To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: ELIZABETH HAUSE, INTERIM COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
TITLE
title
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING PICKLEBALL PLAY AND COURT MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF PICKLEBALL COURT LINES ON ONE OR TWO OF THE TENNIS COURTS LOCATED AT ALTA VISTA PARK
end
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In March 2024, the City Council discussed improvements at Aviation Park, including the potential addition of pickleball courts. At that time, the Council directed staff to further analyze and/or move forward with the installation of pickleball courts at Aviation Park, Franklin Park, Perry Park, and Dale Page Park. Additionally, staff was asked to return with a discussion item to consider whether one or two tennis courts at Alta Vista Park should be restriped to include pickleball courts and to provide cost estimates for the potential re-striping, possible revenue impacts, and options to establish dedicated hours for each sport. Lastly, the Council requested the City Attorney return with an ordinance (if needed) to make pickleball play at parkettes an infraction.
This report includes a review (and a status report, where appropriate) of past actions associated with pickleball courts in the City and seeks direction on whether to move forward with the installation of pickleball court striping on one or two Alta Vista Park tennis courts.
BACKGROUND
At the City Council’s March 5, 2024 meeting, staff provided an update regarding a Strategic Plan item for improvements at Aviation Park, including the potential for additional recreation amenities, specifically pickleball courts. Following a lengthy discussion, the City Council approved the following motion by a 3-2 vote:
a. Aviation Park: Designate the open field area for future, dedicated pickleball courts as the first priority on the unfunded CIP, and conduct an analysis/Budget Response Report (BRR) for sound mitigation for Northrup Grumman and to insulate the daycare facility from pickleball sounds; and
b. Franklin Park: Resurface the current concrete pad for volleyball and re-stripe for dual use (funded from the money already budgeted for improvements at that park); and
c. Alta Vista Park: Direct staff to return with a cost estimate to restripe two tennis courts for shared use between tennis and pickleball play, including estimated revenues and proposed information regarding dedicated hours for each sport; and
d. Perry Park: Direct staff to provide a BRR and liability analysis to install a partial fence between the two dual-striped basketball/pickleball court areas to help keep pickleball contained, and to repaint Perry Park basketball/pickleball sport court from time to time; and
e. Direct the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance (if needed) that would make pickleball play at residential parkettes an infraction; and
f. Ensure signage is installed at Dale Page Park, Perry Park, and Franklin Park for the use of dual-striped courts; dual-stripe one court at Dale Page using available District 5 discretionary funds; dual stripe an additional court at Franklin Park; and, ensure preservation of basketball hours and rights
Below are updates on the abovementioned items:
a. Aviation Park: As a follow up to each component of the motion, a BRR was submitted outlining noise mitigation options for the City Council’s review and approval of the FY 2024-25 Budget. Further, the City Council allocated $320,000 for the installation of pickleball courts at the Aviation Park open field area, including sound mitigation materials to insulate the noise for adjacent facilities.
b. Franklin Park: The concrete pad at Franklin Park is on schedule to be restriped for dual use within the next few months, dependent on the availability of the striping vendor.
c. Alta Vista Park: This report facilitates City Council direction for possible action at this park.
d. Perry Park: A BRR was provided to the City Council as part of the FY 2024-25 budget process regarding a liability analysis on the installation of a partial fence between the two dual-striped basketball/pickleball court areas (BRR #7). Also included in that BRR was information outlining the process and cost to repaint the Perry Park basketball courts due to scuffing from the use of skateboards and other wheeled devices on the courts.
e. Title 4, Chapter 4 § 4-35.26 of the Redondo Beach Municipal Code gives the Community Services Department authority to establish administrative rules governing the use of facilities in parks. Facility users who fail to abide by these rules may be expelled from the park. This code section provides the City the authority it needs to prohibit pickleball in parkettes. If Council wishes to adopt an Ordinance affirming this authority and explicitly prohibiting pickleball in parkettes, the City Attorney is prepared to present this Ordinance to the Council in a future meeting.
f. The signage for Perry and Franklin Parks is being finalized and should be installed in the upcoming weeks. Signage for Dale Page Park will be installed following the installation of pickleball court striping and the restriping of the basketball court, which is expected to take place in early September. The concrete work needed at the site to allow for new court striping has been completed.
Pickleball in Redondo Beach
The City has made efforts towards supporting pickleball play throughout the City for many years. A Pickleball Feasibility Study was completed in November 2021 that included potential sites throughout the City that could support pickleball courts. Following review of the study, the City Council directed staff to install pickleball courts at the following locations:
• Three courts at Perry Park with shared striping on the existing basketball courts
• Two courts at Franklin Park with shared striping on the existing basketball court
• One court at Anderson Park with shared striping on the existing half-court basketball court
The installation of these courts took place in July and August of 2023. An aerial rendering of each location is shown below.
All three locations became dual-use courts for pickleball and basketball play. Pickleball nets were not included as part of the City’s installation. Use of these courts for pickleball play requires players to bring their own, portable nets that must be removed when they are done using the court. Overall, the courts have been met with excitement from the pickleball community, with most courts seeing regular usage.
Each location has distinct characteristics and alternate uses, resulting in the need for different use policies for shared pickleball and basketball play at each location. Perry Park has become the preferred site for pickleball play in the City and has required a dedicated policy that includes specific times delineated for pickleball and basketball play. Included as an attachment is the proposed, permanent sign that will be posted in the near future. A temporary version of this sign has been posted at the park since the courts were installed.
Franklin Park required a similar consideration for policies and signage as a result of existing contracted classes, activities, and neighborhood usage of the park. Signage includes a similar breakdown of dedicated basketball and pickleball play times, but is split between two different schedules considering seasonal uses of the park based on heavy usage by the adjacent neighborhood during summer months when children are not in school, resulting in a need for additional time for basketball play in the mornings. Included as an attachment is the proposed, permanent policy sign that will be in the near future. Similar to Perry Park, a temporary version of this sign has been posted at the courts since they were installed.
The Anderson Park pickleball court is not heavily used for pickleball play and, at this time, staff has not posted a schedule for dedicated basketball and pickleball play. There have been no reportable issues or concerns, so these courts remain available for use on a first-come, first-served basis.
Overall, the installation of the six courts throughout the City has gone well. Although the pickleball community would desire a permanent option with City-provided nets or space for a storage unit adjacent to the courts for easier setup and tear down, the majority of the courts remain used on a regular basis without issue.
At the March 5, 2024 meeting, the City Council considered alternate locations for additional pickleball courts, including a parking lot north of the Aviation track that is privately owned by Northrop Grumman. Unfortunately, Northrop Grumman was uninterested in leasing this space to the City for the installation of pickleball courts. Additionally, an open area west of the Aviation track was also considered for pickleball courts, but was not selected due to site conditions including the removal of trees, as well as the potential for significant costs for other required site work.
As previously noted, the City Council allocated $320,000 in the FY 2024-25 budget to begin the process for the installation of dedicated pickleball courts at the Aviation open field area, including sound mitigation materials to insulate the noise from adjacent facilities. This location, once constructed, and the planned dual-striping of a single pickleball court at Dale Page Park, and an additional court at Franklin Park, would bring the City’s total inventory of pickleball courts to fourteen.
It should be noted that the Recreation & Parks Commission has expressed support for pickleball throughout the City and has an existing Pickleball Subcommittee that is tasked with analyzing and reviewing existing and future court options. The Pickleball Subcommittee maintains open lines of communication with the pickleball community and provides regular updates to the Commission on pickleball play in the community.
Alta Vista Park
Alta Vista Park is located in south Redondo Beach and includes 19 acres of recreational space that serves a variety of multi-generational users. The complex includes three multi-use sport fields, one little league field, a Community Center, picnic shelter, eight tennis courts, two indoor racquetball courts, a community garden, and a dog run. The facility is staffed and open Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM, with limited hours on holidays. The Community Center includes public restrooms and a 4,900 square foot rental hall with an adjacent kitchen for private use.
Tennis Court Users at Alta Vista
The Alta Vista Tennis Courts support a variety of players, both recreationally and in various organized formats. These users include members of the community, tennis professionals offering private lessons, Round Robin tournaments, league play, and City-run classes. There are no residency requirements for any user of the tennis courts. Included below are brief descriptions of each user and any applicable use policies for each.
Community - Individuals from the community can reserve a tennis court with a valid annual membership. Reservations can be made up to seven days in advance and can be done either online, in person, or over the phone. Members can reserve a maximum of three-hours each day under the same household. These reservations may be cancelled if done more than 24 hours in advance. All players are required to check-in at the front office to confirm a valid membership ($25 annually) and receive a court assignment prior to play. Included in Table 1 below are the updated tennis rental and membership fees:
Tennis Professionals - Tennis Professionals are permitted to hold private lessons on the tennis courts only after an instructor has been approved to do so by staff following verification of certifications, liability insurance, and experience. There are seven tennis professionals on the City’s approved list, which is currently closed. Tennis professionals are allowed to reserve courts up to one month in advance (assuming the reservation request is standard) and they must do so directly with staff; online reservations are not available for this user group. An annual Tennis Professional Membership is required, which is $100. Tennis professionals must also pay for hourly rental of courts, which is $18 plus an additional $6 when lights are needed.
Round Robin - Round Robin play takes place Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM for various levels each day and is available for all members ages 16 and older. Up to four participants per court play in an eight-game tournament, for $8. Participants may play in multiple matches, if time allows. All players are required to have an active Alta Vista membership.
League Play - The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the local Marine Tennis League offer league play on the Alta Vista tennis courts. USTA activities typically take place on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The Marine League activities typically take place Monday to Friday. Both leagues may be booked at least 10 days in advance. All players participating in league play are required to have a valid Alta Vista membership. Leagues are charged the prime-time rates, regardless of time of use, and are required to pay for any lighting fees when necessary.
Contracted Classes - The City provides a variety of seasonal recreational classes and activities for the community, including tennis instruction at Alta Vista. Contracted Classes may take place at any time and are determined by staff and the instructor prior to the release of each seasonal newsletter. Through this model, Contracted Class instructors are paid 70% of the registration fees collected by the City for each participant; the City retains the remaining 30%. These instructors are not charged for use of the courts. Depending on the skill and focus of each class, these activities are, on average, $18 per class and last anywhere from six to ten weeks. Classes are offered for both youth and adult players.
Tennis Court Usage Data
Included, as an attachment, is usage data for the eight tennis courts at Alta Vista from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. It is listed in hourly increments since court reservations begin at the top of each hour. This data is intended to assist with Council’s discussion on the number of courts and the number of hours available to dedicate to pickleball play, should the Council choose to stripe pickleball courts at Alta Vista.
Usage data reflects seasonal fluctuations in court use as well as consistent use on weekends. Included below is a monthly breakdown of tennis court usage showing the number of hourly time slots where seven of the eight or all eight courts were used (i.e. ≥75% of the courts), along with the corresponding percentage of time these courts were at ≥75% capacity each month. Although there are almost daily instances when all of the tennis courts are being used at or near capacity, a majority of the time there are two or more courts available.
|
Month |
# of Hrs Courts were at ≥75% Capacity |
% of Hrs Courts were at ≥75% Capacity |
|
July 2023 |
141 |
32% |
|
August 2023 |
135 |
31% |
|
September 2023 |
160 |
38% |
|
October 2023 |
174 |
43% |
|
November 2023 |
135 |
32% |
|
December 2023 |
75 |
17% |
|
January 2024 |
117 |
41% |
|
February 2024 |
150 |
37% |
|
*March 2024 |
62 |
14% |
|
*April 2024 |
74 |
18% |
|
May 2024 |
140 |
32% |
|
June 2024 |
142 |
34% |
*Facility was closed due to installation of new roof. Court use was limited.
Cost Estimate
Consistent with the City Council’s motion, staff reached out to Trueline Construction & Surfacing to obtain a quote to add pickleball court lines on two tennis courts at Alta Vista Park. This is the same vendor that installed the courts at Perry, Franklin, and Anderson Parks in 2023. The addition of lines for eight pickleball courts across two tennis courts would be $5,120. If approved, this work would be undertaken as part of the resurfacing of the tennis courts, which was included in the FY 2024-25 Budget at a cost of $90,000.
Recommended Pickleball Court Use Hours & Projected Revenue
Following review of the tennis court usage data, there are no clear patterns throughout the year that would allow for regular use of tennis court(s) for pickleball play without impacting existing tennis use. Should the City Council approve installation of the pickleball court lines on one or two tennis courts at Alta Vista, staff would develop designated court use times for pickleball play while attempting to impact tennis play as little as possible. Use of the courts would be available by reservation only, consistent with current use policies for the tennis courts.
Included below are pickleball court use fees in surrounding cities, including Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo and Hawthorne.
|
City |
Hourly Fees |
Annual Membership |
|
Redondo Beach (tennis) |
$10 - $13 per hour |
$25 |
|
|
|
|
|
Hermosa Beach |
$9 |
$18 |
|
Manhattan Beach |
Residents - $10 Non-residents - $14 |
--- |
|
El Segundo |
Residents - $10 Non-residents - $20 |
--- |
|
Hawthorne |
Free |
--- |
To illustrate possible revenue adjustments for shared use of the court(s), the following calculations show potential revenue on an hourly basis with pickleball court use fees set at $10 per court, assuming full capacity. Current tennis court use fees are reflected at both the non-prime time rate of $10 and the prime-time rate of $13 per hour.
|
PICKLEBALL |
|
TENNIS |
|
# of Pickleball Courts |
Hourly Pickleball Use Fee |
Total Hourly Pickleball Use Fee |
|
# of Tennis Courts |
Total Hourly Rental |
|
4 |
$10 |
$40 |
|
1 |
$10 |
|
8 |
$10 |
$80 |
|
2 |
$20 |
|
PICKLEBALL |
|
TENNIS |
|
# of Pickleball Courts |
Hourly Pickleball Use Fee |
Total Hourly Pickleball Use Fee |
|
# of Tennis Courts |
Total Hourly Rental |
|
4 |
$10 |
$40 |
|
1 |
$13 |
|
8 |
$10 |
$80 |
|
2 |
$26 |
Since four pickleball courts can fit on a single tennis court, court use revenue will increase during pickleball use hours, even with a higher hourly rate for tennis court use. Hourly revenue would increase by 307% to 400%, depending on whether the pickleball use is during prime time or non-prime time hours.
Pickleball Noise Measurement Test
On Wednesday, June 26, 2024 from approximately 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, staff conducted a Noise Measurement Test from the south west tennis court located at Alta Vista Park to determine whether there would be an increase in sound from pickleball play to nearby residences. Informal pickleball games were played throughout the test to mimic the sound of multiple games being played concurrently, which would be possible if one or more tennis courts at Alta Vista were restriped to include pickleball court lines. These courts were thoughtfully selected, as they would be the farthest from residential properties. Members of the Redondo Beach Police Department utilized decibel reading equipment to test the noise impacts from the pickleball play and compared that to baseline, ambient sound readings taken the same morning. Readings were completed in strategic locations surrounding the tennis courts to obtain measurements from north and south of the tennis courts since that is where the nearest residential properties are located in relation to the facility. Included below is an aerial image of Alta Vista Park, noting the location of the tennis courts with the two locations where the noise measurements were completed.
Location #1 was on Juanita Avenue just west of the tennis courts, which was approximately 150 feet from the center of the two southern-most tennis courts. The second location was on Camino Real and was approximately 500 feet from the center of the two southern-most tennis courts. While there is no single point of reference or standard regarding the recommended distance between pickleball courts and nearby residences, 500 feet has been utilized as the minimum distance that many communities have employed to limit noise impacts. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution as site variations, topography, and other factors play a role in the travel of sound, so this distance can vary depending on each location and community.
The test concluded that the addition of pickleball play on the tennis courts only slightly increased the noise above ambient levels in the areas adjacent to the tennis courts. Included as an attachment is the Noise Measurement Test conducted by the Police Department. Included below are the decibel readings from each location including a comparison of ambient noise levels with pickleball sound levels.
This Noise Measurement Test was coordinated and conducted by City staff without any sound mitigation materials. To expand on this test, the City Council could engage a consultant to conduct an Acoustic Impact Analysis, which would include highly controlled scenarios in which noise impact would be measured from multiple locations.
Staff recommends the City Council review the status of past actions associated with the installation and study of pickleball courts throughout Redondo Beach and provide direction on whether to move forward with the installation of pickleball court lines on one or two tennis courts located at Alta Vista Park for shared use. Should the City Council direct staff to install the pickleball court(s), staff would return at a future meeting with a recommended hourly pickleball court use fee for adoption in the Master Fee Schedule. Staff continues to assess what action, if any, is needed to address CEQA requirements for installation of pickleball courts at Alta Vista. It is likely that a notice of exemption (NOE) would be required prior to installation of the courts. If the Council chooses to pursue the installation of pickleball courts at Alta Vista Park, staff would return with the proper resolution supporting the City's CEQA determination.
COORDINATION
The Community Services Department coordinated with the Public Works, Community Development, and Police Departments to develop this report.
FISCAL IMPACT
If the City Council approves the installation of four pickleball courts at Alta Vista on a single tennis court, the cost for installation would be $2,560. If the City Council approves the installation of eight pickleball courts at Alta Vista on two tennis courts, the cost for installation would be $5,120. As a result of multiple rates currently being charged for use of the tennis courts, it is difficult to estimate the actual increase in revenue with the addition of pickleball courts. However, it is anticipated that overall revenue at the facility would increase with the installation of pickleball courts as the new use is likely to generate fees during times the courts are not currently active. If the City Council moves forward with the installation, staff would return with a recommended hourly pickleball use fee for approval and inclusion in the Master Fee Schedule.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Perry Park Basketball and Pickleball Use Policy Sign
• Franklin Park Basketball and Pickleball Use Policy Sign
• Tennis Court Usage Data, July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
• Noise Measurement Test, June 26, 2024