City recommends taking over, resurfacing tennis courts on school property

Sarah Klein, superintendent of Parks and Recreation for the City of Cuyahoga Falls, told the Board of Education on Dec. 11 that the city recommends taking the district’s tennis courts into the municipal park system and reconstructing and resurfacing them rather than building brand‑new courts elsewhere.

"Our recommendation is that, pending your approval and agreement, we would like to have you carve out the tennis courts from this property, have that become part of our park system and resurface and reconstruct where needed the tennis courts that are here," Klein said. She said the site already has lights and parking and that resurfacing would be the most cost‑effective option while maintaining geographic balance of courts across the city.

Klein described the proposed repair approach: a strip‑down with structural repairs, an "inch and a half" overlay, new surfacing and striping, and the replacement or repair of nets and fencing. "Generally speaking . . . we can expect between 8 to 10 or 11 years" of lifespan with routine maintenance, she said.

Board members pressed on who would own, maintain and schedule the courts. Klein said the city’s intent would be ownership by the parks system and ongoing maintenance by parks staff; she proposed a memorandum of understanding that would give the high‑school tennis team priority scheduling when in season but allow public use at other times. "We would certainly expect to enter into some kind of memorandum of understanding or agreement with the school district that that would remain the case even if the property were no longer owned by the school board," she said.

Trustees who spoke expressed support for a partnership so long as the district's competitive needs are preserved. One board member said the district still must decide whether carving the courts into the park system would tie the hands of future boards; Klein replied that further discussions would clarify the permanence and agreement terms. Officials also discussed the high local demand for pickleball and the city’s inability to meet all pickleball demand with new courts.

The board did not take a formal vote on the recommendation at the Dec. 11 meeting. Klein said the city had examined other sites and believes the proposed approach balances cost, access and convenience. Next steps, as described on the record, are further negotiation of an MOU and additional conversations about schedule priority and maintenance responsibilities.