RE_ Tennis courts_RedactedFrom:Rhodes, Alison
To: Bob Yates
Subject:RE: Tennis courts
Date:Thursday, September 21, 2023 3:54:09 PM
Attachments:image001.png
Hi
If you scroll down on the Court System page referenced in my last email, copied below, you’ll see
that we have planned to spend $200,000 next year at the courts at Arapahoe Ridge Park near
Eisenhower Elementary. This funding will allow us to completely rebuild them on a post-tension
concrete foundation, making them more durable in the long-term as the current asphalt slipsheets
that were popular in the 70s and 80s lead to the movement and subsequent cracking we see across
our system. While the team has recently evaluated all our courts, I will make sure we have eyes on
them again soon to make sure they are not unsafe.
Thank you for your interest in helping us advance this project. We just signed the contract and the
project will pick up steam in October – by signing up for the email list linked on the Court System
Plan page, you’ll be sure to be notified about the first Open House.
My best,
Ali Rhodes
Director
she/her
O: 303-413-7249
rhodesa@bouldercolorado.gov
Parks and Recreation
3198 N. Broadway | Boulder, CO 80304
bouldercolorado.gov--
From:
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2023 8:40 AM
To: Rhodes, Alison <rhodesa@bouldercolorado.gov>; Bob Yates <bobyatesboulder@gmail.com>
Subject: Tennis courts
External Sender
Thanks for replying to my concerns. We have to agree that we have a total mess that is only going to
get worse, when in the next two year Boulder can lose 27 outdoor courts and five indoor courts.This
is a disaster, but without funds what are you to do?
I do recommend that some kind of notice be placed on the Eisenhower courts warning players that
the court surface is dangerous and conditions may not be safe for play. Another action plan is to
remove the nets. These two courts are embarrassing. I took pictures yesterday of the courts and
some of the cracks are three inches wide. These are not fixing issues, these are replacement issues.
For openers, replacement issues are in the $85,000 to $100,000/ea category.
Best wishes to you and our staff as you make efforts to appease your very active, Boulder citizens. I
will promise to get more active to find solutions for Boulder Parks and Recreation as well as the
University of Colorado. Helping find solutions is a positive activity, complaining really doesn't offer
anything.
I wish you and your staff the best.
From: Rhodes, Alison RhodesA@bouldercolorado.gov
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2023 5:22 PM
To: Yates, Bob YatesB@bouldercolorado.gov;
Subject: RE: Boulder City Parks and Recreation issue
Hi Bob - thanks for connecting us.
-
I understand you’re frustrated with both the quality and condition of public tennis in Boulder. I am
going to share some information that I hope you find as exciting as I do. Our team is underway on
developing a Court System Plan that has three key deliverables:
1. Develop short-term actions about how the department manages and invests in BPR’s current
courts. This includes informing how we will spend $2M over the next five years to make sure
that all of our courts are in good condition. On the page linked above, I hope you’ll appreciate
the summary of the $400k invested this year to address poor condition at Tom Watson Park,
North Palo Park and to do warranty work on recent improvements at Chautauqua and the
North Boulder Recreation Center. We are committed to “Taking Care of What We Have”
better.
2. Inform long-range investment opportunities in BPR’s court system. This will identify locations
where additional courts may be possible with additional funding. While we do not have
money for new courts, we want to be ready if/as funding opportunities become available.
3. Define if and how BPR may play a role in a potential indoor/outdoor facility. The changes in
the private market you mention below as well as other market factors beg us to consider if
the city should play any role in developing and/or operating a court facility. Our policies
require that we conduct a thorough feasibility study for such ventures.
Long story short, while we agree with you that we’ve been a bit behind the curve, we’re getting up
to speed fast. By the end of the year, we’ll have recommendations on deliverables 1 and 2. A the
bottom of the page linked above, you can sign up for project updates and I encourage you to do so.
Thank you,
Ali Rhodes
Director
she/her
O: 303-413-7249
rhodesa@bouldercolorado.gov
Parks and Recreation
3198 N. Broadway | Boulder, CO 80304
bouldercolorado.gov--
-----Original Message-----
From: Yates, Bob <YatesB@bouldercolorado.gov>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2023 9:02 AM
To:
Cc: Rhodes, Alison <RhodesA@bouldercolorado.gov>
Subject: Re: Boulder City Parks and Recreation issue
Thanks for your email about tennis courts. First, I’m not sure that it’s accurate to assume that the
University’s tennis courts at CU South will be eliminated. The University is several years away from
forming a plan (let alone implementing it) for CU South, and it would be speculation for us to assume
that the University’s tennis courts there will be eliminated.
I am aware that the private courts behind the Millennium will be closed in the next couple of years.
The city’s Parks staff is looking into whether it is appropriate to spend taxpayer money for the city to
create public tennis courts to replace private ones that will be closed. If so, we would have to
consider what other Parks infrastructure (pools, rec centers) would have to be sacrificed in order to
build new public tennis courts, given the city’s zero-sum (and declining) budget. I’m copying Parks
Director, Ali Rhodes, who can tell you about the status of that evaluation.
Best,
Bob
> On Sep 18, 2023, at 8:47 AM, wrote:
>
>
> Bob,
>
> We covered this lack of tennis court issue in the past, but as of today nothing has changed other
than there are fewer tennis courts.
>
> The Park and Recreation, or Boulder School system has done nothing and the situation is a
disaster. There is a mindset that the few horrible tennis courts that do exist can be fixed for $5-
$6,000. Bob, these courts are such a disaster that they are beyond being fixed they need to be
rebuilt at a cost of $80-$100,000 each! The only maintenance that has been done is replacing nets.
This situation is way beyond hanging nets.
>
> For the record the wait list to get into the Meadows Tennis Club is 7[ SEVEN] years.
>
> Soon there will be 25 courts taken out of play. 12 at South Campus and 13 at Rocky Mountain
Tennis at the Millennium. Before these courts are destroyed it should be known that there already
are incredible shortages. Boulder and Boulder County are the most underserved tennis
communities, for their size than any areas of their size in the entire US.
>
> CU women's tennis as well as all local high schools will have no places to practice in the winter
within an hour drive. Which is not recommended for girls, or boys, who have to practice at night
>
> The lack of tennis is embarrassing and when we throw in Pickle Ball and the new sport Padel,
Boulder becomes a joke.
>
> I wish you well on your campagne to be Mayor. We've sent the Maximum $200 and would do
more, but don't wish to break any laws. We just want you to be Mayor.
>
>
>
>