1 From: Brian Cargille
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2025 5:41 PM
To: , City Clerk
Subject: Input for Tuesday's Council Meeting here :)
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
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Our family and our neighbors are totally supporting Project 11; the Citywide Objective Design Standards -- thank you!! We are bike commuters!
We are not supporting Project 13. We need more bike and ped projects in MV.
TY!!
1 From: Emilie Danna
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2025 4:30 PM
To: City Council
Subject: Public comment regarding pickleball in Mountain View CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
Dear Mountain View City Council,
I am writing in support of expanding pickleball access in Mountain View. As you have heard many times from pickleball advocates, everyone can play pickleball, regardless of age, gender, and fitness level. Players make friends from all backgrounds on the courts while getting exercise and relaxing in the fresh air. What is not to like? The only problem is that Mountain View doesn't have enough pickleball courts to accommodate the demand.
I regularly play pickleball at Rengstorff Park with my son and husband, but the courts are always very busy and the times where the dual use tennis/pickleball courts are dedicated to pickleball are not convenient for my family, as my son is in school during most of these slots.
Specifically, I encourage you to get the following done (in no specific order):
1. Build new pickleball courts (at least 8, ideally 16), whether it's at Cuesta Park or or a new location on San Rafael Avenue. Discussions about building such new courts have dragged on for years. I understand constituents have different preferences for pickleball, tennis, a dog park, keeping the Cuesta Annex wild, etc. But these differences won't be resolved by letting the discussion go on. Both the tennis and the pickleball communities support building new pickleball courts. It is time to act! Please expedite the process to choose a location and get the design, permitting and construction done.
2. Expand hours dedicated to pickleball at Rengstorff. The current hours don't work well for working adults and school- age kids, like my family. It also doesn't work well during school vacations because pickleball has the hottest hours of the day (10am-3pm). Here are a few schedule options:
a. My preference because it's simple and fair: Alternate days (full day 7am-10pm for each sport): pickleball Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, tennis Wednesday/Friday/Sunday b. Expand the current pickleball schedule weekdays from 10am-3pm to 9am-6pm for pickleball (given that tennis folks organically show up early mornings and evenings)
c. Expand the current weekend schedule from Saturday 2-7pm to 2-10pm and from Sunday 10am-3pm to 7am-3pm (can be combined with option b) to give equal weekend access in mornings and evenings.
3. Expand the number of tennis courts at Rengstorff where pickleball can be played. Pickleball enables many more people to play on the same surface area compared to tennis, so let's stripe pickleball lines on more tennis courts so that more Mountain View residents can enjoy a healthy physical activity.
4. Install a new net on the third dedicated pickleball court / ball wall. The current net is falling apart -- I carry duct tape in my backpack to fix it every time I play. For only $500-$1000 for a new high-quality portable net (like this one), you would make a lot of pickleball players happy. Or you could install a permanent net, given that only pickleball players show up on this court.
Let's expand pickleball access in Mountain View without further delay! 2 Thanks for your consideration.
Emilie Danna
1 From: Em ily
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2025 5:41 PM
To: City Council
Subject: Regarding pickleballs
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To whom it may concern
I am supportive of building a dedicated pickleball facility in Mountain View that does not impact tennis players. We are supportive of the Mountain View Tennis and Pickleball Center at Cuesta Park using part of the Annex. Also, any solution should not include expansion of courts at Rengstorff courts for pickleball use.
Best,
Emily
1 From: Jerold Pearson
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2025 10:37 AM
To: City Council
Subject: More pickleball courts
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
City Council,
Yet another plea strongly urging you to accommodate the growing participation in pickleball in Mountain View, especially by building new courts at Cuesta Park or the new park on San Rafael Avenue -- both of which are supported by both the pickleball and the tennis communities. (How often do you see that?!) It would also be helpful to increase the pickleball hours at Rengstorff Park.
I've been a homeowner in Mountain View for 27 years. You've been hearing from me and other Mountain View residents for years now about why we need more pickleball courts, so there's no need to repeat that now. But it's time to finally act.
Thanks for your consideration.
Jerold Pearson
1 From: Garrett Smith <
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2025 3:28 PM
To: City Council
CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
I don’t like the idea of replacing parts of Cuesta Park with pickle ball courts. Maybe the tennis courts can be retrofit retrofitted?
Sent from my iPhone
1 From:
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2025 9:45 AM
To: City Council
Subject: Cuesta Tennis and Pickleball Center - Mountain View Tennis Club Attachments: Cuesta Plan.PNG
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Dear City Council Members,
I am wriƟng this leƩer on behalf of the Mountain View Tennis Club (MVTC), its board and the tennis players who use the courts at Rengstorff Park. Since the February 25th City Council meeƟng was held to bring forward strategic prioriƟes for the 2025-2027 project cycle, the pickleball and tennis communiƟes have met in person to try to figure out next steps forward. We have also had a meeƟng with the Parks and RecreaƟon ExecuƟve Council (John Marchant, KrisƟne Crosby and Colin James) to discuss our ideas.
At the meeƟng with the Parks and RecreaƟon ExecuƟve Staff both the pickleball and tennis community voiced strong support for a Tennis and Pickleball Center in Mountain View at Cuesta Park that would create sixteen pickleball courts at Cuesta Park by tennis courts 5, 6 and 12 and two of those courts could potenƟally be dual use for pickleball/tennis. I have aƩached the diagram of the courts that we are all excited about. I am sure that some of you have seen this since it has been circulaƟng for the past several months.
We feel that this is the best soluƟon for everyone. The courts would be built further away from homes than any other exisƟng park within Mountain View except Shoreline Park. The area has some exisƟng pavement that can be reused once the bleachers are taken down along courts 6 and 12 thus reducing the grading costs for the court build. It would use a small part of the Cuesta Annex in the back corner away from sight lines. The pickleball courts would back up onto a parking garage that abuts the Cuesta Annex. The benefits to the community are that it leaves the look and feel of Cuesta Park intact, the popular dog park in the bowl would remain and most of the tree buffer and open space at the Cuesta Annex would remain for the enjoyment of all.
There would only be a loss of three trees for this area and one of them is a Monterey Pine which looks to have pitch canker.
The Parks and RecreaƟon ExecuƟve staff said that they were currently looking at other potenƟal sites as well, however could not share any informaƟon with us at that Ɵme. If there is another locaƟon that would be good, we are all welcome to hear it. The net net is that we all want a permanent soluƟon.
The tennis community is not in favor of any more courts having blended lines at Rengstorff. For almost 60 years, these have been our home courts. Per our contract with the City, MVTC pays to use the courts for all our funcƟons. There are four of eight tennis courts already with blended lines either for pickleba ll or junior tennis. If courts 7 and 8 are taken away for blended lines, we will not be able to play USTA matches and it will hurt the viability of MVTC to exist. We also would not have any courts with decent lights to play night matches since courts 3, 4, 7 and 8 have the best lights and all of those would be pickleball courts. 2 We all agree that it is Ɵme for a permanent soluƟon which everyone agrees is the stand-alone courts for pickleball play. We want both sports to thrive. Both sports have been in an interim “Pilot Project” since 2015.
We feel that ten years is long enough for the interim soluƟon since both sports have grown so much, especially over the last five years. The current interim soluƟon is not meeƟng the needs of either sport.
Pickleball currently has access to nine pickleball courts at Rengstorff. MVTC has already had to cut back on our tennis programming to accommodate pickleball over these ten years. If more courts are taken away at Rengstorff for pickleball use then our contract with the City will be moot because we will not be viable. We are in support of the City Council asking the City Staff to bring the tennis and pickleball communi Ɵes together to look at adding some more hours on courts 3 & 4 only.
We are hopeful that the City Council will put building a permanent pickleball facility as a strategic priority on the next project cycle. The City and RecreaƟon Staff have done an excellent job building out the Magical Bridge Playground and the new AquaƟc Center. We are eager for everyone to do an equally stellar job on this important project.
Kind regards,
Terrie Rayl
Mountain View Tennis Club, President
1 From: Andre S. M. Valente
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2025 8:12 PM
To: City Council
Subject: In support of proposal for new pickleball courts CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL - Ensure you trust this email before clicking on any links or attachments.
City Council members,
I am a Mountain View resident (in Monta Loma at Jewell Pl).
I am writing to express my support to the proposal agreed by the pickleball leadership and the Mountain View Tennis Club to build new courts at Cuesta. It leverages existing structure in a creative way, and reflects the expanded demand for courts for both tennis and pickleball in the city.
More broadly, I am supportive of building a dedicated pickleball facility in Mountain View that does not impact tennis players, and against the expansion of courts at Rengstorff courts for pickleball use.
Thanks for your consideration.
Yours,
Andre Valente
1 From: David S
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2025 10:30 AM
To: City Council
Subject: Upcoming item on Paving over the Cuesta Annex
Attachments: CC Letter Apr 2025 and Parks Commission Oct 2024-2.pdf Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
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Letter Attached.
Respectfully Submitted,
David S
Cuesta Park Resident
April 21, 2025
Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,
I’m writing to express my frustration and disappointment that the city is considering yet another pickleball feasibility study, this time for an even worse location than the last: The Sacred Cuesta Annex.
It is confusing to me, and I hope to you, how the City of Mountain View, on a sq footage basis, owns more parking lot space than open parkland (excluding Shoreline and School District park space), spends millions to buy open space (e.g. $20 million for 1.6 acres at San Rafael) but still wants to pave over its own Open Space.
As a reminder, in your own land planning documents, Tennis Courts Do Not Count As Open Space.
While I understand the appeal of locating courts near the tennis facility, paving over open space is a poor trade. We’ve already spent $156,000 studying one site. Now staff recommends spending probably another $150,000 on another questionable idea.
At the same time, basic infrastructure like Shoreline Boulevard pavement remains in poor shape (so bumpy!), and we’re told by the City there is not enough money to address it. That raises serious questions about priorities.
I also don’t understand why the city isn’t taking a broader approach to site selection and instead being guided by a single-special interest group. The last list of properties under review was underwhelming. When I first heard about paving over Cuesta Park for pickleball courts, it took me five minutes (below!) to find five viable sites that were not listed in the Public Works department's considerations. For example, why didn’t Public Works evaluate its own parking lots thoroughly? Why are we prioritizing the storage of metal boxes over a creative two-for-one solution, like building a single-story pickleball facility above one of those lots? After all, you’re building a gun range on top of a garage! (Creative!)
I even went so far as to share one of the city’s own recreational facilities with the Parks and Recreation Commission (below), and was surprised it wasn’t seriously considered.
It’s also worth noting that the last time the city did a serious review of sites was two years ago.
Since then, the office market has collapsed. With 20 to 30 percent vacancies, the city should explore whether a developer might now be willing to sell a warehouse or other commercial property. Many of these properties will likely sit unused for years, and we should at least evaluate them.
It is hard to understand why the city keeps spending money studying how to pave over open space, while spending millions each year to acquire and protect it. We can and should do better.
Please ask staff to cast a wider net and come back with a more creative, forward-looking set of options before committing more resources to a flawed direction.
Sincerely,
David S
Cuesta Park Resident
======================
October 23, 2024
Dear Members of the Parks and Recreation Commission,
I hope this letter finds you well. First, I want to extend my sincere thanks to the Public Works Department for their tireless efforts in maintaining our community spaces and handling the complexities of the projects they oversee. The hard planning work by Mr. Saiidnia, Mr Printy and Ms Byrer does not go unnoticed, and I appreciate all they do to develop plans for our parks and facilities.
That said, I feel compelled to express some concerns about the department's approach in following the commission’s guidance to explore alternative opportunities for additional recreation space. While their efforts are appreciated, I am somewhat underwhelmed by what appears to be a limited exploration of viable options. It seems as though they are primarily focused on solutions that fit neatly within the constraints of the city’s budget, without fully considering all the alternatives we might have available.
For example, within just a few minutes of reading the memo, I was able to identify a large parking lot (red) adjacent to a grassy knoll (green)—both areas owned by the City that seem more than suitable for pickleball courts. (Exhibit A) This particular site, which is the City’s own self-described SHORELINE ATHLETIC FIELDS, as well as potentially other underutilized spaces, was not even mentioned in their assessment. If such a simple parking lot within their own land was not mentioned and maybe missed, I can’t help but wonder what other possibilities might have been missed.
Exhibit A: Mountain View’s very own Recreational Land Parcel Why not build a pickleball level on top of the SHORELINE ATHLETIC FIELD parking lot? The area around Google across the street already has multiple, multi-story buildings ringing Shoreline park, this would be well within the visual aesthetic. If this very same Public Works department is planning on spending $15 million to build a gun range on top of a garage in the middle of downtown Mountain View, why not put a pickleball court on top of a garage or parking lot?
Additionally, with the LiveNation contract up for renewal, why not consider negotiating to reclaim some of the 25 acres they currently use for parking? (Exhibit B) This could present an ideal opportunity to repurpose land for recreation while still respecting the city’s financial limits.
Exhibit B: All the PARK land used for temporarily parking metal boxes. Because we can’t figure out how to run shuttles to the Caltrain stop for events. This doesn’t seem to be a good way to prioritize “Open Space?”
While I don’t have the time to thoroughly review every piece of land the city owns, it’s concerning to think that there could be other suitable areas that haven't been properly considered beyond just buying land.
Of course, there are trade-offs with any location, but it raises the important question: Is paving over one of our few actively used greenspaces really the best decision for the next 100 years? I believe we owe it to the Cuesta Park community and the broader city to leave no stone unturned in this evaluation process.
We spend millions of dollars to acquire open-space. Why would we shoot ourselves in the foot and pave over open space? (Courts are NOT considered open space from the City’s own PARKS AND OPEN SPACE VISION!)
Exhibit C
Thank you for your time and consideration. I believe a more thorough review of all available
options would ensure that we are making the best decision for the long-term health and vibrancy of our community.
I urge your unanimous vote against the staff recommendations, sending a strong signal to the Council that the options presented do not reflect the mission of this commission that YOU sit on: To preserve and promote open space.
Warm regards,
David S
Cuesta Park Resident and parent of small children who like to run on grass….which the City is recommending to pave over
Exhibit D
Other land that could be reused: The grassy area behind the fire station? (by law, they won’t be able to water that ornamental grass after 2027 and will have to rip it out) Another chunk of parking lot we use to park recreational vehicles? Were these even considered?
EXHIBIT E
The City’s very own Parks and OPEN SPACE Document
Why would we reduce open space when we already claim we are below our standard?
1 From: Kerensa Fu
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2025 12:39 PM
To: City Council
Subject: Support of Tax on Vacant Properties
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Hello!
I am emailing in support of a tax on vacant storefronts in Mountain View AKA blight tax.
I am a 23-year-old lifelong resident of Mountain View and I have spent a lot of time in the downtown area, which I love very much. I am especially fond of the new seating and games which have been added to Castro, which has revitalized the space and made it appealing to visitors of all ages--especially the light-tapping game! However, as much as the new changes make me happy, it makes me equally sad to see children playing in front of vacant storefronts--some of which, like the old Maru Ichi location, have been closed for several years. It is simply not feasible or enjoyable to have so many; even with a beautifully pedestrianized space and recreational amenities, Castro Street cannot be a successful downtown area without restaurants and stores.
I hope that a vacant storefront tax would incentivize landlords both to make vacant storefronts appealing to potential tenants as well as cooperate with current tenants to keep rent prices workable.
Thank you for your attention,
Kerensa Fu
1 From: Mark Hopper
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2025 9:06 AM
To: City Council
Subject: Pickleball Proposal for tonight's meeting
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Dear Council -
I am writing in support of the proposals from both the Tennis Club and the Pickleball Club for dedicated pickleball courts to be put in place in Mountain View.
I have been playing pickleball for about 2 years now and can confirm that the health and emotional benefits of the support are outstanding for people of all ages. The social aspect of pickleball is unmatched of any sport that i have ever played.
Thus, the addition of permanent courts (preferably the 16 court proposal) is strongly requested for your approval. It is important to have one or two areas with a high number of PB courts given PB's quick game times as well as the ability for one to decide rather spontaneously to just go and find people to play with (unlike tennis where one is always organizing a game well in advance and meeting 1 or 3 people with which to play). This is a huge advantage for pickleball and also where the social aspect is based as well.
I hope you take a positive decision for the entire MV and local communities.
Best regards,
Mark
M A R K A. H O P P E R
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