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Council keeps clay court locked, narrowly votes to keep hard court gate closed
Summary
After renewed debate, the council voted 5-0 to continue locking the clay-court gate and 3-2 to continue locking the hard-court gate; an amendment split the votes so each court could be considered separately.
The Washington Grove Town Council voted March 9 to continue locking the clay-court tennis gate and, in a narrower decision, to continue locking the hard-court gate. Mayor John Compton said the motion to continue locking did not address the town’s separate residents-only restriction on court use.
Councilor Peter Nagrod moved to split the question, separating the hard court from the clay court; the amendment passed. The council then approved continuing to lock the clay court gates 5-0. On the hard court, the motion to continue locking passed 3-2, with Councilors Barbara Raimondo and Mary Warfield recorded in the minutes as opposed.
Discussion centered on whether locks protect the courts or merely keep others out, whether locking is an unfriendly policy, challenges in monitoring misuse, the effectiveness of locks in reducing non-tennis activity, repair costs (including to the clay courts), and whether to move to a sign-up system instead of a first-come, first-served practice. The council did not change the residents-only restriction at this meeting.
