| | Published July 31st, 2024
| Orinda considers pickleball courts and a dog park
| | | By Sora O'Doherty | | |
The Orinda City Council conducted a wide ranging discussion about the possibility of adding two amenities to the community -- pickleball courts and a dog park -- at their July 16 meeting. The matters were on the agenda for discussion only, and not for action as the city currently lacks funding for either option.
As potential costs of nearly $2 million were presented to the council, even the City Manager David Biggs noted that they were shocking, and council member Brandyn Iverson pronounced the costs "dead on arrival."
Council members viewed a Powerpoint from Callander Associates regarding conceptual designs and estimated construction costs for a designated off-leash dog park and pickleball courts in Orinda. The question has also been considered by an ad hoc committee of the Parks and Rec Commission.
Two sites were looked at as being potentially suitable for the court and dog park. Orinda does not have a lot of undeveloped land available, so these two sites were considered the best of the available sites.
Orinda Oaks Park is a park that runs uphill from Moraga Way to Donald Drive. There is currently a largely unused portion that used to be used for horsehoes or bocce ball. This area was suggested for the dog park.
The off-leash dog park would be fenced, and would provide separate entrances and spaces for small dogs and for large dogs in an area of approximately a third of an acre. The proposal is complicated, however, by the fact that the park would require a walk uphill from the existing parking area and the path would have to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The proposed pickleball courts would be located in Wilder, near the play fields. According to USA Pickleball, the sport was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, by three dads whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities. "Pickleball has evolved from original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout the US and Canada. The game is growing internationally as well, with many European and Asian countries adding courts."
The Wilder site does not allow for perfect orientation of the pickleball courts. However, Bob Finch in public comments opined that the orientation would be acceptable to players. Finch also addressed the noise issue associated with pickleball, and in addition urged the city to also consider spending the lesser sum on the same agenda for funding data gathering about the conditions of private roads.
Another public commenter expressed displeasure at the time spent by the council on the dog park/pickleball courts issue while the matter of public drains was relegated to the end of the agenda. She suggested that if the city fixed its infrastructure problems that the community would then support new amenities. (See separate story.)
Council members, however, were concerned about the high projected price for both plans. The higher dog park expense, caused by ADA compliance, would be lower if the dog park took the Wilder site, but the Orinda Oaks site wouldn't accommodate pickleball courts.
Council member Brandyn Iverson suggested moving the dog park to the Wilder site because of the costs, which she considered shocking. However, even located at Wilder, the dog park would still require some modifications to be ADA compliant. Iverson also suggested taking another look at adding Pickleball courts to Orinda Community Park, although it is located quite close to senior housing, and the noise from pickleball is considerable.
The costs for the dog park are estimated by Callendar at nearly $974,000, while the costs for the pickleball courts are estimated at around $775,000. The pickleball courts would have higher construction costs, including a bioretention area, paving, fencing, an ADA parking space, and retaining walls. Neither estimate includes design costs. Currently the city lacks funding for either project.
The Orinda community has been very vocal about their desire for pickleball courts, although less so about a dog park. Vice Mayor Latika Malkani said that she really, really wants to see both projects happen, but acknowledged that the city does not have funding at the proposed levels. She raised the question about the possibility of obtaining grant funding, and wondered if having actual designs would improve the city's chances of obtaining some grant funding. She also suggested the possibility of community fundraising, perhaps coupled with some matching funds from the city. |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA