As a city of Lewes taxpayer and someone who greatly appreciates our Canalfront Park tennis courts, I’m writing to urge the Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission not to permanently remove one of only two public tennis courts to create permanent pickleball courts.
The most important reason to step away from this proposal is this: Right now, the Canalfront Park courts are equally available to tennis players and pickleball players on a first-come basis. The pickleball players are welcome to use the courts whenever they show up and find them empty, just as the tennis players are.
The city of Lewes is even allowing the pickleball players to store their portable nets and other equipment in a container located on the courts (city property). It takes no more than 10 minutes to set up a temporary net and mark the court off with tape if that needs to be done.
This proposal would permanently take away a tennis court, and permanently erect several pickleball courts. In contrast to the current setup - again, which provides equal access to both types of players - this would unfairly penalize people who want to play tennis.
Imagine going to play tennis and finding the one tennis court occupied and the pickleball courts unoccupied. Because the pickleball courts have permanent nets, they would be permanently rendered unusable for tennis players even if pickleball players weren’t there.
Or think of it another way: you can turn a tennis court into two pickleball courts by simply marking off space with tape and pulling out the portable net from the container right on the court. But once you erect permanent pickleball nets, you can no longer play tennis on that court.
There aren’t “two sides” to this issue. Right now we have a fair and equitable situation at the taxpayer-funded park. Those lobbying for a permanent change want to take away an opportunity for people who don’t play their sport to simply make it easier for themselves to play their sport.
Not incidentally, I can’t even count the number of days I’ve gone to the Canalfront Park to play tennis and been unable to because both courts have been taken over by pickleball players. It’s not a great situation, but I accept it if they got there first. It’s fair.
Permanently seizing a tennis court to make their lives easier on the days they choose to play pickleball isn’t fair.
One more point - one of the most vocal advocates who spoke at the Jan. 14 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in favor of removal of the tennis court said “our pickleball players have to go all the way to Dover to play.” That isn’t true.
There’s a very active pickleball program at The Plantations, just 4 miles from downtown Lewes. The public tennis courts at Deauville Beach in Rehoboth are also marked for pickleball. Pickleball players can also go to Sports at the Beach in Georgetown, or The Factory in Nassau, or to the YMCA in Rehoboth.
Simply put, there are already many local facilities permanently dedicated to pickleball, which makes it even more unfair to take away one of only two tennis courts in downtown Lewes.
Chris Beakey
Lewes
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
