CITY OF GROVER BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 13
Placement: Business
Meeting Date: July 27, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristin Eriksson, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission Regarding Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts and Consideration of Changes to City Park Hours
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a report on recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission (PRBC) regarding the Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts; and consider possible changes to City park hours and operations; and provide direction to staff.
BACKGROUND
Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts
On February 15, 2022, the City Council approved a pickleball pilot program at Mentone Basin Park, installing temporary lines for two pickleball courts on one existing and rarely used tennis court. Community response to the pilot program was very positive and park usage increased as a result. On April 18, 2024, staff provided the Parks, Recreation, and Beautification Commission (PRBC) with an update on the pilot program, indicating the success of the program and the community feedback that the City should install permanent pickleball courts. The PRBC agreed and recommended permanent conversion of these courts to the City Council, which the Council approved on May 28, 2024. The permanent courts were installed and opened in fall 2024 for a cost of approximately $16,000.
In the nearly two years since permanent conversion of the courts, the park has seen increased activity, with an average of more than 100 community members playing pickleball each month.
The community feedback has remained largely positive, with many community members expressing their appreciation for having another set of pickleball courts in the area. However, the City has received complaints related to noise caused by the play from some residents who live near the park. Those residents requested that the Council revisit the use and operation of the pickleball courts to reduce noise levels and hours of the park.
On April 13, 2026, the Council directed staff to bring a discussion of possible mitigating measures suggested by the residents to the PRBC for consideration, including conducting a noise study, installing an acoustic barrier around the courts, reducing the hours of the courts, and requiring softer paddles be used by players. Staff compiled an overview of the requested modifications, including the estimated cost of each and presented them to the PRBC on June 18, 2026.
Staff Report: Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts and City Park Hours Page 2 July 27, 2026
After deliberation of each proposed mitigation measure, the PRBC recommended two actions for staff to bring forward to the Council for consideration. The first is to change the hours of the courts to only allow play from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. This would require an ordinance, as under Grover Beach Municipal Code (GBMC) Section 93.05, all City parks including sports courts are open to the public between 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. The second recommendation is to encourage the use of equipment with acoustic materials to reduce the sound of play through signage at the courts, which would include information on where to obtain such equipment. The estimated cost to install this signage is approximately $200.
Ramona Garden Park Playground Hours and Noise
At its June 16th meeting, the PRBC also heard public comment from residents who expressed concern with noise emanating from the newly installed Ramona Garden Park playground, in particular during the early morning and late evening hours. During Commission comments, the PRBC directed staff to bring back an item to discuss park hours at Ramona Garden Park.
However, given other public communications to staff and the Council on the topic of park hours particularly at this playground, the Council subsequently directed staff on June 22 to bring this topic to the Council in conjunction with the changes for the pickleball courts at Mentone Basin Park recommended by the PRBC.
As a result, staff is recommending that the Council consider whether to change park hours citywide and provide direction on whether to bring back an ordinance to amend GBMC Section
93.05 more broadly. More specifically, the Council could consider whether to set general hours that City parks are available to the public and potentially more restricted hours at recreational courts, fields, and playgrounds which tend to produce the greatest level of noise. To inform this discussion, staff researched park hours in our neighboring cities, which are largely in line with the City’s hours, with some exceptions for specific uses as shown in the chart below:
City General Park Hours Special Park Area Hours
Arroyo Grande 5:00a.m.-10:00p.m. None
Atascadero 6:00a.m.-10:00p.m. in Code;
listed as Dawn-Dusk
None
Morro Bay 6:00a.m.-10:00p.m. in Code;
listed as Dawn-Dusk
None
Paso Robles 6:00a.m.-11:00p.m. Pickleball Court – 6:00a.m.- 9:00p.m.
Pismo Beach Dawn-Dusk Pier Area 4:00a.m.-11:00p.m.
San Luis Obispo 5:00a.m.-10:00p.m. Skate Park – 7:00a.m.-Dusk In addition to operating hours, the City has also received some concerns from residents near Ramona Garden Park about noise from the new zipline equipment and a request for the City to muffle this noise or lock the zipline to the base at night to prevent use after hours. Staff has discussed this issue with the playground manufacturer and learned that there is not a noise muffling device for this equipment and that any locking device the City would add would nullify the warranty on the equipment as it could potentially damage or otherwise interfere with the operation of the equipment. Further, locking the equipment would require additional staffing resources to lock the equipment after normal work hours. As an example, if the City were to use Public Works Maintenance Workers for this task, the City would have to pay standby and overtime pay to complete this daily task, which is estimated to cost an estimated $57,000 annually.
Staff Report: Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts and City Park Hours Page 2 July 27, 2026
The Council is requested to provide direction on whether staff should return with an ordinance to update the hours of public access for City parks in general and/or at specific park areas and whether to post signage encouraging the use of noise mitigating equipment at the Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts, as recommended by the PRBC. Such an ordinance would be brought to the Council for consideration this fall. Additionally, the Council is recommended to provide direction if desired on any other actions at the Ramona Garden Park playground.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this staff report. Updated signage related to any change in park hours or to encourage the use of noise-mitigating equipment for pickleball is estimated to cost between $200 and $2,000. Additional staff resources required to lock playground equipment after hours are estimated to cost at least $57,000 annually.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Receive a report on recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission (PRBC) regarding the Mentone Basin Park Pickleball Courts; and consider possible changes to City park hours and operations; and provide direction to staff; or
2. Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
Multi-Year Goals
☒ Public Safety and Community Services ☐ Economic Development and Housing ☐ Community Infrastructure ☐ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☐ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement ☐ Street Improvements and Maintenance