Date: November 18, 2025
To: Alameda City Council
From: Jay Ingram, Littlejohn Park neighbor
Re: Full Size Basketball Court and Park Drainage
Good evening City Council, thank you for your time and for your service to our community. My concern is about the new full-court basketball change of use at Littlejohn Park. I'm here to ask the City Council to direct staff to move one backboard down to 8 feet while keeping the other at 10 feet, This would match the court at Franklin Park and as your Recreation and Parks Director says, would "provide greater flexibility and enjoyment for players and skill levels." My main issue is lack of proper noticing. Neighbors were NOT notified of this change of use. A- frames were put at the park and information was on the City website. Most cities notify neighbors within 300 to 500 feet if there is a change of use. Had I known about this change of use I would have expressed concern earlier. As I saw the court change I reached out to the City through the phone number on the construction fence. I still haven't heard from the project manager.
History... the previous two half courts facing Buena Vista were intentionally placed that way after being a full court prior. Discussions WITH NEIGHBORS, were held and the solution was to remove the full-court and place two half courts side by side. Neighbors concerns were related to noise and profanities at all times of day and night, with an occasional fight breaking out.
Multiple neighbors back yards are directly impacted by this conversion.
The "conversion" as staff calls it, is more than just that, it is a CHANGE of use. This project should have been noticed to neighbors just like the Planning Department does.
The Recreation and Parks Director says the west end needs more basketball courts. The Alameda Point Community Reuse Plan had a sports complex envisioned. If the west end lacks baseball courts look at Alameda Point. A west end basketball court on Main Street was removed to locate the community farm.
After talking with Mr. Long he stated he is committed to balancing the needs of neighbors and community park users. Placing the hoops at 8 and 10 feet will serve a wider range of ages and abilities. I see both backboards at Franklin Park being used all the time. We want our youngest kids shooting baskets on a lower hoop. These hoop heights seem to work well at Franklin Park.
Also, I've spoken to parks staff about another issue in the past. The grass between the basketball court and houses on Pacific floods into back yards during winter due to the manmade berm and low-spot. This drainage failure will continue to cause flooding in neighbors back yards. The City may want to address this low-spot drainage failure before it causes the baseball court use, but then again, the neighbors weren't notified so we didn't know.
Thank you for considering my request to serve different ages and skill levels through a 10 ft. and 8 ft, basketball backboard at Littlejohn Park.
Submitted by Jay
Ingrin under Oval
Communicatins
11/10123