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High-school student urges new lights at San Ramon Sports Park basketball courts
Summary
A Dougherty Valley High School student told the commission residents want more lighting at San Ramon Sports Park so courts can be used safely in the evening; the student offered to lead fundraising and neighborhood outreach.
Pranav Raghutha, a rising junior at Dougherty Valley High School, addressed the Parks and Community Services Commission during the public-comment portion of the June 11 meeting to urge installation of lights at the San Ramon Sports Park basketball courts near East Branch Parkway and Sherwood Way.
"I noticed that around the basketball courts themselves, there there's not really much lighting," Pranav said. He described the courts as higher-capacity and more accessible to neighborhood youth than school gyms or courts that are attached to schools and suggested the site deserves lighting because it draws many players in the evening.
Why it matters: Pranav emphasized the courts' role in neighborhood recreation and social connection and proposed local fundraising and petitioning to support a lighting project, noting the parks master plan proposes lighted new basketball courts at Rancho San Ramon but that San Ramon Sports Park is closer for many users.
What the student asked the commission to consider
- Visit the sports park during evening hours to observe its use and the lack of lighting. - Support or advise on fundraising and permitting necessary to add permanent lights to the courts. - Consider prioritizing improvements at neighborhood-accessible courts rather than only at larger, more distant facilities.
What staff and commissioners said
Commissioners thanked Pranav for coming and asked no immediate procedural questions during public comment. No vote or formal staff direction was recorded on the lighting request at the June 11 meeting. Staff previously referenced the Parks, Trails, Open Space and Recreation Master Plan, which lists lighted courts at Rancho San Ramon; Pranav asked that the commission consider a nearer-term, community-funded approach for San Ramon Sports Park.
Next steps
Pranav said he and a group of friends are willing to raise awareness, collect signatures and fundraise for the lights. The commission did not take formal action at the meeting; any follow-up would require staff evaluation of design, policy, funding options and permitting.
