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Erickson Park - Project Description
The Peninsula Tennis Club, a registered non-profit
Community Tennis Association, proposes to assist the City of Port Angeles in
organizing & funding a project to rebuild the 5 tennis courts in Erickson Park
into 4 tennis courts built & lighted to United States Tennis Association (USTA)
& American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) standards.
CURRENT COURT CONDITIONS: None of the 10 tennis courts in
City of Port Angeles parks are in sufficiently good condition to encourage play
above the beginner level. The five courts at Erickson Park are built on 2
levels, are only 9’ from end fences, and some are less than 8’ apart, far below
the USTA minimum requirement of 12’. Cracks in the court surfaces and the level
change are potential tripping hazards, as well as affecting ball bounces. The
courts are not regularly cleaned, and are often covered with tree debris,
obstructing play and making footing hazardous. Besides affecting play, these
court conditions could potentially cause liability issues for the City of Port
Angeles. The courts also have many large puddle areas which do not drain and
take several days to evaporate even in warm weather. The fencing is loose, and
allows balls to pass underneath. Without windscreens, the background conditions
(Dream Playground, etc), make ball visibility difficult.
Currently the only organized play on the Erickson Park
courts is the Youth Team Tennis program run for 6 weeks in the summer by the
City of Port Angeles. The Erickson Park courts are used for the youth tennis
program because the central location makes transportation easier for parents,
and the program needs at least 4 courts to accommodate players. City adult
lessons are currently run on the 2 courts at Shane Park, where courts are in
better condition.
Because of the state of disrepair of the Port Angeles city
park courts, the Peninsula Tennis Club has for many years scheduled all of our
organized play at the tennis courts at Port Angeles High School and Peninsula
College. This play includes open play sessions with no charge weekdays and
weekends, the annual Saundra Kent Memorial Tournament which draws over 100
participants in August and supports scholarships for tennis players from PA and
Sequim high schools, Team Tennis Leagues in spring & fall which have drawn over
100 different players, weeknight Rookie doubles at no-charge, free public
lessons, and free tennis mixers. The Peninsula Tennis Club carries an active
membership of 70 to 100 people, with membership & player participation growing
in recent years.
The growth of tennis participation in the Port Angeles area
has led to increased use of the PAHS and PC courts, and scheduling conflicts
have been occurring at both locations. The Port Angeles High School teams play
their tennis season in both spring (girls) and fall (boys), thus having
exclusive use of the PAHS courts during high-demand after school hours for 6
months of the year, and at times using PC courts during those hours as well.
Only 2 courts in Clallam County (at PAHS) are lighted, prohibiting any
substantial evening programming in spring or fall. The Peninsula College tennis
courts have severe parking limitations, are unplayable in winter due to shade,
and may be removed due to new building projects.
ERICKSON COURT PROJECT BENEFITS:
- Allow for increased city and PTC tennis programming due
to additional usable courts.
- Give tennis players access to public restrooms & water
fountains which is missing at PAHS and PC.
- Enhance the appearance of Erickson Park by transforming
the current visual detraction of decaying courts into a positive aesthetic of
clean, attractive, busy tennis courts.
- Enhance the health & fitness of community residents by
drawing more participants to tennis due to the high-visibility location &
increased discoverability of tennis programs.
- Attract fitness minded visitors & new residents to the
community, due to the improvement of the park.
- Make Erickson Park more usable for families as they play
tennis together, or parents play tennis while their children use the Dream
Playground and Skate Park.
- Add recreation activity for adults & seniors in Erickson
Park, which the park is currently lacking. (Nationally, the largest group of
frequent players is over age 50.)
- Allow evening tennis programs in spring & fall on the
lighted courts – enabling people who work or go to school during the day to
play tennis. (Lights installed in future construction phase.)
- Allow more tennis play year-around as the properly
drained court surface will dry quickly after rain.
ESTIMATED COST: $157,000
The initial project estimate from Atlas Track & Tennis came
in at $157,000 for court renovation, and $32,000 for lighting.
SECURED FUNDING:
- City of Port Angeles: $100,000
- USTA TIP grant: $31,400
- USTA PNW grant: $5000
- PTC: $20,600 (currently $12,500 raised in court
donations) provided project conditions below are met.
PROJECT CONDITIONS:
- Court re-construction is completed in 2007 or earlier
- The 4 refurbished courts are built by an ASBA member
builder in good standing to standard ASBA tennis contract & meet all USTA
recommended standards.
- The Peninsula Tennis Club is given 2nd
priority, after the City of Port Angeles, Parks & Recreation Dept, to reserve
the courts at no cost to run Peninsula Tennis Club sponsored tennis activities
which will be open to the public. The Peninsula Tennis Club will be allowed to
collect entry fees for these events, but PTC will at all times maintain their
non-profit mission and status, raising funds only to promote tennis on the
Olympic Peninsula.
- The City of Port Angeles agrees to regularly clean the
courts as needed, or to provide Peninsula Tennis Club members access to
equipment, utilities (power & water), & the courts to regularly clean them.
- The City of Port Angeles will maintain tennis nets and
fencing in good condition.
- The Peninsula Tennis Club is allowed to install court
amenities including but not limited to on-court benches, windscreens,
backboard, & storage shed for tennis equipment.
COURT DESIGN SPECIFICATION:
- Four regulation doubles tennis courts, built in banks of
two. Courts spaced a minimum of 12’ from side fences, 16’ apart, and 20’ from
end fences. Center 2 courts spaced 24’ apart.
- Surface slope corrected to meet USTA & ASBA standards by
adding stone slip overlay on current surface before pouring new asphalt court
layer. This stone layer will also prevent old surface cracks from telegraphing
to new surface.
- Courts to be surfaced to USTA & ASBA standards with
acrylic 2 tone surface.
- Courts to be extended 1 foot to the north.
- Courts to be positioned on western 120' x 224’ of
current 119’ x 260’ court layout.
- Middle 2 courts separated by 10’ chain link fencing
extending 30’ from each baseline fence.
- Internal wind net posts to be anchored in new positions
to USTA & ASBA recommended standards.
- Center net strap anchors to be installed to meet USTA
standards.
- Lighting to be replaced or reinstalled to meet USTA
recommended standards of illumination.
- 10’ perimeter chain link fencing to be replaced or
reinstalled to contain balls to court area on north, south, & west sides.
- East perimeter fence to be 10’ chain link fencing
extending 30’ from each end fence, center 60’ section to be 3’ chain link
fencing with pedestrian gate at center.
- Noise abatement structure (berm, wall, or other
effective design) to be constructed along Race Street at east end of courts.
- Bleachers to be installed at east end of courts.
- Storage sheds for City tennis equipment and PTC tennis
equipment to be installed on north side of courts, with direct, court level
access.
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