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At long last, an agreement between the city of Pleasanton and the Pleasanton school district will allow the unlocking of tennis courts at Amador Valley High School to help meet surging demand by avid players for more courts.
In a trial six-month “shared use” arrangement between the city and the Pleasanton Unified School District, the public’s access to the tennis courts will be increased while also keeping the courts available for students during school and after-school hours.
The high school courts were moved three years ago from just off the school’s Santa Rita Road parking lot to the back of a new baseball field where they are largely hidden from public view. At the time, they were also padlocked to restrict uses by those other than tennis aficionados.
The courts were open to students during regular school hours, but were locked at other times, although the school willingly issued keys to anyone who asked. Although residents would submit an application and fees in order to receive a key to the courts, the keys would often not be returned. After several years, there were numerous keys that were missing, which prompted the district to review its process.
As a result, the policies and procedures were revised, which required residents to submit rental forms and applicable custodial fees in order to use the tennis courts. Although this new procedure increased accountability, it also made it more difficult and costly for the public to access the tennis courts.
Last year, the issue was raised at a liaison committee meeting of the city and school district staff. Together, this group worked to find a solution, with both agencies agreeing to a six-month schedule as follows:
Today through June 12:
Saturdays: 9 a.m. to noon
Sundays: 1-4 p.m.
June 13 to Aug. 24:
Mondays to Fridays: 6-8 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays: 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 25 to Oct. 31:
Saturdays: 9 a.m. to noon
Sundays: 1-4 p.m.
At the end of the six-month trial, the agencies will evaluate the program and make further recommendations.
Susan Andrade-Wax, the city’s director of Community Services who helped re-open the Amador courts for public use, said she hopes the proposed shared use of the courts will be successful and that the plan can be continued not just at Amador but also expanded to include the tennis courts at Foothill High School.
Pleasanton Weekly staff.
Pleasanton Weekly staff.
This is great news. Does anyone know if residents are allowed to run on the tracks when they are not in use? It seems silly for them to be just sitting there locked up when we (the taxpayers) paid for them.
This is good news! I’m wondering why the public can not have access all day on the weekends. If the school teams/ school renters need the courts they could have priority. There are a lot of courts. We like to play Sunday mornings.
“Booming Tennis Demands”… talk about a First World problem!
Fantastic! Thank you City of Pleasanton.
And John, we should all be thankful that we are living in the “1st World” and that this problem has been solved. It’s not so much an obligation but a honor for society and local governments to bestow upon its citizens the means to better their health and social well being especially when it doesn’t burden the financial aspects.