Sharon Gutierrez
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 9, 2026 10:37 PM
Name Sharon Gutierrez
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments Please do not approve a reservation system at the Muirwood Community Park pickleball courts. I have attached a slide which explains my reasons.
I hope the City will collect more data over a period of time before implementing a reservation system that will not likely address the initial complaints but will absolutely sever the well-known open play Muirwood pickleball community.
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Say NO to Reservations @ Muirwood Pickleball Courts!
What Parks and Rec are trying to solve by implementing a reservation system for 3 Pickelball courts at Muirwood:
• Popularity of the courts and complaints over the years that the wait time to play is excessive • Complaints that many players are non-residents
• Complaints from neighbors including:
• Excessive traffic
• Excessive noise, especially early in the morning
• Revenue generated will be slated towards “community-owned facilities and continuity of City services” Reasons why a reservation system will not address all of those issues:
• Wait times are only reduced for those reserving the courts. Wait times will increase for the open play players which is the majority at the Muirwood courts. Pleasanton Tennis Center is already available for reservations.
• Residents can reserve the courts and invite non-residents to play with them. • Reservation system will not reduce traffic since the courts will be open to play whether it’s reserved or not. As for noise, again, reservation system will not stop the noise since people are reserving the courts to play on them.
• Yes, revenue will be generated but at the expense of building a community where everyone belongs. *** Six to eight courts are perfect for a community of open play. Enough courts to attract all levels of play and small enough to manage and create a true community vibe. Reducing it to 3 courts will sever the open play community that Muirwood has built over the years.
Cindy Barkley
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 10, 2026 9:30 AM
Name Cindy Barkley
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I am a long-term pickleball player who resides in Pleasanton. I would like to weigh in on the proposal to introduce a reservation system to the Muirwood courts by providing the following observations from both Muirwood (where there is no reservation system currently) and at the tennis center courts where there currently is a reservation system.
I will start with the tennis center. How the reservation system works is at exactly 12:30pm, 8 days prior to the date, the reservations are released. The people in the group I play with, coordinate and all grab courts for a 2 to 3 hour block (this requires being quick, having an account, being a resident, and having a credit card on file). Half of us live in Pleasanton so are able to grab those reservations.
So, for that block of hours, our group of 12 people gets exclusive use of the courts. I cannot tell you how often I see teens from the community arrive to those courts hoping to play. And we tell them “Sorry, we have the courts reserved. You will need to go to the office and check to see if there are any reservations available at some other time”. They don’t do this. Those kids lose out on playing. They are excluded by the way in which the reservation system works. Teens are unlikely to plan 8 days ahead, be available at exactly 12:30pm to make a reservation, and have an account with a credit card attached. Older folks who might not be as quick at working the reservation system lose out to those of us who are more adept at using technology.
Now, let’s look at a typical morning at the Muirwood courts. I am going to base this on my observations from Tuesday morning, Aug 31st. I arrived at 9 am. At that point, there was no wait for a court – as is typical for 9am. Those who were there at 8am had the opportunity to play uninterrupted on a court. By 10 am, the paddle rack was getting full. My estimate was that there were probably 55-60 people there between 10 to 11 am at the peak. 24 people can play on the 6 courts, the rest wait. And it is great – people sit and chat together. It gives everyone the opportunity to hydrate in between games and watch others. It is a fun and welcoming experience, and it is a community. And all players get the opportunity to play. The wait isn’t excessive because each group plays 1 game and rotates off. If you reserve half of those courts for the exclusive use of people who make reservations, it is going to look like the tennis center. 12 people will get to dominate half of the courts – they will book the reservations the same way my group does at the tennis center – making sure they get exclusive use for 2 hours while those 55 people who would have been getting exercise, and enough games to have fun while chatting and making friends are going to not bother to come because the wait will be excessive and the community feel of fair play will be lost.
Over the summer, we had many teenagers coming to play in the morning, college kids, and some parents and grandparents bringing their kids. We all mixed in together – teaching the beginners and having fun. Everyone was out getting exercise. Pleasanton residents were there, trying to get healthy and have fun.
Taking away half the courts will materially harm a fair system where everyone gets to play in favor of a system where a few people can monopolize a shared taxpayer funded resource.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Joseph Baker
Submission Date Sep 10, 2026 8:56 AM
Name Joseph Baker
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments Please don’t implement a reservation system at the Muirwood pickleball courts.
They have a wonderful open play system, that only works well with the 6 courts that are available.
Other courts in Pleasanton are already available for reservations, so this change to Muirwood is not needed and unwelcome by many of the people that regularly use it.
Neil Gutierrez
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 10, 2026 11:15 AM
Name Neil Gutierrez
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments Hello Mayor, City Council, and Parks and Rec:
My name is Neil Gutierrez and I’ve had the privilege of living in Pleasanton since 2014.
First, I’d like to thank all of you for even having a chance to speak about the reservation system at Muirwood Park. Back in 2021 the Community reached out to you through mass emails and speaking at the the City Council meeting to approve the conversion of 2 tennis courts to Pickleball courts at Muirwood. You heard the Community with the overwhelming amount of feedback and approved this conversion with courts being built the following year in 2022.
Based on the Parks and Recreation Meeting held on August 13th this year, the reservation system was brought up due to the high demand for courts and quote “make sure that there is equitable play available”.
Commissioner Hall, who plays at Muirwood, also commented that, “there are often times 60 to 70 people waiting in the morning. So to play you could theoretically be spending an hour and a half to two hours to play four 15 minute games”.
The long wait times Commissioner Hall refers to is typically Saturday mornings.
The majority of other times in the morning and evening are 40 to 50 people with wait times around 10-20 minutes.
What the Parks and Rec Commission failed to realize is that the reservation system is going against the Pleasanton Citywide Strategic Plan of Building A Community Where Everyone Belongs. You are now excluding the Community by limiting the courts to a handful of players through the reservation system. The open play system, that already exists at Muirwood, promotes Community.
Community happens during those exact wait times that Commissioner Hall was complaining about, NOT when you’re playing Pickleball. It is during those wait times where you talk about your lives, make lunch plans, make new friends, and have Fellowship with the Community.
In my own personal experience, I have made new relationships with all ages from their 20s to 80s, genders, and ethnicities. That would NOT have happened if those wait times did not exist. I’ve even attended a Wedding celebration with my wife of a couple who were playing Pickleball at Muirwood Park.
Another point made during the August meeting, was that the reservation system would generate revenue for court maintenance. I agree that this would provide revenue, but the $30K/yr estimate from my own personal experience of renting out the Pickleball Courts at Pleasanton Tennis Community Park is over inflated.
These courts are reserved mostly by Pleasanton residents from Friday-Sunday from 5pm-10pm and in the months of May to September (due to weather). Based on $6/hr and 4 courts for those times, the number would be on the order of ~$10K/yr, in my opinion. Of course a more detailed look at the numbers from Lifetime Fitness would show what is realistic.
The Community has shared other ideas to generate the revenue through Fund Raising/Go Fund Me or more specifically, having a Pickleball Tournament held at Muirwood to generate the revenue. By having a Tournament, the revenue would come from Registration Fees, Tournament Merchandise, Business sponsorship, and Vendor Booths just to name a few. By having only a handful of Tournaments a year, you are only locking out a few Sat/Sun in the year. M-F would remain open play and undisturbed during those tournament events. Volunteers and staffing would come from the Pickleball community (e.g., Tri-Valley Pickleball club, Walnut Creek Pickleball, players at Muirwood Park and surrounding cities).
A reservation system already exists at Pleasanton Tennis Community Park for 4 Pickleball courts which has historically been a pay for play culture, so there is no need to implement a reservation system at Muirwood Park which would kill the Community vibe that has historically been there.
As it was back in 2021, I urge the City Council to hear the Community again and say NO to the reservation system at Muirwood.
Thank you for your time.
Anita Anbu
Submission Date Sep 10, 2026 11:29 AM
Name Anita Anbu
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I am writing in strong opposition to converting three of Muirwood Community Park's six pickleball courts to a reservation system.
Muirwood works today because it's open play: people show up without needing to organize partners in advance, rotate into games, and welcome newcomers who might otherwise feel intimidated joining a new sport. Busy periods sometimes mean a short wait — but that wait is also where people meet each other and build community. It brings together players of every age, including many seniors and teens.
Compare this to tennis, where you typically need to arrive with your own partner already arranged. That's a major reason tennis courts across the city sit empty far more often than pickleball courts do. Open play removes that barrier, and it's exactly why these six courts see the demand they do.
Reservations don't solve a demand problem — they just reallocate it. The same number of people will want to play; a reservation system just decides who gets priority, favoring whoever can book online the moment slots open over people with unpredictable schedules — working parents, teens, seniors who simply prefer to drop in. Cutting open play from six courts to three would concentrate that same demand onto half the space, worsening wait times for the very players this change is meant to help.
Please preserve all six courts for open play — it's what makes this facility work for such a large and active community.
Mei Lo
Submission Date Sep 10, 2026 1:48 PM
Name Mei Lo
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I previously emailed the Mayor and City Council regarding the proposed reservation system at Muirwood and am submitting my comments again for the public record.
As a non-Pleasanton resident who has family and friends in Pleasanton and regularly plays at Muirwood, I am very grateful for these courts and the welcoming open-play community they have created. I have made many Pleasanton friends through pickleball, and we often meet afterward for coffee or lunch in Pleasanton, supporting local businesses as well.
I respectfully question whether converting three of Muirwood’s six open-play courts to paid reservation courts actually addresses the concerns being cited.
Reducing six open-play courts to three is likely to increase waiting for open-play players, not reduce it. Reservations may eliminate the wait for those who secure a court, but everyone else will be sharing half the current open-play capacity.
I also question the concerns regarding non-resident use. Has the City collected actual data showing how many players are non-residents? Pleasanton residents regularly enjoy public recreational facilities in neighboring communities as well.
Responsible use of public parks across city boundaries should not itself be viewed as a problem.
A reservation system also does not appear to reduce traffic or noise. The same six courts would still be used. A reserved pickleball court produces the same noise as an open-play court. If early-morning noise is the concern, adjusting playing hours would seem to address that issue much more directly. I would also like to know whether objective traffic or sound studies have been conducted.
Six contiguous courts are what make Muirwood’s open-play system work so well. Players rotate, meet new people and create a genuine community across ages and skill levels. Reducing open play to three courts would fundamentally change that environment.
I encourage the City to consider providing reservation-based courts at another location, such as Stoneridge Creek, while preserving Muirwood as an open-play facility.
Muirwood’s popularity demonstrates strong demand for pickleball. I hope the City’s response will be to expand access rather than reduce a successful open- play community.
My full letter is attached for additional detail. Thank you for considering these comments before making a decision.
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Debi Smith
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Submission Date Sep 10, 2026 3:04 PM
Name Debi Smith
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I strongly oppose a reservation system at Muirwood Park’s pickleball courts.
Muirwood has been my neighborhood park for 29 years. I played tennis there before the courts were converted, when the park was often quiet during the week. Since the pickleball courts opened in November 2022, I’ve played there at least four to five days a week and have watched the park become an active, welcoming community gathering place.
I also take pride in caring for the courts by regularly picking up trash and blowing off leaves and debris in the mornings or evenings to help maintain a clean, safe playing environment.
What makes Muirwood special is its open-play culture. You can arrive alone, join the rotation, meet new people, and feel welcome. That is not always possible at courts in neighboring communities, where players often arrive in established groups and stay together. A reservation system could isolate individual players and undermine the inclusive community that has developed at Muirwood.
Pleasanton already has four reservable courts at Life Time and four courts at Stoneridge Creek, where players must bring their own nets. Muirwood should remain an open-play option—not every facility needs to operate the same way.
If demand has grown, Pleasanton needs more courts, not more restrictions on the courts we already have. Please consider adding courts or creating additional reservable options while preserving Muirwood’s open-play environment.
I urge the City Council to reject a reservation system at Muirwood. Please protect this vibrant neighborhood gathering place and keep it welcoming to everyone—including those who arrive alone.
Debi Smith
Pleasanton Resident for 29 Years
Muirwood Pickleball Player
Allan Chan
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Submission Date Sep 10, 2026 6:11 PM
Name Allan Chan
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I am a Pleasanton resident. I am 76 years old. I played pickleball at the Muirwood park every morning from 9-12am. It is good exercise and makes many friends.
Some of the players are from nearby areas. They play at Muirwood park because the courts are nice and people are friendly. It is a good experience. I think the city has done a very good job. I am also a member of Bay club. They also hs pickleball courts. But I prefer to play at Muirwood because the friendship I built with the players. I recently heard that the city approved a proposal to impose a reservation for 3 of the 6 courts at Muirwood park. It was not clear what trigged this proposal. After watch the video for the August 13 meeting. The rec and park director mis informed the council regarding the waiting time for playing pickleball. One of the audience testified there are 6070 people the court and waiting time is excessive. I have been playing at Muirwood since they are opened I greed that it is getting more popular recently. But the max number during the morning is around 40-45 people. That means 24 people playing 14-20 people are waiting. Typical waiting time is around 15-20 minutes. Some players welcome this waiting time for resting or socialize with their friends. So I don’t understand where they get the excessive waiting time compliant. Some Saturday can get a little crowded. But we can always rearrange your schedule a little. It is not a big deal. Pickle ball is not like tennis you don’t have to make arrangement with a partner to play. The game are very short (about 15-20 minutes) you can make many friends. To play pickleball, All you have to do is pick up a paddle and show up at the park without prior arrangement. That is why the adjacent tennis court mostly empty and the pickleball courts are mostly occupied. If you forced a reservation system on pickleball you are taking away the convience of pickleball.
Also the waiting is only for around 9-11 am. The rest of the morning is no waiting.
Also it was presented that 700 hours (8hrs a day for 3 courts) are avail available for reservation. And you can net about $30 k a year for the city. This number is largely exaggerated. As I mentioned before the max waiting is around 15 minutes for about 10-15 people for two hours in the morning. There is no demand for 8 hours a day for three courts. I would like to see an analysis for three courts reservation. Are the courts at the tennis center fully used?The city has not show a financial analysis showing that they will be profitable. You need money to set up and operate the program. Also the reservation system is not operated as describe by Michele in the meeting. Michele indicated that a resident makes a court reservation for one hour. If you want to play two hour the friend can add another hour. So they can play two hours. That is not how is currently working at the Tennis center. Currently two people makes reservation for 12-14 people for several hours. They are blocking out others that wants to play. If you add a reservation system at Muirwood, you are encouraging groups to be formed to game the system and really screw up things. These groups can be nonresidents. I don’t think the city has access this risk. Why are we doing this for a problem does not exist. Why is the rec and park department spending money on problem that does not exist. The first step in problem solving is to validate the problem. Which I have not observed any effort in doing that.
Joey Ponco
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Submission Date Sep 11, 2026 1:01 PM
Name Joey Ponco
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number #10
Comments To whom it may concern,
I hope this email finds you all well and in good spirits.
I'm writing this email because I hear that Parks & Recreation is considering implementing a reservation system for the three out of six pickleball courts at Muirwood Park to address the following:
Court popularity and wait times
Concerns about non-resident play
Neighbor complaints regarding traffic and early morning noise Revenue generation to support community-owned facilities and City services If this is so, I hope that you all would reconsider and do away with that idea.
Muirwood's pickleball community has grown because it is welcoming, accessible, and built around open play.
A reservation system for just three courts will not solve the problems it is intended to address:
It won't reduce non-resident participation because residents can still invite guests.
It won't eliminate traffic or noise because the park is right next to a freeway and hosts many seasonal team and recreational activities beyond pickleball.
It won't improve access for most players, who may face even longer waits due to limited reservation availability.
It will create barriers between neighbors and reduce the inclusive atmosphere that makes Muirwood unique.
The strength of Muirwood has always been its community. Reducing court capacity and moving to a reservation-based system risks replacing a vibrant, neighbor-focused environment with a system that serves fewer people and limits opportunities to connect.
So...PLEASE, PLEASE do not implement that system. I not only speak for myself, but speak for a lot of people playing at Muirwood Park.
Thank you for your time.
Kind regards,
Joey Ponco (Pleasanton Resident)
Bob McGarry
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Submission Date Sep 11, 2026 7:42 PM
Name Bob McGarry
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I am against a reservation system for Muirwood Pickleball courts. Muirwood is a public facility and charging a fee to reserve and use a public facility should be against to goal of our P&R city sponsored facilities. If the City is considering reservation system and charging a fee to use this should apply to ALL public facilities (Basketball, Tennis, Public Parks) and not 1 facility and 1 sport that has become very popular for residents.
Bob McGarry
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 11, 2026 7:54 PM
Name Bob McGarry
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments Yes, pickleball has become very popular for residents and Muirwood is a world class facility. Pleasanton should be proud to have such a great facility. Yes, the Muirwood PB is very heavily used and the local community has implemented methods to ensure that ALL people who use the park get equal access to the courts. Approving a system to allow reservations for a fee will disrupt the system that the local community has adopted and cause more problems and play time for ALL will be reduced. As a resident who uses Muirwood on a daily basis I strongly recommend that our City Council NOT approve the proposed reservation and fee based for court use at Muirwood.
Bob McGarry
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 11, 2026 8:15 PM
Name Bob McGarry
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I watched the P&R August meeting where a proposed Reservation and Fee based system for Muirwood PB courts was discussed. As a resident I have the following concerns about this proposal. 1.) We should not have a reservation system for any of our PUBLIC facilities. They are PUBLIC. On top of allowing reservations we should never charge a fee to use a PUBLIC facility. 2.) I am against a reservation and fee based proposal for any PUBLIC facility as outlined in #1. But if the City feels differently and decides to charge fees for PUBLIC facilities in Pleasanton that reservation and fee based program should apply to ALL PUBLIC facilities on just Muirwood. 3.) No public feedback was collected on the proposed reservation and fee based proposal. 4.) Use of Muirwood by nonresidents was expressed. As a regular user Muirwood I welcome our neighbor and the rotation system implemented by locals who use Muirwood works well to ensure equal access to courts. If use by nonresidents is a big concern why would we allow nonresidents to reserve our courts at Muirwood? If a nonresident reserves the courts that is less courts available for me as a resident to use. Bottom line is the proposed Reservation + Fee proposal will cause more problems and should not be approved by City Council on September 15th. Thank you
Nedda Shelansky
Submission Date Sep 11, 2026 7:49 PM
Name Nedda Shelansky
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10. Approve a reservation system for Muirwood Community Park Pickleball Courts
Comments Dear Council Members,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the city’s proposal to convert three of the six public, open-play pickleball courts at Muirwood Community Park into fee-based, reservation-only courts. As a Tri-Valley resident and an active member of these local courts since 2024, I have seen firsthand how vital this space is to our neighborhood. While I understand the city's need to explore revenue streams, monetizing basic park access directly undermines public health, equity, and the foundational mission of our Parks and Recreation Department.
Public parks exist to serve the entire community, not just those who can afford a subscription or hourly fees. Transitioning to a paid reservation system creates an immediate class divide, locking out lower-income residents, seniors on fixed incomes, and youth who rely on free, spontaneous recreation. During the recent commission discussions, explicit concerns were raised about low-income players and seniors being priced out by these proposed fees ($6 for residents and $7.50 for non-residents). Physically cutting the number of open courts in half while adding a paywall creates an artificial bottleneck that actively discourages daily cardiovascular exercise.
Furthermore, this proposal directly undermines the City of Pleasanton’s own equity frameworks and the established operational design of Muirwood Community Park. The courts were built to rely on a free, democratic paddle- queuing system open to everyone from dawn to dusk. Creating a paid system simply to generate a projected $30,000 to cover the software and enforcement costs of that very system is completely counterproductive. It violates the city's Community Benefit Policy, which mandates that public recreational assets remain open and equitably accessible to all. We are essentially charging taxpayers money solely to fund the system required to lock them out.
Paid reservations also destroy the unique social fabric of pickleball. The current open-play rotation system fosters a welcoming, tightly knit community where strangers mix and play together. Private reservations isolate players into closed groups, ending the inclusive ethos that makes Muirwood thrive. When we begin charging for basic court time, we enter a slippery slope of park commercialization. We do not charge children a fee every time they use a playground swing, we do not meter basketball hoops by the hour, and we do not charge entry fees for dogs to use a dog park. Public recreation is a taxpayer- funded service meant for the public good, not a commercial enterprise designed to maximize profit margins.
I also want to address the public comment from the recent August meeting claiming that 'Tri-Valley Pickleball' is supportive of this reservation system. Using the endorsement of a specific, organized club to speak for the entire local community is deeply misleading. Did the city actually converse with the broader, everyday pickleball community that relies on Muirwood's open-play system before making these suggestions? As it appeared during the meeting, this proposal completely ignores the daily players in favor of a fast track to monetization. This is the municipal equivalent of installing toll lanes on a neighborhood road. Transitioning public land into a revenue-generating asset sends a clear and disappointing message to your constituents: that the city cares more about squeezing a projected $30,000 out of its residents than preserving free, equitable community spaces
The long-term social costs of this policy—including fractured community trust and declining civic health—far outweigh any minor financial gains. I urge the city council to reject this monetization plan and keep the Muirwood Community Park pickleball courts free, public, and fully accessible to all.
Thank you for your time, leadership, and dedication to keeping our community's public spaces equitable.
Dan Braun
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 11, 2026 10:00 PM
Name Dan Braun
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I am a Pleasanton resident. I like to be able to drop in at Muirwood at almost any day light time. I do this weekly and enjoy being able to put my paddle in for the next game. I play with many different people. It is very social and friendly. Please keep the courts available for everyone to enjoy. Please don’t restrict a court to just 2 to 4 people for an hour. That would block a lot of people from being able to participate. If someone wants a reservation they can go to Lifetime.
Rick Corella
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 13, 2026 10:35 PM
Name Rick Corella
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments RE:excessive traffic: Reserving courts will not limit traffic.
RE: Excessive noise: There is 680 freeway right next to the courts which generates noise at all hours of the day. The grassy area is mowed frequently generating a lot of noise.
Non-residents: Muirwood is a park open to everyone just look Sycamore Park, Parks in Dublin, various trails, etc.
Seems like players do not cause any trouble, courteous to people walking in the area, getting people to exercise, generating friendships.
Toan Le
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 1:00 PM
Name Toan Le
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number Muirwood pick all courts
Comments I’m a resident and regularly play at the pickball courts. Requiring reservations on our courts will not reduce any existing issues regarding overcrowding or noise level complaints. This will negatively impact Muirwood open, inclusive atmosphere. If the decision should be made on a public space, the people using that space the most, we the players, should be consulted.
Submission 17
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 12:44 PM
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number Concent Calendar #10
Comments Dear Mayor Brown and Members of the Pleasanton City Council, I am writing to ask the Council not to permanently convert three of Muirwood Community Park’s six pickleball courts to paid reservations at this time.
I understand the concerns the City is attempting to address: long waits during busy periods, resident access, traffic and parking, noise impacts on neighbors, and the cost of maintaining our recreational facilities. These are legitimate issues.
My concern is that the proposed 3-reservation/3-open-play model has not yet been shown to solve them—and could unintentionally make some of them worse.
Muirwood functions differently from a traditional reservable court facility. With six contiguous courts and a paddle rotation system, players arrive individually or in small groups and continuously rotate into games. This allows many more than 24 people to use six courts over the course of a morning and creates a community in which players of different ages, backgrounds, and skill levels interact.
Reducing that system from six courts to three is therefore not simply changing how three courts are booked. It removes half of the capacity from an interconnected open-play system.
If excessive waits are the primary concern, I would like to understand how reducing open-play capacity by 50% improves them. Reservations guarantee access for the people who obtain reservations, but unless those players would otherwise have been in the open-play queue, the remaining three courts could face even longer waits.
If resident access is the concern, the City should first quantify nonresident usage and consider solutions that address residency directly.
If early-morning noise is the concern, operating hours, enforcement, equipment standards, or other noise mitigation measures address noise directly. A pickleball being hit on a reserved court produces the same noise as one being hit on an open-play court.
Likewise, if traffic and parking are concerns, I would encourage the City to identify the specific impacts and evaluate parking, traffic, and operating-hour solutions rather than assume that reservations will reduce them.
And if the objective is to provide more guaranteed prime-time court access, that is a legitimate goal—but it should be identified and evaluated as such.
Pleasanton already has paid reservable pickleball opportunities. Before converting half of Muirwood, the City should understand utilization of that existing inventory by time of day and determine whether the actual problem is an overall shortage of reservable courts or a shortage during particular peak periods.
Nearby Walnut Creek provides a useful example of a more targeted process.
Rudgear Park experienced heavy pickleball demand as well as serious neighborhood concerns involving noise, parking, and traffic. Walnut Creek convened players, neighbors, commissioners, its recreation operator, and City staff; evaluated the problems separately; tested mitigation strategies; modified operating hours; and studied additional capacity. Rudgear’s eight courts remain in operation today as a public open-play facility with restricted hours.
I am not asking the Council to conclude that reservations can never be part of Muirwood. I am asking the Council not to make a permanent 50% reduction in open-play capacity without first establishing that it is the appropriate solution.
A better approach would be to establish baseline data on usage, wait times, residency, complaints, existing reservation-court utilization, and maintenance costs; identify which problems the City is trying to solve; and then test a limited pilot with objective measures of success. For example, the City could test one reservable court or reservations during selected periods while preserving the six- court open-play model during peak open-play hours.
If the data demonstrate that reservations improve access without materially damaging open play, the City can expand the program. If they do not, we will have learned that before permanently changing a community resource that is currently extraordinarily well used.
This does not need to be a choice between listening to Muirwood’s neighbors and listening to its pickleball community. We can do both.
Please preserve Muirwood’s six-court open-play model while the City measures the problems, engages the affected stakeholders, and tests solutions designed specifically to address them.
Thank you for your consideration.
Mohammed Mudassar Mubeen
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 11:04 AM
Name Mohammed Mudassar Mubeen
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I am writing to express my profound disappointment regarding the board's consideration of a reservation system at Muir Woods Community Park. I strongly urge you to reject this proposal before it permanently dismantles the vibrant, inclusive community that makes this park so special.
When I moved here from Boston three years ago, the Muir Woods pickleball community was instrumental in helping me feel at home. Through this park, I have formed lifelong friendships, created incredible memories, and built a weekly routine that anchors my life here. In fact, despite living just steps away from Wallis Ranch Park, I happily drive to Muir Woods because of the unparalleled sense of belonging found on these courts. Our group regularly celebrates birthdays together and supports local Pleasanton businesses, from downtown restaurants to the weekly farmers market.
The current drop-in system works precisely because it is equitable, fair, and relies on mutual respect. It brings people of all skill levels and backgrounds together on equal footing—where the only requirement to play is positive energy and a shared enthusiasm. Players voluntarily bring leaf blowers and squeegees to clear wet courts and post updates online for others because everyone feels a sense of shared ownership in a system that values everyone's time equally.
Implementing a reservation system will create artificial barriers and privilege certain players over others, destroying the welcoming, open spirit that defines Muir Woods. Replacing an open, thriving community with a transactional booking process will only breed division and resentment among residents.
Please do not ruin what makes this court exceptional. I urge the board to preserve this fair and flourishing community by voting against the reservation system.
David Del Rosso
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Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 3:45 PM
Name David Del Rosso
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number #10 - Reservation System at Muirwood Comments As an avid pickleball player who has been playing regularly at Muirwood Park for more than two years, I would like to share my concerns regarding the proposal to implement a court reservation system on a portion of the pickleball courts.
What makes Muirwood special is not simply the courts themselves, but the community that has grown around them. Players of all ages and skill levels come together each day in an environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and self- organizing. New players are introduced to the game, visitors are welcomed, and friendships are formed. In my experience playing throughout the Bay Area, Muirwood has one of the strongest and most positive pickleball communities anywhere.
A reservation system would fundamentally change that environment.
Open play works because it allows players to arrive when their schedules permit, rotate fairly through games, and interact with a broad range of community members. Reservations create barriers and naturally divide players into separate groups with scheduled court times. Instead of an inclusive community, the courts become fragmented. The spontaneous social interaction that makes Muirwood unique would gradually disappear.
I also question whether a reservation system would effectively solve the concerns that have been raised.
If the objective is to increase court availability, the current data should be carefully evaluated. While players do wait during peak times, the wait is often comparable to or shorter than other public pickleball facilities in the area. A reservation system does not create additional court capacity; it simply reallocates access. In practice, it may leave reserved courts underutilized while large groups of players wait on adjacent courts.
If the concern is noise, Muirwood is located adjacent to Interstate 680, one of the busiest transportation corridors in the region. Before implementing significant operational changes to the courts, it would be helpful to understand whether objective noise studies have been conducted and how pickleball- related noise compares to existing freeway noise levels.
If parking and maintenance costs are concerns, those issues appear to be broader park management and city planning challenges. The park serves many user groups, and peak parking demand often coincides with other park activities.
Similarly, maintenance costs should be expected when investing in popular recreational facilities that provide substantial value to residents.
Most importantly, I am concerned that the pickleball community has not been sufficiently engaged in this discussion. Hundreds of residents use these courts regularly. Before implementing a major change that would alter how the facility operates, I respectfully request that the City seek broader community input through public meetings, surveys, and outreach to the players who use the courts every week.
Muirwood has become a model for how public pickleball can thrive when access is open, fair, and community-driven. I believe a court reservation system would diminish the very qualities that have made the facility successful and would ultimately create more challenges than it solves.
I respectfully urge the City Council to reconsider this proposal and work collaboratively with the pickleball community to identify solutions that preserve both access and the unique culture that exists at Muirwood today.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Rick Schempp
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 4:36 PM
Name Rick Schempp
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10. Approve a reservation system for Muirwood Community Park Pickleball Courts
Comments As a Parks and Recreation Commissioner I voted in favor of reservation system for Muirwood Community Park Pickleball Courts. When sworn in as a commissioners we were tasked to make informed choices based on staff input, discussion with fellow commissioners and personal research "to benefit the citizens of Pleasanton." With limited public pickle ball courts in and around the Tri-Valley area and beyond. We were made aware that many pickle ball players come in from other towns. Some because they do not have facilities. Others have poor quality asphalt courts. Muirwood Park Pickle Ball Courts are state of the art! And therefore in demand. Pleasantonians deserve first access since they paid for by the residents of our community. The system is set up for the (6) available courts to have (3) first come first serve. And (3) through reservations available from 7 a.m. - 12/noon. Residents also get a (2) lead time over non- residents. The revenue can also be used to maintain the courts.
I strongly believe that this is the right decision for the residents of our community! It is my hope that you will support this by voting in favor for the Muirwood Park, Pickle Ball Reservation System at the City Council Meeting on 9/15/2026
Rick Schempp, Parks and Recreation Commissioner - City of Pleasanton.
Brian Yee
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 4:46 PM
Name Brian Yee
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments This would be terrible for all involved. This did not work in San Leandro.
William Sullivan
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 5:10 PM
Name William Sullivan
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10 pickleball
Comments Why are we copying another city's 50/50 model without first determining whether that model actually worked?
San Leandro has already implemented essentially the exact 50/50 system proposed for Muirwood: three of six courts reservable and three open play.
Washington Manor remains a heavily used pickleball facility, and available information identifies crowding and the balance between reservations and open play as points of friction. Before Pleasanton adopts the same model, the City should investigate San Leandro's actual experience—including utilization of reserved courts, open-play wait times, unused reservation time and feedback from Washington Manor's regular open-play community.
Interestingly, players from Manor Park have now migrated to Pleasanton precisely because of the reservation system implemented there. It is widely disliked.
Balaji VijayaKumar
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 8:15 PM
Name Balaji VijayaKumar
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments Dear Council member Michele,
I am writing as a Pleasanton resident and regular player at the Muirwood Pickleball courts to strongly urge you to vote against the proposal to convert 3 of the 6 courts to a reservation-only system. While I understand the intent behind this proposal, I believe it would do far more harm than good to our community, and I hope you'll consider the following concerns before moving forward.
First, cutting open play courts in half will make an already difficult situation worse. During peak hours, players currently wait 20-25 minutes just to get on a court with all 6 available for open play. Reducing that number to 3 will roughly double wait times, turning a fun afternoon activity into an exercise in frustration.
Pleasanton simply does not have enough total court capacity for this kind of reduction to make sense right now.
Second, reservation systems tend to favor those with the time, technology savvy, and flexibility to snag a slot the moment it opens, often within seconds. Many regular players, including retirees, parents, and those less comfortable with booking apps, will find it genuinely difficult to secure a reservation at all. This isn't a hypothetical concern; it's a pattern we've seen play out in other cities that have implemented similar systems.
Third, I'm concerned about cost. Pickleball has exploded in popularity precisely because it's accessible and affordable. Many reservation systems come with booking fees or eventually pave the way toward paid court time. Adding any financial barrier risks pricing out the very community members who have made this sport thrive locally.
Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, open play is central to what makes pickleball special. The drop-in, mix-and-match nature of open play is a huge part of why this sport has become such a powerful tool for community building, arguably more so than any other sport in recent memory. People show up, meet neighbors, play with strangers who become friends, and build real connections across ages and backgrounds. A reservation system fragments that. It turns a communal space into a series of private time slots and erodes the very culture that makes Muirwood such a valued gathering spot.
Finally, this all comes back to a broader issue: Pleasanton needs more pickleball courts, not a system that rations the ones we already have. I'd much rather see the city's energy directed toward expanding court capacity than restructuring access to a shrinking resource.
I urge you to vote against this proposal and instead explore ways to add court capacity so that both reservation-minded players and open-play enthusiasts can be accommodated without sacrificing what makes this sport, and this community, so special.
Thank you for your time and for representing the interests of Pleasanton residents. I'm happy to discuss this further or provide additional feedback if helpful.
Sincerely,
Balaji Vijayakumar
Pleasanton, CA
Bill Collins
Submission Date Sep 14, 2026 10:08 PM
Name Bill Collins
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments I feel the Recreation Department should not start a reservation system for pickleball court at Muirwood park without first holding meeting to allow public comment.
for the following reasons:
1. Wait times are only reduced for those who reserve courts. Wait times increase for
open play players, who are the majority at Muirwood.
2. Residents can reserve courts and invite non-residents to play with them.
3. A reservation system will not reduce traffic since the courts will be open whether
reserved or not. It also won't reduce noise-people are still playing on the courts.
4. Yes, revenue will be generated, but at the expense of building a community where
everyone belongs.
Michael Anderson
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Submission Date Sep 15, 2026 8:43 AM
Name Michael Anderson
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10 Muirwood Pickleball
Comments I strongly oppose converting three of Muirwood’s six pickleball courts to one- hour reservations. This proposal doesn’t increase access — IT REDUCES IT.
The numbers make that clear.
Total capacity falls from 96 to 60 player opportunities per hour — a 37.5% reduction.
With all six courts operating as open play, 24 people can be on the courts at once. With games averaging about 15 minutes and players rotating after each game, the courts provide 96 PLAYER OPPORTUNITIES PER HOUR.
Under the proposed 50/50 system, the three open-play courts would provide only 48 player opportunities per hour. Meanwhile, if four people reserve each of the other three courts for an hour, those courts serve just 12 people per hour.
Regardless of the assumed length of a game, the reduction is still 37.5%.
That is an ENORMOUS loss of capacity for a public facility that is already heavily used.
And the burden of that reduction falls overwhelmingly on open-play players.
They will be squeezed onto three courts, creating longer lines and longer waits, while groups of four occupy the other courts for an entire hour.
The City should be asking how to accommodate MORE residents, not implementing a system that mathematically reduces effective court capacity by nearly 40%.
It is also troubling that such a significant change was recommended without meaningful outreach to the Muirwood players who actually use these courts and understand how the current rotation system functions.
Before implementing this change, I urge the City Council to stop and reconsider the recommendation. Do not reduce access to a heavily used public resource without first demonstrating that there is a real problem that requires this solution, consulting the people who use the facility, and evaluating the actual impact on capacity and wait times.
A 37.5% reduction in effective capacity is not an improvement in access. It is a reduction in access.
John Mogyorodi
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Submission Date Sep 15, 2026 9:22 AM
Name John Mogyorodi
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10 Pickleball Muirwood
Comments I am very concerned about the lack of meaningful public outreach before the recommendation to convert three of Muirwood’s six pickleball courts to reservable courts.
The City received complaints or requests from individuals who wanted the ability to reserve a court for their own group. But that is feedback — it is not community outreach.
People who are dissatisfied with the existing system are naturally more likely to contact the City and ask for a change. Hearing from those individuals does not tell you what the broader Muirwood pickleball community thinks.
I also understand that staff spoke with Kirby Wong, president of the Tri-Valley Pickleball Club. His input is certainly appropriate and should be considered. But the Tri-Valley Pickleball Club is a regional organization, and its president does not represent all of the players who use Muirwood.
Talking to one representative of a regional pickleball organization is not the same thing as reaching out to the Muirwood pickleball community.
We live in an age when gathering feedback has never been easier. The City could post a QR code at the courts, send an email survey, create an online questionnaire, post signs, or engage the longtime ambassadors who are at Muirwood every day.
Yet somehow we have reached the point of considering a significant change to half of Muirwood’s courts without meaningful input from the community that has spent years building what exists there today.
And we have seen this exact problem before — at Muirwood.
In 2021, the Parks and Recreation Commission voted 5–0 to recommend placing a cricket field at Muirwood Park without first conducting adequate outreach to the surrounding community.
When neighbors learned what was being proposed, there was significant alarm and opposition. The City then did what it should have done in the first place: it conducted broader outreach. There were surveys, direct engagement with the community, and outreach tables at the park and farmers market where residents could learn about the proposal and provide input.
After hearing from the broader community, the City reversed course, and Muirwood was dropped as the proposed cricket location.
That experience should be directly relevant to what is happening with pickleball today.
The lesson wasn't that the City should never consider changes at Muirwood. The lesson was that you need to ask the affected community before making the recommendation, not afterward. Enhanced outreach methods were discussed at subsequent Parks and Recreation Commission meetings.
But with pickleball, we seem to be repeating the same process.
Staff presented the Parks and Recreation Commission with two alternatives, and both already assumed that three of the six courts would become reservable.
Where was the third option — keeping all six courts open play? More importantly, outreach should have occurred before staff decided that converting half the courts to reservations was the direction to pursue.
The fundamental question was never meaningfully put to the people who use these courts:
Does the Muirwood pickleball community actually want half of its open-play courts converted to reservations?
The City doesn't know the answer because it never meaningfully asked.
A handful of complaints is not a survey. Consulting one regional pickleball representative is not community outreach. And feedback from people asking for reservations should not be treated as representative of the entire Muirwood pickleball community.
We already learned at Muirwood what can happen when outreach comes after a recommendation instead of before it.
I am asking the City Council not to repeat that mistake.
Send this recommendation back. Conduct genuine outreach at Muirwood. Put up the signs. Post the QR code. Survey the players. Talk to the ambassadors and the people who actually use the courts. Then make a decision based on what the broader community tells you.
John Mogyorodi
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 15, 2026 9:39 AM
Name John Mogyorodi
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10 Pickleball Muirwood
Comments What makes the Muirwood pickleball community special is that it is about much more than pickleball.
People aren't standing around staring at their phones or scrolling through social media. They're talking. They're meeting new people, catching up with old friends, sharing stories and advice, laughing together, and building relationships across generations. It is a genuine community, and places where that happens naturally are becoming increasingly rare.
Our daughter spent her last summer before leaving for college playing on these courts. During that time, she had conversations and formed connections with people ranging from young teenagers to players in their 70s and 80s. She received advice, encouragement, and well-wishes from people she likely never would have met otherwise.
As a parent, I watched her develop skills that are increasingly difficult to learn through a screen: how to introduce herself to someone she doesn't know, how to interact comfortably with people from different generations, how to wait her turn, compete fairly, win and lose graciously, and respect people whose lives and experiences may be very different from her own.
And she isn't unique. Those kinds of interactions happen at Muirwood every day.
That is why reducing open play from six courts to three concerns me. It doesn't simply reduce the number of courts available for open play; it changes the environment that created this community in the first place.
Open play brings everyone together. Players put their paddles in the rotation, wait together, play, come off the court, and rotate again. That constant interaction introduces new players to longtime players and younger players to older ones. It's what turns a collection of individuals into a community.
But importantly, the current system also works for people who want to play exclusively with their own group.
If four friends arrive together and want to stay together, they can put their four paddles together in the rack. When their turn comes up, they take a court together, play their game together, and then put their paddles back in the rotation together. They can continue playing together for as long as they want.
They don't need a reservation to stay together.
The only thing the current system asks of them is the same thing it asks of everyone else: when their game is over, come off the court and wait their turn before playing again.
That distinction matters. Reservations aren't necessary to allow four friends to play together — the current system already accommodates that. What reservations change is that three separate groups of four players would be able to occupy three of the six courts continuously for an hour while everyone else is limited to the remaining three courts.
Reducing open play from six courts to three concentrates the existing community onto half as many courts, increases waits, and risks making the open- play experience less welcoming and accessible.
The current system has managed to accomplish something unusual: it accommodates groups who want to stay together while also creating opportunities for strangers, neighbors, young people, older people, beginners, and experienced players to interact with one another.
We should be very careful about changing a system that already works for both.
The open-play system doesn't just provide access to pickleball courts. It creates interaction, connection, and community. Before we dismantle half of that system, we should understand that we may be giving up something that is very difficult to recreate once it is gone.
Where else does that happen so naturally anymore?
John Mogyorodi
[email protected]
Submission Date Sep 15, 2026 9:45 AM
Name John Mogyorodi
Email (this entry is disclosable if
included)
[email protected]
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10 Pickleball Muirwood
Comments The Reservation System Does Not Solve Parking or Noise Two concerns cited by the Parks and Recreation Commission in support of the reservation system were parking and noise. However, converting three of the six courts to reservation-only use does not address either issue.
Parking: A reservation system does not reduce the number of people coming to Muirwood Park to play pickleball. It simply changes how some of them gain access to the courts.
In fact, reservations could make parking turnover worse. Under the current open- play system, players arrive and leave at different times throughout the morning.
With scheduled reservations, groups of four may arrive together at the beginning of their reservation and leave together when it ends, while the next reserved group arrives to take their place. That creates additional waves of vehicles entering, searching for parking, and leaving the neighborhood.
More importantly, taking three courts away from open play does not eliminate those open-play players. They will still come to Muirwood hoping to play on the remaining three courts. Now the same community is being compressed onto half as many open-play courts while reserved groups are arriving separately for their scheduled times.
If parking is truly the problem, then parking should be studied and addressed directly. Changing how courts are allocated is not a parking-management plan.
Noise: The same problem exists with the noise argument. Making a court reservable does not make pickleball quieter.
There will still be six courts. There can still be four players on each court. There can still be 24 people actively playing at the same time. A pickleball hitting a paddle makes exactly the same sound whether the player waited in an open-play queue or booked the court online.
If the concern is the number of players, hours of play, paddle noise, or proximity to neighboring homes, those issues should be addressed directly. A reservation system does none of those things.
This is an important distinction: reservations change who gets access to the courts; they do not reduce the underlying activity that Parks and Recreation has identified as the source of the parking and noise concerns.
If parking and noise are being used as justification for this change, there should be evidence showing how the proposed reservation system will actually reduce either one. Otherwise, the City is restricting open-play access without solving the problems it says the restriction is intended to address.
Cindy Mogyorodi
Submission Date Sep 15, 2026 9:30 AM
Name Cindy Mogyorodi
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments Before Pleasanton changes the character of Muirwood by making half the courts reservable, I believe the City should first hear from the community that has grown around them.
My husband and I have lived in Pleasanton for 27 years, raised our daughter here, and have been part of Pleasanton pickleball since around 2015 (the PMS gym days). Muirwood has become much more than a place to play. It is a diverse, multigenerational community where people of different ages, races, genders, backgrounds, and skill levels naturally connect.
Our family has experienced that firsthand. My husband and I both play, and our daughter spent her last summer before college playing there. We could each find competitive games at our own level, while still enjoying a few family games together.
Yes, there can be a wait especially during peak times. But watch what happens during that time. People are not doom-scrolling on their phones. They are talking, laughing, meeting new people, and building friendships across generations. My daughter received advice, encouragement, and well-wishes from people ranging from teenagers to players in their 70s and 80s. Those interactions were priceless and taught our daughter vital skills that can't be experienced in a smaller setting (nor online!).
And not everyone has to come for the social aspect. If four friends want to come together and just play with one another, they are welcome to. It is a shared resource for groups, foursomes and individuals alike with a community environment.
But Pleasanton has other options, as well. There are 12 courts at PMS for casual play and the four Lifetime Activities (lighted) courts at the Tennis Park are reservable for focused singles/doubles play. In fact, we have used those reservations ourselves many times.
I deeply value the variety of play options that Pleasanton offers and wish to preserve this balanced ecosystem of court types across our city. Some players want to hit a ball with their kids for 20 minutes (PMS) and some players want guaranteed time with a pre-arranged group (Lifetime). Others value spontaneous open play and the community that develops around it. Muirwood can serve that role while remaining a shared public resource for everyone.
Muirwood’s unique value is not simply that it has six courts. It is what happens when all six operate together as an open-play community. Reducing that to three courts risks losing much of the diversity of skill levels, players, and community that makes Muirwood special.
Please preserve what makes Muirwood special, and please involve the people who use it before fundamentally changing it.
Name Belle Musfeldt
Meeting Date 7:00pm Regular Meeting 9-15-26
Agenda Item Number 10
Comments
I have been a resident of Pleasanton for nearly 30 years. It is my taxpayers’ money that helped build and continues to maintain the courts at Muirwood.
I recently learned that the City plans to convert these courts to a fee-based reservation system, apparently in response to one resident’s complaint that she and her friends were unable to play at the specific time they wanted. In my view, this complaint is unreasonable, irrational, and reflects an unwarranted sense of entitlement.
The City has already installed a paddle-rack waiting system at Muirwood consisting of 10 racks, with space for four paddles per rack. Muirwood is popular precisely because of its open-play format and equitable waiting system. Anyone can simply drop in at any time in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings and find people to play with, without having to find three other players and organize a game in advance.
No player is required to play with anyone they do not wish to play with. Players who prefer to stay with their own group can easily do so by placing their paddles in the same paddle rack. At the same time, the system gives individuals who arrive alone—which includes many of us—a fair opportunity to join a game and participate in the community.
I have attached a photo of the paddle-rack waiting system taken at 11:23 a.m. on Tuesday, 9/15. As the photo shows, the racks were essentially empty at that time. This is a clear example of how court availability varies throughout the day and demonstrates that there are periods when there is little or no waiting.
Furthermore, a fee-based reservation system will not address the issues that have been raised:
• Wait times will not improve for the majority of Muirwood players. A reservation system may reduce wait times for those who reserve courts, but it will significantly increase wait times for open-play players— the majority of users at Muirwood. Residents who want to reserve courts already have that option at Lifetime Activities. They also have free access to courts at Stoneridge Creek and at PMS after school 1 hours, on weekends, and during the summer. In addition, free public paddleball courts are readily available in Dublin and Livermore, our neighboring cities, which do not impose a fee-based reservation system on their public courts.
• It will not prevent residents from playing with non-residents. Residents can still reserve a court and invite non-r
esidents to play. Therefore, a reservation system does not address concerns about non- resident participation.
• It will not reduce traffic or noise. Whether players reserve a court or use the existing open-play system, people will still be playing at Muirwood. A reservation system will not eliminate the activity, traffic, or noise associated with the courts. Moreover, the courts are located adjacent to the freeway, and the freeway noise largely masks the relatively minor noise generated by play on the courts. In fact, the sound of games is difficult to hear until you approach the adjacent tennis courts. • Revenue should not come at the expense of community access. While a fee-based reservation system may generate additional revenue for the City, that revenue would come at the cost of making a taxpayer-funded public facility less accessible and undermining the inclusive community that has developed around Muirwood’s open-play system.
If the individuals who raised the complaint prefer to play exclusively within their own group rather than with other players, they can easily stay together by placing their paddles in the same rack. Alternatively, they can choose less busy times during the week at Muirwood, use other City courts, or play at public courts in neighboring cities. There are already multiple options available to those who want to play with a specific group at a specific time.
The existing system is simple, inclusive, and equitable. It accommodates both players who want to play with their friends and those who simply want to drop in and find a game. It also provides an opportunity for individuals who arrive alone to participate without having to organize a group in advance.
There is no need to fundamentally change an open-play system that is working well for the broader community simply to accommodate a preference for playing at a particular time with a particular group.
Taxpayer-funded public courts should remain accessible to the entire community rather than giving priority to those who are willing or able to pay for reservations. The City should preserve the open-play system that has made Muirwood a welcoming, accessible, and successful community resource. 2 Upload File(s)
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