 194 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 210 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jennifer Astman-Posen <jen_posen@me.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:05 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Tennis for kids @ Memorial EXTERNAL Dear Council Members, Our kids play tennis and love their sport. They need movement, exercise, skill development, team connection, and a place to call “home” for practices. Crossroads has historically been using Memorial Park for practices and the pickle ball players have been mostly welcoming. But recently, there has been more friction. Pickle ball players and tennis players should be able to do exist at this location. Our kids practise in the afternoons 3:15-5. There is the entire day open for pickle and after 5 in the evenings. Please don’t take away our tennis team’s time. The kids need it, it’s local to school and there are no other courts close to campus. Please consider allowing them to keep the 3-5pm window!!!! Item 16.F 10/25/22 195 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 211 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Shana Epstein <shanaepstein@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:08 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16 F EXTERNAL My child plays tennis and if it were not for the courts in Santa Monica and the classes offered there would be only private lessons. There is no tennis at her middle school and there was none at her elementary school. Both schools part of SMMUSD. It is very difficult as it is to get a court to play on and further reductions of tennis courts would inhibit her development. In addition my husband keeps active with tennis as well. Please vote no so tennis does not become more impacted in this city. Item 16.F 10/25/22 196 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 212 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Susan Kucera <susankucera1@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:08 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:AGENDA ITEM 16F Oct 25 EXTERNAL Hello, My name is Susan Kucera. I am a Santa Monica resident and very happy member of the community. My husband and my two children and I all play tennis and all use public tennis courts in Santa Monica. We also participate in recreational classes, leagues, and live ball on Santa Monica public tennis courts. I feel it is very important NOT to grant Pickleball exclusively to Memorial Park. If pickle ball gets increased access or exclusivity at Memorial Park it will impact tennis access for things like instruction, FreePlay, community classes at all courts in Santa Monica. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE THE COURTS AT MEMORIAL PARK EXCLUSIVELY USED FOR PICKLE BALL. Thank you, Susan Kucera 2514 26th street Santa Monica 90405 Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 197 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 213 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:kari allen <karikallen@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:24 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:NO pickle ball expansion EXTERNAL To whom it may concern. NO to expansion of pickleball play at Memorial Park! The tennis courts at Memorial need to go back to being tennis courts only. Expansion of pickleball at Memorial will affect all other tennis locations and residents in the city very negatively. Tennis court space is already VERY hard to come by for residential recreational players, young and old, as well as instructors. Why use tennis courts for pickleball play in the first place?? Tennis net or lines are not compatible to pickleball! Use any other concrete surface for pickleball. Pickleball players can go play on the basketball players and try taking over their courts, like pickleballers harass tennis players. Would love to see how that plays out…. All tennis playing residents struggle so to find court space to play with and without a coach. City of S.M approved tennis coaches have lost significant business due to lack of court space since pickleball started using memorial park. It affects ALL tennis courts in the city and therefore ALL tennis players. Many of these coaches are long time S.M residents with young kids in S.M public schools, and they struggle to make a living due to lack of tennis court space. Teaching tennis is how they make a living! Tennis exploded during the pandemic as well! There is a higher demand for tennis court now than ever before! Residents playing recreationally, private instructors, schools, city group instruction: they all have to share the tennis courts in the city. There aren’t enough courts! Sure! build pickleball courts at S.M Airport, but keep the tennis and pickleball courts separate! - the mixed up pickleball lines on the courts tennis courts make it very confusing to play tennis on and to learn the sport for new players. Item 16.F 10/25/22 198 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 214 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 - Pickleball is LOUD! It’s very distracting to play tennis (or anything else) next to pickleball due to to loud sound of the ball AND so many people on the courts at once. - there has been countless incidents at Memorial Park where police has been called due to pickleball players very agressive behavior towards tennis players. More tennis courts needs to be built as well! Let’s keep our kids outdoors and active by encouraging an active lifestyle! KIDS PLAY TENNIS! Not pickleball! Kari allen. SM resident Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 199 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 215 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Autumn Moultrie <autumnmoultrie@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:21 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:CEOSSROADS SCHOOL Middle School Tennis Team’s USE OF the Ocean View and Memorial Park Tennis Courts EXTERNAL My daughter Isabella James Jones attends Crossroads School and is on the tennis team which uses these courts four times a week. It would greatly disturb the progress of her team if they were denied access to these courts. I plead with the city of Santa Monica to allow the tennis teams to continue using the courts. Thank you in advance. Autumn Moultrie Item 16.F 10/25/22 200 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 216 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 201 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 217 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 202 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 218 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 203 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 219 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 204 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 220 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Casey Himelsein <chimelsein@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:49 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Pickle ball at marine park EXTERNAL Hi! I just want to write and let you know that our family opposes the expansion of the Pickleball program at Memorial Park tennis courts. Our instructor is already having a hard time finding court time (Douglas, Memorial, and the other parks are always full at after school times and the city tennis program instructors always get priority.) We’re wondering if Pickleball can’t be installed on some other hard space that doesn’t interfere with Tennis. Thanks, Casey Himelsein 733 20th St, Santa Monica, CA 90402 -- Casey Himelsein Item 16.F 10/25/22 205 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 221 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Benjamin Cavell <benjamincavell@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:59 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Preserve tennis space at Memorial Courts EXTERNAL I am writing to urge you not to open up the already-crowded Memorial Park tennis courts for use as pickleball courts. My two teenaged daughters, both lifelong Santa Monica residents, have used the wonderful Memorial Park and Ocean View Park tennis facilities for years as part of their school tennis teams and I have seen first-hand how much competition already exists for the limited space. Are we really going to further shrink our Santa Monica kids’ limited tennis space to make room for a sport that’s played more-or-less exclusively by adults? Item 16.F 10/25/22 206 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 222 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Brad Segal <bradsegal11@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 10:57 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda #16 (PickleBall) Attachments:august-12--2022---update-on-the-pickleball-master-plan.pdf EXTERNAL Hello good city council members! My name is Brad Segal. I have been a resident of Santa Monica since 1980 (originally from Los Feliz, in Hollywood!) I used to play tennis but due to knee issues, I was unable to play given the size of the court. I started playing pickleball about 8 months ago and now I am able to play 3-5 times a week. I am hoping to come to the meeting tonight but if I have to work late, I wanted to get this email in. Santa Monica has a good handful of public tennis courts. Memorial park (4 courts), Marine Park (3 courts), Clover Park (2 courts), Douglas park (2 courts), Colorado and 23rd (or so, 2-4 courts, not exactly sure), Down by the beach just south of Ocean Park Blvd (4-6 courts, not exactly sure), and of course Reed Park (7 courts). All of these courts are open to the public with only Reed needing a reservation (plus a small fee) and JAMS (2 courts only available on the weekends). Yet the only two places where we are allowed to play pickleball is Memorial park and JAMS (only on the weekends). Just TODAY (October 25th) there was an article in the NY TIMES (HERE, I think you can view it for free) that talks about how drastic the increase in pickleball players has increased over the years. Amongst the many stats showing that pickleball is the fastest growing racket/paddle sport, it clearly states that the Sports & Fitness Industry Association survey says that in 2020 around 21 million people played tennis and that there are currently around 5 million pickleball players (although I believe the number of pickleball players is understated in this survey since there are more and more people playing on a weekly basis! Another article HERE suggests that pickleball has had a 39.3% growth in the past 2 years. I have attached a report from the City of Long Beach from 8-12-2022 (Link HERE) showing their plans to create a Pickleball Plan to serve the pickleball playing community better. This could serve as a blueprint for Santa Monica. If Memorial park goes under construction for a period of years, there MUST be a contingency plan to convert, or add permanent lines to all of the other public tennis facilities in Santa Monica. This would be devastating to me and the hundreds of daily pickleball players! Thank you Brad Segal 1337 Hill Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 310-721-1575 Bottom line is that whether Item 16.F 10/25/22 207 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 223 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Date: August 12, 2022 To: Thomas B. Modica, City Manager From: Brent Dennis, Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine For: Mayor and Members of the City Council Subject: Update on the Pickleball Master Plan On April 5, 2022, the City Council requested the City Manager to work with the Director of Parks, Recreation & Marine (PRM) as well as the Long Beach Pickleball Advisory Group to develop a plan for the future of pickleball in the City of Long Beach (City). The requested report was to be back to City Council within 60 days and include the following: 1.Feasibility of converting all tennis courts to dual-use courts; 2.Feasibility of creating dedicated pickleball courts; 3.Developing a minimum amount of storage at each park for pickleball equipment; and, 4.Exploration of further partnership with local schools for joint use of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) tennis courts. Currently, the City has one dedicated pickleball court at Bayshore Park, twenty-four tennis courts in various parks throughout Long Beach, and ten tennis courts available at Naples and Wilson schools. The two tennis centers have a total of twenty-three tennis courts, with eight at Billy Jean King Tennis Center and fifteen at El Dorado Tennis Center. There is a grand total of fifty-seven tennis courts within our park system. Pickleball is a friendly, welcoming, social game. Many players enjoy "drop-in" play which means that individuals show up during specified hours at a pickleball center and simply put their paddle up and take their turn with three other people to play, and thereby arranging three other people to match your schedule is not needed. If one of the foursome players goes on vacation, there is no scramble to find additional players. The provision of a few pickleball centers in Long Beach with four to six permanent courts and appropriate amenities (bathrooms, drinking fountains, lights, parking, etc.) would be appropriate. These centers will reduce the pressure on neighborhood park courts where parking is limited. To gain a greater understanding of options available, the PRM Director and several Long Beach pickleball ambassadors met with the City of Seal Beach Councilman who led the effort to introduce pickleball at the Seal Beach Tennis Center (Center). The group took a tour of the Center to understand how Seal Beach created capacity for pickleball within that recreational facility through court conversion, shared multi-purpose use, and new construction, all of which had City-supported funding. It was learned that over half of the pickleball players at Seal Beach are Long Beach residents, which spoke volumes as to the unmet need in Long Beach for pickleball facilities. Memorandum Item 16.F 10/25/22 208 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 224 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Within that context, PRM has completed its initial assessment of the four options requested by the City Council. 1. Feasibility of converting all tennis courts to dual use courts. • The conversion of all existing tennis courts (57 dedicated tennis courts) to also facilitate pickleball as dual-use courts is feasible, but from a citywide perspective, may not be practical or desirable. Access and authority to improve/convert the school courts would need to be approved via joint use agreements. While the growth of pickleball has been evident in certain areas of Long Beach, the identification of courts in areas with pickleball nucleus play groups would be excellent candidate courts for initial conversion. For parks where the demand is not yet known, we recommend the dual striping of tennis courts (where there are two or more tennis courts, dual stripe at least one of the tennis courts, using bright orange [or yellow], and provide signage appropriate to encouraging both sports). The upgrade of one tennis court into a dual-use court with the addition of striping for four (4) pickleball courts requires a budget of $3,500. The tennis court net remains and portable pickleball nets are needed to allow for pickleball play. 2. Feasibility of creating dedicated pickleball courts. Several opportunities have been identified for the creation of dedicated pickleball courts. Underutilized existing tennis courts can each provide four (4) pickleball courts with or without permanent nets. • To convert one tennis court to four (4) pickleball courts without permanent posts and nets is approximately $8,500. • To convert one tennis court to four (4) pickleball and provide four (4) sets of core-drilled pickleball posts, sleeves and nets is approximately $25,000. • Planning, design, and construction of new dedicated pickleball courts are estimated at approximately $60,000 per court. Should a park’s vision plan allow for the incorporation of a pickleball complex consisting of multiple courts, ideally a pickleball center of twelve (12) to sixteen (16) courts would accommodate tournament play. LED lighting and fencing would be essential design elements of new courts to allow for extended play and perimeter integrity, scheduling, and safety. 3. Developing a minimum amount of storage at each park for pickleball equipment. A minor but essential pickleball court amenity, a storage container for portable nets should be considered at dual use court sites. Properly sized containers range in costs from $400 to $700 each plus installation on existing pavement. Item 16.F 10/25/22 209 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 225 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4. Exploration of further partnership with local schools for joint use of LBUSD tennis courts. Successful discussions and new agreements have been advanced with key administration leadership and school campus Principals. New shared use permits that allow limited weekend access to paddleball courts, conducive to pickleball play have been created at Stanford Middle School. Similar conversations are underway to explore use agreements on the campuses of Hughes Middle School and Naples Elementary School. Beyond agreements with LBUSD, a new partnership with the Salvation Army at its new facility on Long Beach Blvd. and Spring Street is being established inside the gymnasium with pickleball court striping being added to the gym floor. A Long Beach Pickleball League could be developed for inside play in the coming year. The following summary of short-term and long-range plans represents a comprehensive approach to expanding access and availability to ensure we can meet the growing and diverse demand for the sport of pickleball throughout Long Beach. Short-term Pickleball Plans In general, for dual-use tennis/pickleball courts, it is recommended to paint four pickleball courts (two on each side of the tennis net) using a bright orange color as the line color (pickleballers typically use a yellow ball). Currently, there are four (4) established pickleball playing groups in the Long Beach, located at Bayshore, College Estates, Marina Vista, and Somerset Parks and a new incubator pickleball play group is in its infancy at Houghton Park. Evaluations and recommendations for designated courts will ensue once a critical mass of active pickleball players is established. Short-term plans recommended for communities with established pickleball playing groups are listed below: 1. Bayshore: Develop dual-striped second basketball court 2. College Estates: Operational changes to provide bathroom access on weekends and holidays and creating other court opportunities Citywide to address parking and other impacts for the surrounding neighborhood 3. Marina Vista: Designate east side, four permanent pickleball courts to compliment the recently completed west side, four dual-striped pickleball courts. Install an additional gate on the east side to keep waiting players on the grass outside and able to watch play along with updated signage recognizing pickleball play and authorize paddle racks on the fence and a storage container for pickleball equipment; and, 4. Somerset: Designate one dual-striped tennis court to create four (4) pickleball courts and four (4) permanent pickleball courts along with appropriate use signage and a storage container. Somerset has an existing side gate. Item 16.F 10/25/22 210 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 226 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Summary of Existing Tennis Courts for Potential Dual-Use Consideration Location Type & Count Count Parks Cherry Avenue Park court, tennis, 2 2 College Estates Park court, tennis, 1; pickleball overlay, 4 1 DeForest Park court, tennis, 1 1 Drake Park court, tennis, 2 2 Houghton Park court, tennis, 2 2 Los Cerritos Park court, tennis, 2 2 Marina Vista Park court, tennis, 2 2 Ramona Park court, tennis, 1 1 Scherer, Herman J., Park court, tennis, 4 4 Silverado Park court, tennis, 4 4 Somerset Park court, tennis, 2 2 Veterans Memorial Park court, tennis, 1 1 Total in Parks 24 Tennis Centers Billie Jean King Tennis Center (Rec Park) court, tennis, 8 8 El Dorado Tennis Center court, tennis, 15 15 Total at Tennis Centers 23 Schools Naples School Tennis Courts court, tennis, 2 2 Wilson High School court, tennis, 8 8 Total at Schools 10 Grand Total 57 *Middle School Campus Paddleball Courts at Stanford & Hughes, per joint use agreements, have additional public access potential. Long-range Pickleball Plans Several locations have been identified for permanent, dedicated pickleball courts in the City. 1. Billie Jean King Tennis Center (Recommended for funding in Measure A Plan) Adjacent to the current tennis center containing eight tennis courts is an area that could be developed to accommodate up to eight dedicated pickleball courts. The advantage of this location is the consolidation of management with the operator of the tennis center. The estimated budget for development of a pickleball complex is $450,000 on unimproved park landscape areas. 2. DeForest Park (Recommended for funding in Measure A Plan) The existing underutilized sports courts have the potential to be redeveloped into permanent pickleball courts. Four to six courts can be defined in the area and would be available for open play on a first come-first served basis. Budget for court conversion Item 16.F 10/25/22 211 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 227 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) would be approximately $25,000 - $35,000, depending on final amenities to be determined. 3. Veterans Park (Recommended for funding in Measure A Plan) An existing paved area that formerly served as a tennis court could be re-purposed for four pickleball courts for approximately $25,000 - $35,000, depending on final amenities to be determined. 4. Skylinks Golf Course Cell Phone Lot (Funding not yet identified) The former Long Beach Airport cell phone lot has space available to accommodate up to eight dedicated pickleball courts. These proposed courts could be added to the operational management responsibilities of American Golf, the current management company for all City golf courses, including Skylinks Golf Course. The estimated budget for development of the eight-court complex is $350,000. Public access would be by reservation through the golf course reservation and payment system as a fee-based facility. 5. El Dorado Park Tennis Center in El Dorado Park West (Funding not yet identified) Adjacent to the current tennis center containing dedicated tennis courts is an area that could be developed to accommodate 16 dedicated pickleball courts. The advantage of this location is the consolidation of management with the operator of the tennis center. The El Dorado Park Tennis and Pickleball Center would have the capacity to host major tennis and pickleball tournaments. Ideally, national tournaments would utilize the dedicated pickleball courts for competitive play and have the option to temporarily convert adjacent tennis courts into pickleball courts. As noted earlier in this report, each tennis court can accommodate four pickleball courts. Public access and special tournament use would be fee-based with revenue terms for the City added to the management agreement should this facility be developed. Capital improvement budget required would be approximately $700,000 - $850,000 depending on final amenities to be determined. Any prior references to amenities could include bench and/or bleacher seating areas, shade structures, drinking fountains, wind screening on fencing, etc. 2024 Paris & 2028 LA Olympics Opportunities There has been significant advancement in the formal consideration and designation of pickleball as an Olympic demonstration event for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The need for three additional countries to sign on will accomplish this official designation for 2024. However, it seems almost assured that the event could be part of the array of recognized, internationally Item 16.F 10/25/22 212 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 228 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) competitive sports. Long Beach could seize the opportunity to make a compelling case to add pickleball to the other LA28 Olympics sports and host the competitive venue. Should the LA28 Olympics include pickleball as either a demonstration or medal-based competitive sport, significant resources may be available for the development of a world class, pickleball complex that could become a legacy facility for post-Olympic tournaments. If you have any questions, please contact me at (562) 570-3170. CC: CHARLES PARKIN, CITY ATTORNEY DOUGLAS P. HAUBERT, CITY PROSECUTOR LAURA L. DOUD, CITY AUDITOR LINDA F. TATUM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TERESA CHANDLER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER KATY NOMURA, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER APRIL WALKER, ADMINISTRATIVE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER KEVIN LEE, CHIEF PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER MONIQUE DE LA GARZA, CITY CLERK (REF. FILE #22-0384 DEPARTMENT HEADS Item 16.F 10/25/22 213 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 229 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Hee Ko <hee2ko@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:11 AM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Federico Bianchi Subject:Memorial park pickle ball courts EXTERNAL Please do not decrease the amount of tennis courts at Memorial Park. The courts are used by our children to stay active. Tennis was a godsend to them during Covid. It was one of the few sports they could play and be safe. I understand that pickle ball is increasingly popular especially to older adults. But our youth need places to exercise in these trying times. There are so few tennis courts in the city. Please do not decrease any. Build more pickle ball courts elsewhere. Hee Ko (Parent of young tennis player) Item 16.F 10/25/22 214 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 230 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Marcia <musketgirl@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:10 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:NO to Pickleball at Memorial EXTERNAL Hello Santa Monica City Council, Re: 10/25/22 Agenda item 16F: Tennis / Pickleball Courts I’m a Santa Monica resident of 50+ years. I am writing to you as a concerned citizen, dismayed by the news that the tennis courts at Memorial Park may be expanded for pickleball at the expense of the tennis courts. I strongly urge this body to find an alternate solution that does not negatively impact the availability of tennis courts in Santa Monica. My understanding is that these courts are already limited. Any further limitation at Memorial Park will have ripple effects across all courts in Santa Monica. Given the long time popularity of tennis and the already limited court space, it is hard enough for these instructors -- whose livelihoods depend on court availability -- to find time, let alone any recreational players hoping to luck into some court time. I’ve seen pickleball’s take-over of Memorial Park affecting people close to me in a very negative way. My dear friends who are approved city of Santa Monica tennis instructors have lost 80% of their business due to lack of court space. Their clientele is there, but they have nowhere to teach. They have a six year old son who attends S.M public school. This is the income! I understand that tennis rose in popularity during the pandemic as a physically distant outdoor sport, and now we're all contending with the positive effects and challenges of more people playing tennis. Of course, this coincided with the explosive rise in popularity of pickleball. Great! More people are getting outside, exercising, and engaging in safe and healthy social activities. The fact that pickleball courts can be created on surfaces other than tennis courts should be strongly considered. The Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport offers an excellent opportunity to create more pickleball courts to accommodate the sport's growing popularity. Any expansion should not be done at the expense of the limited tennis courts in the city. It's also my understanding that certain schools reserve these public courts, further limiting time for instructors and recreational players. The bottom line is Santa Monica needs more tennis courts, not fewer, and I urge you to consider all options to build more tennis courts as soon as possible as well. Surely the City of Santa Monica, world famous for outdoor recreation and a friendly atmosphere does not want to choose pickleball over tennis. Tennis, the sport a Danish study declared the best activity to promote longevity, a news item picked up by the New York Times and multiple other publications. (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/well/move/the-best-sport-for-a-longer-life-try-tennis.html) Pickleball is popular and here to stay. But so is tennis. I'm appalled by reports I've heard about bad behavior by pickleball players toward tennis players over limited court space. This is an opportunity for the City of Santa Monica to choose the high road. To remind us all about good sportsmanship. To encourage wellness, fitness, and camaraderie. To support those who make their living teaching this lifetime sport, and all players, young and old. Item 16.F 10/25/22 215 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 231 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 With your leadership, City Council, we can all get along. With your leadership, we can thrive. Thank you, Marcia Alphson Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 216 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 232 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:marcela botero <marcelabotero@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:04 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F / Expansion of Pickleball Courts EXTERNAL To who might concern, My Name is Marcela. I am part of the Tennis community, I am very thankful to be part of the Santa Monica Parks and Recreation doing an excellent community service in sports. I wanted to write to you regarding the idea of converting the Tennis courts in to Pickle ball courts. I found this a tragic idea, to take from Tennis, that is a real development sport. They should keep the Tennis courts AS THEY ARE. In fact, if this project is moving forward they need to ADD more Tennis courts with the Pickle-ball new courts construction plan, because there are a lot more NEW Tennis players who are willing to put a lot of physicality, though, structure and formation to the very well know sport, not to mention the important and positive points that playing Tennis bring to the community like scholarships, high skills development, strategy, structure, commitment, face frustration, difficulty, high levels of sport and the jobs this generate in the City of Santa Monica to coordinate the very successful Tennis operation. That is completely opposite to what Pickle ball brings to the table. Pickle ball is not more than an easy sport, that’s what make it so popular, in my opinion that’s why the world is like it is now, because no one wants to work hard for things. I honestly think this world need more challenges, rules and formation but I also understand the Parks and Recreation needs to build NEW courts for the extensive Pickle-ball growth, and that easier sports should be also available for people who doesn’t want, or need, or can face a big challenges in life. I wanted to express a quick point. I hope the city takes the right decision to leave TENNIS AS IT IS, build NEW Pickle ball and Tennis courts on parts of the Golf courses that generate a high maintenance and high water demand in a area (Southern California) that doesn’t even have its own water. I was looking at the google views of the parks and there are plenty of spaces to be utilized to build more courts. Thank you for taking the time to read my opinion. Regards, Marcela Item 16.F 10/25/22 217 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 233 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Cecilia Rimer <ceciliarimer@me.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:03 AM To:councilmtgitems Cc:Linus Sandgren Subject:NO to Pickleball at Memorial park tennis courts! EXTERNAL Hello Santa Monica City Council, Re: 10/25/22 Agenda item 16F: Tennis / Pickleball Courts I am writing to you as a concerned citizen, dismayed by the news that the tennis courts at Memorial Park may be expanded for pickleball at the expense of the tennis courts. I strongly urge this body to find an alternate solution that does not negatively impact the availability of tennis courts in Santa Monica. Both my daughters (10 and 14 years old) and I plus my husband play tennis with instructors who abide by the rules and obtain permits to teach on Santa Monica public courts. My understanding is that these courts are already limited. Any further limitation at Memorial Park will have ripple effects across all courts in Santa Monica. Given the long time popularity of tennis and the already limited court space, it is hard enough for these instructors -- whose livelihoods depend on court availability -- to find time, let alone any recreational players hoping to luck into some court time. I understand that tennis rose in popularity during the pandemic as a physically distant outdoor sport, and now we're all contending with the positive effects and challenges of more people playing tennis. Of course, this coincided with the explosive rise in popularity of pickleball. Great! More people are getting outside, exercising, and engaging in safe and healthy social activities. The fact that pickleball courts can be created on surfaces other than tennis courts should be strongly considered. The Interim Open Space at Santa Monica Airport offers an excellent opportunity to create more pickleball courts to accommodate the sport's growing popularity. Any expansion should not be done at the expense of the limited tennis courts in the city. It's also my understanding that certain schools reserve these public courts, further limiting time for instructors and recreational players. The bottom line is Santa Monica needs more tennis courts, not fewer, and I urge you to consider all options to build more tennis courts as soon as possible as well. Surely the City of Santa Monica, world famous for outdoor recreation and a friendly atmosphere does not want to choose pickleball over tennis. Tennis, the sport a Danish study declared the best activity to promote longevity, a news item picked up by the New York Times and multiple other publications. (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/well/move/the-best-sport-for-a-longer-life-try-tennis.html) Pickleball is popular and here to stay. But so is tennis. I'm appalled by reports I've heard about bad behavior by pickleball players toward tennis players over limited court space. This is an opportunity for the City of Santa Monica to choose the high road. To remind us all about good sportsmanship. To encourage wellness, fitness, and camaraderie. To support those who make their living teaching this lifetime sport, and all players, young and old. With your leadership, City Council, we can all get along. With your leadership, we can thrive. Thank you, Cecilia Rimér Sandgren &Linus Sandgren Item 16.F 10/25/22 218 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 234 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 219 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 235 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Health Wave <georgebyrd3@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:22 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Pickleball turmoil EXTERNAL Hello Santa Monica City Council, Re: 10/25/22 Agenda item 16F: Tennis / Pickleball Courts. I've been living and enjoying Santa Monica for the past 23 year's. Being a NY transplant, I can epreciate the outdoor lifestyle. On my arrival some 23 year's ago I started playing tennis again. It was such a joyful experience. The beach, the sun and tennis. As of lately though I must say trying to find court time has become increasingly difficult. My once go to spot at Memorial park has all been taken over by pickleball. Pickleball? Why? Can't they set up there nets and lines elsewhere? This is very frustrating and even more concerning once I heard the proposal of the complete takeover of Memorial. Im sure there are other places that they can convert. Why don't they set up there nets and draw the lines on the basketball courts? I wonder how that would go over.. Please stop the annexation of the Memorial tennis courts. Thank you George Byrd Item 16.F 10/25/22 220 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 236 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Du Ho Kim <duhokim2014@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:22 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL Honorable council members, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, Du Ho Kim Item 16.F 10/25/22 221 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 237 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Vernice Hankins From:Paul Plambeck <paulplambeck@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:20 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16 F EXTERNAL Dear City Council Representatives, My family has resided in Santa Monica for over 15 years, and frequently use the city tennis courts. We have young children that are also learning the sport, and have a love for it. By converting all courts at Memorial Park to pickle ball courts, tennis players in the city will have an even harder time to find courts to play and take lessons. While I appreciate pickle ball, taking away tennis courts is not the solution. We oppose this proposal, and hope the city will find an equitable solution that does not take away from the amenities that brought us to this great city. Sincerely, Paul Plambeck Item 16.F 10/25/22 222 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 238 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:CYNTHIA MADLOCK COLEMAN <madlock_coleman_cynt@student.smc.edu> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:18 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, Cynthia Madlock Coleman Item 16.F 10/25/22 223 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 239 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Anna Andersson <annasofiaswe@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:15 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:NO Pickleball at Memorial Park tennis courts! EXTERNAL Hi, I am a city of Santa Monica approved tennis instructor since 2007 and a Santa Monica resident since 2003. My partner and father to our six year old son teaches tennis with me. Our son attends 1st grade at Roosevelt Elementary. While I do approve of the idea to build pickleball courts at the S.M Airport Park as soon as possible, I highly disapprove the idea of giving pickleball players additional court space at Memorial Park. In fact, Memorial tennis courts must go back to being tennis courts only. The city of Santa Monica has had a shortage on tennis courts for 10 plus years, considering the constantly increasing demand for tennis in this city. Tennis is a very popular sport in Santa Monica, it always has been, and with the pandemic the sport boomed even more. Everyone wanted to start playing tennis, which I noticed as a tennis instructor. I run my business with my partner and father to our six year old son. We got several daily requests for lessons, and still do, but now we have nowhere to teach. We have had to cut 80% of our lessons, ie saying no to business/lessons, because we have no court to teach on. This is our full time job, and we are now down to teaching 10-15 hours a week total. We keep getting lesson requests, but constantly have to say no, because we can’t get court space anywhere through the city. Speaking with other tennis instructors I find that they have the same problems. The fact that Pickleball was allowed to be played at Memorial in the first place was a big mistake. They are taking away already limited time from tennis players, including residents playing recreationally, taking private lessons, taking city group lessons and school practices at Memorial Park, which hence affect all the other court availability at other city tennis courts, such as Reed, Douglas, Marine, Ocean and Clover. The question I ask is, why must pickleball players use tennis courts in the first place? They don’t use the tennis nets, or the lines of tennis. So why don’t they go set up their nets on the basketball courts around town, and harass the basketball players like they are well known to harass the tennis players? It’s not a good idea to share Memorial Park tennis courts with pickleball, or at any other tennis court location. Ever since pickleball players started to take over Memorial Park, their behavior has caused several dangerous incidents when the police has been called. Pickleball players’ behavior is threatening to say the least. Often times they mix drinking alcohol with playing, which not only is against the law, but causes additionally aggressive behavior, when trying to share the court space. Another reason why I don’t think pickleball and tennis should share space is the difficulty of teaching new and old students the sport of tennis when talking over the loud noise pickleball playing makes. The ball is very loud, and it gets very distracting to the surrounding courts when trying to focus on learning the skill and/or simply playing tennis recreationally. Add 80 people on three tennis courts and one can imagine the volume of their balls and their yelling. Item 16.F 10/25/22 224 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 240 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 In addition, the pickleball lines on the tennis courts make it very distracting to new students when trying to explain the rules of the game and what the different lines mean. This is especially hard for our young students: kids. I often get harassed by pickleball players even though I have permit to teach. Their favorite line tends to be “there are 36 tennis courts in Santa Monica. Go to those courts!” Not only is this a false statement — there are 24 tennis courts, but since pickleball players use memorial park for the most part nowadays, tennis players are left with 20 courts shared by resident recreational players, city classes, private instruction and several middle, HS and college school programs. This is not a lot of tennis courts considering how many tennis players have to share them — but what they don’t seem to understand is that there are a lot of rules especially for us tennis teachers, which we abide by. From me and my family’a perspective: I’m trying to make a living. This is my only income. And many tennis instructors are in my boat. The frustrating thing is I have so many students! But nowhere to teach…. One of the many incidents I encountered at Memorial Park resulted in the police having to show up the other week on Wed, Oct 5th at 8am at Memorial Park. I had a permit to teach a tennis lesson at 8-9.30am on court 1 at Memorial. I came on at 7.58am and pickleball players had already started to set up their nets on the court I had a permit for. I told them I had a permit and was ready to show it. One man started yelling at me claiming “you are making a lot of people really miserable!!!” and “there are 36 tennis courts in Santa Monica!!! Go play on those!!!!” I ignored them and started to teach my lesson and 7 minutes in to the lesson, another man is storming onto our court yelling at me and my female student and being threatening, which caused my female student to talk back at him and call the police. When the police officer arrived he told my student that the police get called to Memorial park often due to pickleball players’ threatening behavior. He said “they are crazy!!” I dare the pickleball players to try to harass basketball players the same way. I wonder how that would go? I guess it’s easier to harass females on the tennis court… Also what they don’t seem to understand, is that tennis is also a VERY popular sport in city of Santa Monica and has been for decades! Tennis City group classes are booming more then ever before, and I could personally teach 60+ hours a week if I had the court space for it. My phone keeps ringing. I think I speak for all local instructors that there certainly isn’t any shortage of tennis interest, only a shortage of tennis courts. In addition, let’s not forget our kids. Kids do not play pickleball, but they play tennis and love taking lessons. Shouldn’t we also push for things that benefit our kids? Furthermore, I feel there is a common theme of different rules for the two sports. Here is why: In the midst of the pandemic, we tennis instructors were forced to do private lessons only, one student to one teacher. No bigger groups were allowed. At the same time, pickleball players were gathering in masses at Memorial park, them being 100s of people at once at the courts. How does this makes sense? I know for a fact that pickleball instructors are teaching lessons at Memorial without permits. I can prove that with a name of the instructor and time(s) taught without a permit. While I fully support pickleball courts being built at Santa Monica Airport Park asap, I also think it’s of utter importance of building more tennis courts at the same location, or elsewhere in the city. However, tennis courts and pickleball courts cannot be shared!! Memorial Park needs to become tennis courts ONLY as soon as possible! The sports shouldn’t even be next to each other for all the above mentioned reasons. If it’s one thing we have learned since Pickleball players started playing at Memorial, it’s best if tennis and pickleball courts are as far away from each other as possible. Best, Anna Andersson Santa Monica resident and tennis instructor Item 16.F 10/25/22 225 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 241 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 7 Cell: 310-666-3106 Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 226 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 242 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:David Masse <dmasse42@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:25 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, David Masse Item 16.F 10/25/22 227 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 243 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 228 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 244 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 229 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 245 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 230 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 246 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 231 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 247 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) Item 16.F 10/25/22 232 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 248 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:松浦考樹 <mixnuts1123@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:29 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16F EXTERNAL October 24, 2022 City Hall Council Chambers 1685 Main St, Room 250 Santa Monica, CA 90401 councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov RE: Agenda Item 16.F Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, Naruki Matsuura Item 16.F 10/25/22 233 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 249 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:treyhowe@verizon.net Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:27 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda 16f EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. From a recreational user’s perspective, public tennis facilities in Santa Monica are already in high demand and heavily used. It is common to wait one hour or more for access to a court. Reducing the number of dedicated Memorial Park tennis courts will put further strain on this already limited availability. As you are aware, Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; as well as recreational tennis players. If there is a reduction in the use of Memorial Park then these programs will have to move to other tennis locations including Reed Park, Ocean View Park, Marine Park, Clover Park and Douglas Park. In the U.S., there are an estimated 22.9 million tennis players vs 4.8 million pickleball players. Tennis participation has seen a surge in the past few years alone, growing 27.9% from 2019 to 2021. Reducing tennis court availability, at a time when we should be adding courts, will almost certainly result in growing frustration among community members and negatively impact public health. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, Trey, Howe Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS Item 16.F 10/25/22 234 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 250 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Tammy Plambeck <tammyplambeck@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:32 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:AGENDA ITEM 16F Oct 25 EXTERNAL Please DO NOT replace existing tennis courts with pickle ball courts. I have 2 young children, who adore tennis. I have a hard time enough today to get courts reservations and have waited hours at Marine and other courts in the city just to be able to play for 30min or an hr so please don’t replace the courts with pickle balls. Building new courts to support the sport is the o my way to go. In addition, I’d love to see new Tennis courts built as there aren’t enough today. Thank you, Tammy 310.741.9477 Item 16.F 10/25/22 235 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 251 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Veronica Gerlach <veronicalgerlach@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:30 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Memorial Park Tennis Courts EXTERNAL Dear Santa Monica City Council, My name is Veronica Gerlach. I have played tennis on the Memorial Park Tennis Courts my whole life. I watched my dad teach my sister to play tennis while I was barley old enough to walk and I pushed the balls out of the way just to be a part of it. Then when I was 6 I started training with my dad and many other tennis coaches. Soon after I began tennis I started playing tournaments for years and I would practice for hours on the Memorial Park Tennis Courts. I have spent my life playing tennis throughout my childhood into my teens when I played on the Samohi girls tennis team and now I am playing as a member of the Santa Monica College girls tennis team. The one thing that has remained a constant place that I return to is the Memorial Park Tennis Courts. It would be heartbreaking to see them go because it has not only been a part of my life but it is also the place where I am most content playing tennis. I beg of not to force tennis players out of this sanctuary. As an alternative there are plenty of places where you can build pickle ball courts and it your job to that and find them a new place. Creating new pickle ball courts that are not tennis courts would mean jobs for people in construction and more money from pickle ball players, if they have their own home in and not squatting on the Memorial Park Tennis Courts. Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you make the right choice and return Memorial Park to it's long time players and people as tennis courts. Sincerely, Veronica Gerlach Item 16.F 10/25/22 236 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 252 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Michelle Kramer <michelle1810s@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:49 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Memorial Park — Tennis EXTERNAL To Whom It May Concern — I understand that there is a proposal to turn Memorial Park into a Pickleball only facility. Please know that there is a tremendous shortage of public tennis courts in Santa Monica, LA and Beverly Hills areas. LA and Beverly Hills are working together with the Pickleball community to provide courts with Pickleball lines and also designate time for Pickleball use. I urge Santa Monica to find a compromise solution so that players of both sports will benefit. I happen to run the adult USTA tennis leagues in the LA Area (which includes Santa Monica). We have many Santa Monica residents asking to play on teams in Santa Monica — unfortunately, when we approach Santa Monica Parks & Rec Dept, unlike the cities of LA and Beverly Hills they will not allow permits for USTA league play as they indicate that the public tennis courts are too crowded and popular to allow league play. Therefore, removing tennis courts at Memorial Park seems inappropriate as it will only create greater overcrowding at the Santa Monica public tennis courts. Thank you for your consideration. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Best, Michelle Kramer Co-Coordinator USTA League - LA Area 818-425-0376 Sent from my iPhone Item 16.F 10/25/22 237 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 253 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 2 Vernice Hankins From:Jacquelynn Lizarraga Hansen, Esq. <jacq@jrlfamilylaw.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:47 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Courts at Memorial Park EXTERNAL To Whom It May Concern: As a third generation Mexican American Angeleno, I am deeply saddened at the current state of our local politics. Los Angeles, and particularly the Westside, Santa Monica included has always been somewhere I was proud to call home and be an active member our community. I have 5 children, the 4 of whom are school aged, attend school in Santa Monica. While I did not come from a background of wealth or privilege, I always felt comfortable in my city and I had friends growing up who lived in tiny apartments and friends who had beautiful tennis court in their backyards. I never had the privilege of playing tennis in my youth and it was not until last year that I was able to take private tennis lessons – on the public courts in Santa Monica. I fell in love with playing and loved being in the Park with all different types of people. It really felt like it was representative of our city, people playing tennis, children’s music circles, people of all different walks of life together – in our city park. I have continued to play tennis in the Santa Monica public courts, with my instructor who has secured permits. However, this blissful hour I have each week where I revel in how lucky I am to play tennis in this great City of ours came to a screeching halt a few weeks ago at Memorial Park – where I met my instructor at 8 am for a lesson on a Court she had booked, prior to me going to work. When we arrived, the Court we had booked was being occupied by not less than 20 pickle ball players and when we told them we had the Court reserved – they became irate and belligerent like petulant school children. Two middle aged men in particular became hostile and started shouting at us, called me names refused to leave our court and were a complete embarrassment to themselves and others. I ultimately called the police when one of them began filming me while shouting at me that he was “a Santa Monica Resident” and had the right to be there. The whole situation was extremely unnerving and disappointing. These men were foaming at the mouth and were rabid because they couldn’t play pickleball on a court that was reserved by us. I understand not all those who play pickleball behave this way – and the majority of the folks who we asked to please leave our reserved court did so respectfully. I offer the above anecdote because this is a common occurrence where there is a chasm between “tennis players” and “pickleball players” and this should not be tolerated. Creating parks in our city where anyone is disenfranchised should be discouraged – people should learn to work together regardless of who they are, what they’re backgrounds are or what sport they are playing. I view the proposal to convert Memorial Court to pickleball only as a very slippery slope and representative of something much bigger and view it with deep skepticism. There were members of the pickleball crew that morning that were nothing short of Grade A bullies and bigots and to capitulate to their demands is not something that our leadership should do. We are in a really precarious time in our City and we need strong leadership that emphasizes that constituents need to be respectful of EVERYONE and to follow the rules, even if they do not like the rules. I left that morning, disappointed and saddened that those men, shouting obscenities, were playing on the same Courts that my kids play on and it made me sad that there are people – completely grown- who do not know how to be respectful even when they feel disappointed. We need strong leaders who make it clear that this type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be rewarded. Thank You. Item 16.F 10/25/22 238 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 254 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 3 Jacq Jacquelynn Lizarraga Hansen, Esq. Law Office of Jacquelynn L. Hansen, APC 12424 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 720 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 504-1106 jacq@jrlfamilylaw.com www.jrlfamilylaw.com The information contained in this e-mail is intended for the personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. This message may be an attorney-client communication and/or work product and as such is privileged and confidential. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. Thank you. Item 16.F 10/25/22 239 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 255 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 4 Vernice Hankins From:Sheri Roberts <sheri.roberts000@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:44 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:16F - City of SM Meeting Regarding Tennis Court Usage EXTERNAL City of Santa Monica City Council: I am writing regarding the proposal to turn tennis courts into pickle ball courts. My daughter plays tennis at Memorial Park and Oceanview Park several days a week and she already has difficulty getting a court. There are always people waiting for tennis courts. Decreasing the number of tennis courts would be a huge detriment to neighborhood adults, children and schools. Many schools use Memorial Park for their tennis programs, as do members of the community. If anything, Santa Monica needs more tennis courts, not fewer. Thanks very much, Sheri Roberts Item 16.F 10/25/22 240 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 256 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 5 Vernice Hankins From:Beth Scholze <bethscholze@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:42 AM To:councilmtgitems; Beth Scholze Subject:Fwd: Important: Tuesday's City Council Meeting- Agenda Item 16F- Expansion of Pickleball Courts EXTERNAL To Whom It May Concern I'd like to request that more city tennis courts are not moved to full time pickleball at Memorial. While I think the new sport is exciting and we should provide access, I have a daughter who is a tennis player for SAMOHI, and we can barely reserve a court at a public spot like Reed or Memorial more than once a month. I log on immediately three days before, and they're locked up immediately. And most people can't get access or afford private court situations. Tennis equally exploded as a youth sport during covid as did pickleball so we need to continue that access. In addition, our private coach - an approved private instructor through city of S.M - has lost 80% of her business due to lack of court space, impacted her family finances tremendously, and her clients access to instrucion. Perhaps a solution is to focus on the build of pickleball courts at S.M Airport, but keep the tennis and pickleball courts separate! Best Beth Scholze 3423-854-0954 Item 16.F 10/25/22 241 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 257 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 6 Vernice Hankins From:Beth Scholze <bethscholze@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:42 AM To:councilmtgitems; Beth Scholze Subject:Tennis at Memorial item EXTERNAL To Whom It May Concern I'd like to request that more city tennis courts are not moved to full time pickleball at Memorial. While I think the new sport is exciting and we should provide access, I have a daughter who is a tennis player for SAMOHI, and we can barely reserve a court at a public spot like Reed or Memorial more than once a month. I log on immediately three days before, and they're locked up immediately. And most people can't get access or afford private court situations. Tennis equally exploded as a youth sport during covid as did pickleball so we need to continue that access. In addition, our private coach - an approved private instructor through city of S.M - has lost 80% of her business due to lack of court space, impacted her family finances tremendously, and her clients access to instrucion. Perhaps a solution is to focus on the build of pickleball courts at S.M Airport, but keep the tennis and pickleball courts separate! Best Beth Scholze 3423-854-0954 Item 16.F 10/25/22 242 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 258 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:BRENNA THOMAS <thomas_brenna_nicole@student.smc.edu> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 11:58 AM To:councilmtgitems Subject:Agenda Item 16.F EXTERNAL Honorable councilmembers, I write today to express my strong opposition to proposed plans to expand dedicated pickleball use of the tennis courts at Memorial Park. Memorial Park hosts many tennis programs including local high schools and middle schools; city tennis camps and classes; private instructors; recreational tennis players; and also Santa Monica College tennis classes and tennis teams; Not only is Santa Monica College the #1 transfer junior college to UCLA and USC, many of our student athletes receive scholarships and go on to play for four-year universities throughout the country. Santa Monica College is an affordable option where student-athletes can participate in intercollegiate sports while achieving their educational goals. As a budding tennis professional with the potential and hopes to break the female world record of the fastest tennis serve, I utilize the courts at least 3 days a week to practice and hone in on my skills/talents. I hope for Memorial Park Tennis Courts to be the place where I reach world record-breaking speeds. And to deny people like me, those of us who have such potential to make history, access to Memorial Park Tennis Courts is a disservice to the people AND to the City of Santa Monica. Imagine the legacies that will be left on the Memorial Park Tennis Court and the history that will continue to be made there. I hope that you vote against agenda item 16.F. Thank you, BRENNA THOMAS Item 16.F 10/25/22 243 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 259 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Katalin Bognar <katalin.bognar@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October 25, 2022 12:00 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:agenda 16 F EXTERNAL To whom it concerns, I am emailing to express my concerns with further reducing tennis court availability for Santa Monica residents. I was informed about the plans for allocating even more court time for Pickleball. My kid's chosen sport is tennis and as a pre- teen it is especially important for her physical and mental health to have adequate exercise. It is already very difficult to find court space for her. Please do not make it even harder. Thank you, Kata Bognar Item 16.F 10/25/22 244 of 244 Item 16.F 10/25/22 8.E.a Packet Pg. 260 Attachment: Written Comments (5453 : Expand pickleball courts)