Contrary to the views of pickleball players, city parks and recreation staffers say “the department is meeting the recreational needs of pickleball users.”
In fact, a staff study found that Ashland is “providing a higher level of service than comparable communities,” according to information provided to the Parks and Recreation Commission which plans to take up the issue at tonight’s study session. A decision on adding pickleball courts, as sought by the players, should be delayed pending the outcome of a larger study of overall needs, parks director Rocky Houston advised the commission.
The city has eight pickleball courts in Lithia Park and re-striping Hunter Park tennis courts for use by both tennis and pickleball players, as suggested by the pickleball players organization, is not allowed under current departmental policy. This has blocked a proposed pickleball tournament there this summer.
Houston is proposing that development of future pickleball courts be included in the Recreation, Open space, and Senior services (PROS) strategic plan to be undertaken this year.
Ronald D. Owen, chair of the Pickleball Club, told The Chronicle the commission should “hear from the people using the Lithia Park courts to learn about the actual overcrowding that occurs at different times, dates and seasons.”
Pickleball is a growing sport among younger people, as well as seniors, he added. And, tourists are regular players at the Lithia Park courts.
The parks staff study compared the number of courts in Ashland to those of 10 other Oregon cities. Ashland has eight public pickleball courts in Lithia Park and five non-public courts. Klamath Falls, with a similar population as Ashland, has 24 public courts and a total of 38; Grants Pass, 31 public courts and 48 total; Medford, 34 public and 54 total. Other cities, mostly larger, included in the survey were Lake Oswego, Bend, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Salem and Portland. When all are included, Ashland comes out ranked third in providing courts per capita, parks staff concluded.
On the possibility of joint use of Hunter Park’s tennis courts, Houston told the commission that “the addition of pickleball lines and portable nets is a lower cost item and not critical to the capital project delivery currently planned. They can be added at any time in the future when and if the Commission makes a policy decision.”
The Pickleball Club has donated more than $20,000 to pay for the re-striping.
“During the planning process, staff will be engaging with many groups and collecting more data on what the community, as a whole, has prioritized for all recreational amenities within our parks,” Houston wrote. “Staff is concerned that if a decision is made now, future information may contradict the service level needs and have unforeseen impacts in meeting those recreational needs.”
At the last Parks Commission meeting, more than 30 pickleball players said wait times are often long for one of the Lithia Park courts, and with a growing number of players of all ages, providing additional courts should be a priority.
Source: https://theashlandchronicle.com/ashland-pickleball-enthusiasts-needs-being-met-according-to-parks-recreation-staff/