Public Works Commission backs CIP 619 to refurbish Kelly courts, reopen two pickleball courts

The Hermosa Beach City Public Works Commission voted at a special meeting to recommend that City Council move forward with CIP 619, a capital improvement project to resurface and reconfigure the Kelly courts at the Clark Complex and to reopen two temporarily closed pickleball courts.

City staff told commissioners the project would repair visible cracks in the courts, reconfigure court layouts to meet sport standards, replace fencing and court equipment, add a connecting ADA path to the parking lot, and improve lighting. "There are visible cracks in the pavement," the interim city engineer said, noting safety and accessibility issues that the resurfacing would address. Community Resources Director Lisa Nichols told the commission the courts are in high demand: the city's pickleball membership program has 271 members and, "the courts are reserved 98% of the time that they are open."

Why it matters: The project is framed as both a safety and access upgrade and a response to community demand. Two of the four Kelly pickleball courts were closed in 2022 for safety concerns; restoring them would increase capacity for players while addressing deficiencies staff said could pose hazards and fail to meet recommended clearances. The project was previously in the city's multiyear CIP and appears in the Parks Master Plan adopted in late 2024.

Staff and project history: Staff described a multi-year process of community engagement and design. After more than two years of outreach and a 2021 stakeholder group, City Council adopted new use hours for the Kelly pickleball courts in July 2021; those hours remain in place and were described to commissioners as reducing noise complaints. The Parks Master Plan, adopted on 11/12/2024, identified demand for additional pickleball facilities while noting noise concerns and the need to balance reservations, drop-in play and programming. Council approved the project scope in June 2022 and revised the scope in June 2023 to include resurfacing and reconfiguration of tennis and basketball courts as well as pickleball. City staff reported roughly $250,000 spent to date on design and bid preparation.

Bids and Council direction: On Feb. 25, 2025, City Council declined to award a construction contract and rejected all bids, directing staff to return to the Parks and Public Works commissions for additional review. Staff told the commission the lowest bid was slightly lower than the engineer's estimate but the bid recommended to Council was slightly above the estimate; staff said the project had adequate funding. Commissioners were given the revised plan and 30/60/90% design updates before this meeting.

Debate and technical constraints: Commissioners and staff discussed several technical constraints and trade-offs. The interim city engineer said existing slabs and court geometry require extending concrete slabs west and north to meet recommended clearances for USA Pickleball recreational layouts and AIA guidelines for tennis and basketball. Staff said the reconfiguration will maintain a total of four pickleball courts (two of which have been closed) and bring court dimensions and clearances into compliance. The commission and staff also discussed adding padding to a low curb wall and options for sound mitigation.

On noise mitigation, staff and commissioners noted limits to what physical attenuation can achieve in an open field. The interim engineer warned that heavier acoustic screens would increase wind loads on posts and foundations and would likely require substantial redesign and added cost; commissioners and a Parks Commission member who spoke during public comment said past reviews found schedule and usage policies were more effective tools than heavy screens. As one commissioner noted, installing heavy acoustic barriers could create new design and budget challenges and make courts hotter by blocking airflow.

Accessibility and alternate locations: Staff confirmed ADA improvements were part of the project's scope from earlier design phases and were included in the original 2019 proposal. Commissioners asked whether the site could be repurposed in the future if demand changes; staff said layouts can be adjusted where sufficient real estate exists but that current plans are constrained to meet recommended clearances. Staff also said alternative city locations, such as the community center, were evaluated earlier and were not preferred because of proximity to residents and existing programming demands.

Public comment: Barbara Ellman, who identified herself during the meeting, urged closer coordination between the Parks and Recreation Commission and Public Works Commission on large CIP items and said more joint review would have helped answer detailed questions. "We all need to ask those questions in the same room at one time," she said.

Action and next steps: The Public Works Commission voted to recommend Council proceed with CIP 619 as proposed, sending the project back to the City Council for final action on construction contract award. The commission's recommendation passed; the transcript records "voting is closed and motion passes," but does not list a roll-call tally. City Council will consider whether to re-open bidding, accept a bid, or direct further changes.

The commission record and staff materials note the project is intended to address safety hazards, accessibility, deferred maintenance and community demand; staff warned that additional delay could increase costs and further constrain summer availability for players.