[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6679674,"mediaKeyId","2336777-01adc3eebcde901c68239aa01a83cd19","parentId",2336777,"title","Encinitas Parks and Recreation Commission approves 2024–25 work plan and accepts Jan. 21 minutes","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3900000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2336777-01adc3eebcde901c68239aa01a83cd19&start=3900&end=3900","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2336777-01adc3eebcde901c68239aa01a83cd19/thumbnail_3900000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6679674/Encinitas/San-Diego-County/California/Encinitas-Parks-and-Recreation-Commission-approves-202425-work-plan-and-accepts-Jan-21-minutes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6679674-8edf95b6b8dd649fce9353b1333677d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770974045&Signature=eId5kGQEZww~S11SuPYQmrjz2X7~JxmWEMRrX0Ff9CaAcplDm71dK6l0heg4LYbtBsYITR8qT10S3q-tbH0NNh7-jWnFv2Ld9h3Znyvwe0ylIn-uP3jNRiEMxM3NTwCxZRtXT-aF5u2FCs-G4TcgujKGyAkLmBDeY9SQZt4R2i-MCRXLrkoN1wtgCoihOB6AV3O6R~0zKWztS~~yo5szq5R2kttMIak7IpYUEA59s7dGEFVGGZKO1pwp6ZUovMWD9dRMXN6lZnB8A8d4UM57Js4NlzLibaIPf5oq~Vy7tkdN~BUXfDGXv8XXQa7k0DhsvQ97zYcZtkymqk3Kb8OCHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Encinitas, CA","date","2025-02-19T03:15:53.293Z","article","Tuesday, Feb. 18 — The Encinitas Parks and Recreation Commission voted to approve its 2024–25 work plan and to accept the minutes of the Jan. 21 meeting during its Feb. 18 session.

Commissioner Quinn moved to accept the Jan. 21 minutes; Vice Chair Hansen seconded and the motion passed. The commission chair noted two commissioners abstained because they had been unable to attend the Jan. 21 meeting.

Later in the meeting, Chair Ritter moved that the commission vote to approve the 2024–25 Parks and Recreation work plan; Commissioner Quinn seconded and the motion passed. Commissioners discussed carrying several items into the next term, including pickleball/tennis court planning, playground equipment replacement, pop-up parks, trails coordination, and continued support for the project now called the Encinitas Project (formerly Friends of Encinitas Parks).

Staff reports during the meeting provided several operational updates. Parks operations manager Norgard said a contractor contract had been executed for required maintenance at the Encinitas Community Park skate bowl and that closure for repairs is anticipated within the next one to two months. Norgard also said a design and replacement schedule for several playgrounds is underway and that the city received a grant totalling $600,000 to cover playground equipment at Wero and Orpheus.

Recreation staff said the community grant program (fiscal year 2026) is open and closes Feb. 27, the spring activity guide will be posted online and mailed to residents with registration opening March 3 (note: registration date provided by staff), and an Arbor Day event and spring egg hunt are scheduled for April.

No formal budget allocations or capital project approvals were made at the meeting; commissioners carried several items forward for continued study and indicated staff should return with more detailed information where needed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Encinitas Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting Live Stream 02/18/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission approved its 2024–25 work plan and accepted Jan. 21 meeting minutes; two commissioners abstained from the minutes vote because they were absent from that meeting.","taxTitle","Encinitas, San Diego County, California","taxId",3828,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6679677,"Local groups ask Encinitas to support pollinator garden at Pacific View Art Center",447,114000,561000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2336777-01adc3eebcde901c68239aa01a83cd19&start=114&end=561","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2336777-01adc3eebcde901c68239aa01a83cd19/thumbnail_114000.jpg","/articles/6679677/Encinitas/San-Diego-County/California/Local-groups-ask-Encinitas-to-support-pollinator-garden-at-Pacific-View-Art-Center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6679677-e1aafb22ebad82ae0cfc94edd7743ec2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770974045&Signature=VeLBdcb-cgYPbbwMr1eNBYZ7KHAYKmqtdon9cwJrmsdirClkmYmaaS3YtuM6iNbIxNi5ZBDT0pAim6ig1cRKZvTwYU5edRpZDQaXlmD354x1PZiTMlWSDr0mhTFONArQOgpk6mbctQcbQ9E1PSKQ3tlrT7ClhoInI8fNjwdNahYkKpF2Gns~HDE9UCrfNohJLLFeUfgPh~w93jN-LeN1Hl7cZe7LOU3j7j3ZG26xMsOW3QBrFXmVpekrf9doUZLL5flXCfkxhVaEwiOacwzkPyxxQdqZjP4zSviIcdG3MWc0zm34digisWQxcvjxjZn2B8C4pomCCRE-mIZ1kNkwag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tuesday, Feb. 18 — Two community organizers asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to support a volunteer-led pollinator garden at the back corner of the Pacific View Art Center, asking the city to help with a one-day cleanup, water supply, and updates to a Waterwise drip system.

\"We have organized and brought together the pollinator garden steering committee to help reimagine the pollinator garden and to bring out the beauty of this tiny but mighty space,\" said Leah Strel, who identified herself as a sculptor and creative director for EcoFest Encinitas and a Nature's Treasures workshop facilitator at Pacific View Art Center.

Strel said the garden would dedicate space to native plants and milkweed to support butterflies, hummingbirds, moths and other pollinators, and would include an educational component for children and adults. She told the commission volunteers would maintain the garden bimonthly and that a nonprofit partner is being brought in to manage finances and insurance. \"We already have grants interested in waiting for the go ahead,\" she said.

Jay Klopfenstein, an environmental educator and vice president of the California Retired Teachers Association Educational Foundation, offered a more detailed plan and supporting materials and suggested using the old schoolhouse area for a schoolyard habitat. He said he is organizing broader support across the state—including garden clubs and Rotary chapters—and mentioned a pollinator license plate program as a potential funding source, noting that a two-thirds vote is required to create a specialty plate.

Organizers named local groups that have expressed interest in supporting the garden, including Eco Rotary, Clean Earth for Kids and Encinitas Garden Clubs. They asked the city to provide labor for an initial cleanup day, assume water costs and approve drip-system upgrades to make the site sustainable.

Commissioners acknowledged the proposal and the commission chair said the item and a pollinator garden ad hoc could be added to next month’s agenda for further consideration. No formal vote or financial commitment was taken at the meeting.

If approved in the future, the project leaders said they expect to supply donated soil, plants, tools and labor and to maintain the garden with volunteers and partner organizations.","Volunteers seeking to create a pollinator garden at Pacific View Art Center asked the Parks and Recreation Commission for city help with cleanup, watering and drip-system upgrades; organizers said grants and donations are ready to proceed.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6679681,"Encinitas residents urge more pickleball time, balanced gym scheduling",2891,498000,3389000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2336777-01adc3eebcde901c68239aa01a83cd19&start=498&end=3389","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2336777-01adc3eebcde901c68239aa01a83cd19/thumbnail_498000.jpg","/articles/6679681/Encinitas/San-Diego-County/California/Encinitas-residents-urge-more-pickleball-time-balanced-gym-scheduling","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6679681-559cf6ac198454bbc69c46ad9101a85e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770974045&Signature=mkH47mhE0MVX6gtsF75LsJyvY6dF--wd4zSmEuel6sOW0vgq2LtrsL5uy2qEko3qfMEMDqB~wGhr3qUOocIbf2kvwxlNrwH414j1jgx3Z7ADgukID9X2M3XzhNIBxF8bSmIG8LIcu2-qKNxL~slSSyDrXQfHS0Dat1EfKVg0AocBaPliOJpiFP8Gs-9bd4qzPjJP9iUAXj1G8RDfLRnrjtMDThdWZiZgZCMkPOjFK-aXhpNz4Ip9onsjztIpuzgfeRyTyN3-Z0WXtgI1ymp-QpgMjwtNjyljcHwxh8D5zBMFnsduEGrXlCjgUDdoYU~4YFr5fnltaW8j8~iM875Yqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tuesday, Feb. 18 — Dozens of Encinitas residents told the Parks and Recreation Commission on Feb. 18 that rising demand for pickleball is outstripping available indoor gym time at the Encinitas Community Center and is limiting access for older players.

Speakers and frequent players said the city’s current gym calendar gives substantially more hours to basketball than to pickleball and urged the commission and staff to rebalance time, publish participation data and consider modest fees or punch cards to manage demand.

“Open play basketball is available seven days a week while open play pickleball is only available four mornings a week,” said Eric Coolbaugh, a resident who organized a petition. “A petition with 70 plus signatures has been submitted to the parks and rec department requesting that management review the gymnasium usage every six months along with the sign in logs to balance out gym usage across all interests.”

Coolbaugh said sign-in sheets regularly show “40 plus pickleball players,” producing long waits and limited court time for participants, many of whom are seniors.

“Providing more hours of open play during the week will enable groups to organize and spread out the demand, decreasing average wait times,” Coolbaugh said. He also asked the department to honor age-restricted sessions (the 50-plus sessions) to protect less aggressive play for older users.

Other speakers echoed that demand. \"I had numbers in the twenties consistently showing up for games, and now we're over 40,\" said Kelly Kong, a longtime Encinitas resident, who proposed sharing a double gym (one half for pickleball, one for basketball) when groups do not occupy both halves. \"So that means a lot of people are sitting and waiting...\"

Resident Ron Grimes told commissioners that the national growth of pickleball has been dramatic and local facilities are not keeping pace. He provided what he described as rough data showing a large imbalance in gym allocations: about 52 hours for basketball versus 12 hours for pickleball at the community center, and said some pickleball hours scheduled for March were being reduced further.

Frequent player Daniel Menges asked the commission or staff to publish usage statistics from sign-in sheets so the public can compare participation by sport and better inform scheduling decisions: “We don't see the stats. Somebody sees that... I would be interested, and I think we all should have those stats available to us.”

Commissioners acknowledged the problem and tied it to an existing work-plan item on pickleball and tennis courts. Chair Ritter said the commission has been studying both outdoor and indoor options and noted that a long-term plan to add courts at Encinitas Community Park has been studied and presented to City Council but currently lacks construction funding.

Commissioners and staff discussed potential approaches: a work-group to study facility scheduling and usage that would look across multiuse facilities (not just court sport ad hocs), exploring modest fee or punch-card systems, and improving public access to sign-in and participation data. Recreation staff also noted ongoing grant-funded planning that could support adding outdoor courts but said there is no money currently allocated for construction.

The commission did not adopt new rules at the meeting; commissioners directed staff and ad hoc members to continue studying the issue and consider whether to expand the scope of the pickleball ad hoc to include facility-use and scheduling practices.

The topic drew significant public engagement at the meeting and the commission said it will keep the work-plan item on pickleball/court-use active for the next term while staff and commissioners explore short- and long-term options for additional courts and calendar changes.","Residents told the Parks and Recreation Commission that rising demand for pickleball is creating long wait times at the Encinitas Community Center and asked the city to rebalance gym hours, publish sign-in data and consider fees or additional courts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Encinitas Parks and Recreation Commission approves 2024–25 work plan and accepts Jan. 21 minutes

Local groups ask Encinitas to support pollinator garden at Pacific View Art Center

Encinitas residents urge more pickleball time, balanced gym scheduling