City of La Cañada Flintridge Pilot Pickleball Program

City of La Cañada Flintridge

Pilot Pickleball Program

Glenhaven Park Sports Court

2021

BACKGROUND

In December 2018, the Parks and Recreation Commission was introduced to Pickleball.

Resident pickleball players requested to establish a public court for the growing sport.

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. According to USAPA.org, there are over 15,000 indoor and outdoor courts in the country. The games can be played indoors and outdoors with two or four players. The game is played on a badminton-size court with a slightly modified tennis net. A typical court's dimensions are 20 feet by 44 feet with a net height of 3 feet. The game is a low-impact activity suitable for all ages and athletic levels. Since the sport's introduction, the Parks and Recreation Commission has conducted ten (10) public meetings at which Pickleball was discussed. The discussions have included updates regarding the sport and potential pickleball court locations, including the individual assessments of those possible locations. As part of their ongoing discussions, the Commission to date has reviewed the following sites for the potential placement of a pickleball court(s): FIS Basketball Court, FIS Cornishon Tennis Court, Glenhaven Park Tennis Court, Olberz Park, asphalt areas at elementary schools (LCE, PCY, and PCR), Mayor’s Discovery Park, a vacant area at Church of Lighted Window, CalTRANS area next to the 2 Freeway onramp north of Mayors' Discovery Park, and the Descanso Gardens parking lot. On March 10th, 2021, the Parks and Recreation Commission held a public hearing and

then voted to initiate a three-month-long pilot program at Glenhaven Park Tennis Court

to evaluate the feasibility of the sport and the potential impact it may have on the park,

including residents in the area. The Commission also recommended that City staff

oversee the pilot program to ensure neutrality and recommend the City Council fund a

professional sound study.

On April 20th, 2021, the City Council heard an appeal of the March 10th decision made

by the Parks and Recreation Commission. The City Council denied the appeal, reduced

the pilot program to two months of pickleball activity, and required a sound study while

conducting the pilot.

On May 4th, the City Council appropriated funding for the pilot pickleball program.

Pilot Pickleball Program

The pilot program includes drawing two pickleball court lines over the tennis court to

allow mixed-use of the court for Tennis and Pickleball. The pickleball courts will have

portable nets set up and taken down during the pickleball hours by a volunteer group.

The equipment for Pickleball will be stored on-site without hindering tennis play.

The pickleball pilot will be four days a week during the following hours:

Monday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (No new games permitted at/after 12:30 PM)

Tuesday: 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM (No new games permitted at/after 5:30 PM)

Wednesday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM (No new games permitted at/after 12:30 PM)

Thursday: 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM (No new games permitted at/after 5:30 PM)

Pilot Goals

The pilot is to determine whether a mixed-use court for both tennis and pickleball at

Glenhaven Park is feasible. The pilot will highlight any potential issues with having a

mixed-use court. The pilot will focus on four key areas which look at the park but also

the impact on the community: court/park use, parking, park impact, and sound impact.

Pilot Key Focus Areas

Use Assessment

The pilot will assess the direct impacts of pickleball play on the court and the park. The

Use Assessment will look at the number of park users, the number of tennis users, and

the number of pickleball users. The Use Assessment will also look at the use of the

back wall by users. It will evaluate the use of quiet gear by pickleball users and also try

to identify the number of tennis players who could not play tennis because of the

pickleball pilot. The Use Assessment impact will also assess large gatherings at the

park, including the level of usage of the park as a whole. This assessment will be

conducted by the City through various means and methods including site visits at

various times throughout the pilot.

Parking Assessment

The pilot will assess the parking impact of Pickleball at the court. The parking

assessment will look at the parking in the area. The assessment will determine the

increase in the number of cars during the pilot and the parking availability to

accommodate the increase.

The parking assessment will cover:

Glenhaven Drive Parkdale Place Purtell Drive

Ahlin Dr Oak Drive La Granada Way (Between Oak and Vista)

Figure 1 Parking Assessment Location Map

This assessment will be conducted by the City through various means and methods

including site visits at various times throughout the pilot.

Park Impact Assessment

The pilot will assess the impact of Pickleball play on the park as a whole. The

assessment will determine if court users spill over to the rest of the park and the

impacts it would have on the park. The assessment will also look at an increase in

litter/trash, including bathrooms at the park during the pilot. This assessment will be

conducted by the City through various means and methods including site visits at

various times throughout the pilot.

Sound Impact Assessment

The pilot will include the hiring of a professional consultant to conduct a sound study

based on the industry's best practices. The main goal of the sound study is to identify

the impact pickleball will have on the noise level for the community. Is the noise a

nuisance/high, which would be negatively impacting the residents? Or is the noise level

"normal" for the community. The study will consider the existing noise levels/conditions

and compare them to the noise level/conditions during the pilot. The study will also

evaluate the sound level if the two pickleball courts were used at maximum capacity.

The study will include the possible solution to reduce the noise level from Pickleball.

Ultimately the sound study will help to understand the noise impact of Pickleball on the

community. This assessment will be conducted by a professional consultant hired by

the City.

Conclusion

Mixed-Use Court Feasibility

The pilot will assess the feasibility of having a mixed-use court for both Pickleball and

tennis. The assessment will look at the feasibility of set up/takedown of nets during

pickleball hours, enforcement of hours, enforcement of particle requirements placed on

users, increased park maintenance, and any other factors that would surface due to the

mixed-use of the court. The assessment will look at the program as a whole, including

the selected hours and areas of improvement, including limiting hours if the demand is

limited or shifting hours to reduce the impact on residents. The assessment will include

any recommendations made by the professional consultants regarding the sound study.

After the pilot, the City will learn more regarding the impact of the proposed mixed-use

and present those findings in a public forum to the Parks and Recreation Commission

and City Council for further evaluation.

ASSESSMENT SURVEY QUESTION SAMPLES

These are sample questions and maybe modified by the City prior/during the pilot study.

NOTE: Surveys conducted will be date/time stamped by the system.

Pickleball Pilot Assessment-During-Pilot https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/19uAEkvH371V2dCgQxZZ29M...

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Documents

City of La Cañada Flintridge Pilot Pickleball Program