ST. PAUL – Back-to-back delegations from the St. Paul Pickleball Club and the St. Paul Tennis Club have put the ball on the City of St. Paul’s court, as the groups work to reach consensus on the use of the courts. tennis at Kinsmen Park. .
Mayor Maureen Miller spoke briefly before the delegations began, saying the council values the input, passions and opinions of both parties.
Bob Deacon of the St. Paul Pickleball Club spoke first. He explained that the pickleball club wanted to develop the eastern half of the current tennis courts so they could be dedicated to pickleball.
“We’re here to ask your permission to develop one half of it,” Deacon said. He explained how the sport of pickleball continues to grow rapidly across the country and in St. Paul.
While conversations have taken place between the two clubs regarding shared facilities at Kinsmen Park, those discussions have reached an impasse and the subject has now ended up with the City.
The St. Paul Pickleball Club has “experienced steady growth” and now has more than 140 members, Deacon said. The average age of members is 59, but younger members have also taken up the sport.
“We play 12 months a year,” Deacon said, explaining that in the spring, summer and fall the club plays outside as long as possible and during the winter months it rents space at the gymnasium of the French school division.
In the spring and fall, the club also offers classes to students at St. Paul Regional High School, École du Sommet and the St. Paul Alternative Education Center (SPAEC).
Deacon said the club is not seeking any funding from the city, but has a savings of about $30,000 that it could use for the proposed project. The club is hopeful, however, that the City and County of St. Paul will be able to assist the club in applying for the necessary grants to support the initiative to create a dedicated pickleball space.
Currently the club uses Kinsmen’s courts, setting up portable nets during dedicated times. The material is then stored nearby in a hangar. The pickleball club has carried out repair and maintenance work on the Kingsmen Courts, such as repairing the shed, locks and other items, and ensuring that the on-site porta potty is used responsible manner.
Deacon estimates that turning half of the field into a pickleball court would increase the use of the facility. The proposed plan would be to convert the east court into a dedicated pickleball facility. Permanent fencing would be installed and gates and lines redone in a dedicated pickleball format.
Speaking about the type of net that would be installed, Deacon noted that the club had been informed that installing permanent nets could damage the current surface. Thus, semi-permanent nets have been recommended. The nets could be stored during the winter months, but would be too heavy to move regularly.
The tennis club speaks
The Saint-Paul Tennis Club, represented by Dave Shankowski and Mark Beaulieu, then spoke to the municipal council. Shankowski offered a brief history of the Kinsmen courts, stating that the courts were built in the 1990s and supported by the Kinsmen Club that existed at the time.
Over the years the tennis club has carried out extensive work on the courts, particularly around 2008 when a huge crack began to develop. An engineer was brought in to determine the best option and the land was eventually resurfaced. After all expenses are paid, Shankowski estimates it will cost about $150,000 to repair the courts.
Since taking over maintenance of the courts, the Tennis Club has spent more than $200,000 on the courts.
Around 2015, the pickleball club asked to use the tennis courts at Kinsmen Park, which the tennis club says they accepted “wholeheartedly.”
The clubs agreed that permanent lines would be needed on Kinsmen courts to accommodate pickleball, which was accomplished at no cost to the pickleball club, Shankowski said. The pickleball club has also never paid rent for the courts, as the tennis club believes it provides a valuable service to the community.
The request to permanently turn half of the courts into pickleball courts has been submitted to the St. Paul Rec Board, but no decision on how to proceed has been made.
Shakowski says the tennis club wants the courts to be left as is and thinks the pickleball club could purchase semi-permanent nets that could be removed when not in use, rather than installing more permanent items .
To learn more about the history, Shankowski pointed out that the tennis courts at the St. Paul Golf Course were built around the year 2000 with provincial grants and support from local municipalities and contractors.
“I call it a labor of love…my wife calls it endless love,” Shankowski said, speaking about the amount of work that goes into the golf course’s tennis courts. He pointed out that St. Paul has some of the best tennis and pickleball facilities in the province, considering the size of the community.
“It requires a lot of hard work and the commitment of a very dedicated group of people,” Shankowski said.
The St. Paul Tennis Club has offered a summer tennis program in the community for 29 years and has also provided financial assistance to other groups, such as the Cross Country Ski Club and the St. Paul Food Bank & District. Surplus windshields were provided to the Elk Point community, and tennis equipment was provided to provide free lessons to approximately 100 students last spring.
Although much of the tennis club’s programming takes place on the golf course courts, the location of the Kinsmen courts is crucial due to its proximity to the schools. Kinsmen courts are also important when it comes to hosting tennis tournaments in the community. Without the fields, the tournaments would not be possible, the council heard.
Shankowski used soccer fields as an example of another facility that can sometimes seem underutilized. If another group asked to take over part of the soccer fields and that prevented St. Paul Soccer from hosting tournaments in the community, “it would be a sad day.”
During the discussions, it was noted that the two clubs organize a major tournament in the community every year. The 2023 pickleball club tournament included approximately 50 players and more than 60 games on Saturday and approximately 60 games on Sunday. The tennis club’s last tournament included about 30 matches on Saturday and another 30 on Sunday.
Shankowski said that as a pickleball and tennis player, he “absolutely” wants the facilities to be used more. But he wonders how much the pickleball club has invested in the courts over the past eight years. The funds invested by the tennis club demonstrate a “commitment”, he stressed.
“All the tennis club is asking is to maintain the status quo,” Shakowski said. He added: “Our courts will come at a cost in the years to come. » The purchase of windshields and the renovation of the court surfaces will have a cost.
Shankowski noted that golf courses will soon need work, something the city should be aware of. However, the Tennis Club has the necessary funds to carry out the work and will not request financial support from the City.
“We don’t think we’re asking for much compared to what we have given and are currently giving to our community,” Shankowski said.
Discussions
Advice. Ron Boisvert sought clarification on the pickleball court proposal, asking if the changes would sterilize the tennis club court. It was noted that yes, as fencing would be installed to create four courts it would mean the tennis club would not be able to use that part of the land. Boisvert asked if the administration could provide a diagram of the pickleball club’s proposed plan before a decision is made.
Miller acknowledged clubs have left the board in a “conundrum”. She also noted that the comments about the blood, sweat and tears that went into the facilities are very accurate, pointing out that without dedicated volunteers, many recreational facilities would not exist in the city, such as the golf, football fields. , and arenas.
“I have to thank all levels of blood, sweat and tears,” the mayor said.
She noted that making a decision will be “a difficult decision,” but that it provides an opportunity to take a closer look at the facilities.
“Our job is really to think about the community as a whole,” Miller said, emphasizing that there is passion on both sides. “It won’t be an easy answer.”
Miller also admitted that the final decision probably won’t satisfy everyone, but that the city of St. Paul is not in a position to create an entirely new surface.
No decisions were made at Monday evening’s meeting.
