Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recreation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Palm Springs staff outline timeline for temporary pickleball courts; council review set for May 14
Summary
City parks staff told the Parks and Recreation Commission on March 20 that a temporary conversion of three tennis courts to pickleball is moving toward City Council review on May 14, with construction now expected to begin in June and take about eight months to complete.
Palm Springs parks staff told the Parks and Recreation Commission on March 20 that the temporary conversion of three tennis courts to pickleball courts at a subleased site is advancing toward City Council review on May 14, with construction expected to begin in June and take about eight months to complete.
The commission heard that contractors have submitted proposals and staff are finalizing scope, fencing modifications and a sublease agreement with the district that owns the courts. ‘‘The intent is . . . to leave them as pickleball courts and hand them over, not to reconvert them back to tennis,’’ Parks and Recreation staff member Sean said during the March 20 meeting.
Why it matters: The project will change court availability at the site for the foreseeable future and may affect whether the courts remain publicly accessible after the pilot. Staff said final public access will be decided by the district that holds the underlying lease.
Staff summary and timeline - Proposals: Contractors have submitted bids and posed more than 100 questions on the project; staff are preparing an addendum and bid responses for contractors to use in final proposals. - Sublease and site work: The city is negotiating a sublease from the district and planning minor construction to convert surfacing and fencing for pickleball use; some fence modifications and minor demolition are anticipated. - Ownership and access: Because the city will sublease the site, the district could choose whether to open the courts for public use after the conversion, staff said. - Schedule: Staff told the commission the City Council is now expected to review and work on the project on May 14; construction was described as likely to begin in June with an eight-month construction window and a hoped-for wrap by January. - Public notices: Staff said they will post a generic "project coming soon" update on the city project page but will wait to post an official construction site sign until after the contract is awarded.
Commissioners asked about neighborhood reactions and timing; staff said they prefer to post conservative public updates because prior dates for the project have changed. A city staff project manager (Nick) briefed commissioners later in the meeting about the amended bid opening and council timeline.
Next steps City staff will complete the sublease negotiations, finalize the contractor addendum and post bid/award information after the award. The item will go before the City Council on May 14 for further review and approval. If the council approves the project and a contract is awarded, staff said signage and an official project page at the site will follow.
No formal commission vote on the project was recorded at the March 20 meeting; the commission received updates and discussed outreach and signage plans.
