Double Tennis court usage

Posted in: Willo-Esque

The double tennis courts on Tarabury have been re-surfaced and even that had to be redone recently . So, it is a major investment that needs to be preserved so as not to cause more cost to us HOA members.  Over the last year, esp this winter, HOA members have been utilizing the double tennis courts for riding bicycles, skate boards, and as a dog run to exercise their dogs without having to have a leash on them. I inquired and found out that these activities can damage the new surface we recently paid for.  HOA members need to decide if they want to utilize the tennis court/pickleball courts for that sport and that sport only....  Or... are the majority of the HOA members content to keep paying for damage done by those who use the courts for other activities?

The HOA has miles of cement sidewalks to ride bicycles, skateboards on as well as walk their dogs. Many HOA members utilize the sidewalks and grassy areas for these activities and yet a few do not realize they maybe causing the rest of the HOA members more expense than necessary by misusing the tennis court complex.

The HOA will soon be paying to resurface the tennis court by the apartments as part of the lease agreement with the apartments.  I hope people respect the limits of that surface after it is renovated.  Proper usage and maintenance could help cut our HOA dues---not wanting another hike because of other HOA members non-compliant behavior.

All the HOA amenities such as swimming pools, playgrounds, sidewalks and tennis/pickleball courts belong to each homeowner. The HOA board is tasked with maintaining these amenities by utiliing your HOA dues. As noted above, we recently spent over $20,000 of your dues to completly resurface the courts, put up new nets and lights. These courts should only be used for tennis or pickleball. Using the courts for bicycles, skate boards or anything else besides tennis/pickleball will reduce the life of the surface. It's every homeowners responsibilty to insure these facililies are properly utilized. Please insure your children are properly instructed on their use. No one wants our dues to increase so if you see them being used improperly, please take the time to get involved and advise whomever you see using them incorrectly. Thank you. Fred Brooks

You are preaching to the choir.  Since very few people actually view this mode of communication---maybe we need to re- inform every HOA member again via a newsletter hanging on their porch, mail them the rules and regulations to their address along with their dues owed in the same envelope or a special mailing that informs HOA members of  specific- common sense things about usage and misusage of the tennis courts. If they do not live in view of these facilities, the HOA member has no idea the potential problem/damage that is taking place.The postage vs another $20,000 in repairs may be worth it. Peer pressure thu knowledge could work.  Otherwise, maybe we need to lock the tennis courts like the pool is during off seasons of use.  There are a limited days in winter, that we have a beautiful day condusive to playing tennis/pickleball--but those are few and far between.  If people cannot self regulate---then maybe restricting them to playing a good weather sport by locking the facility in the off season will get their notice and stop damaging activities.  If the tennis courts were just a slab of cement with no nets up except during the warmer months---there is nothing to really damage---but paying for a special playing surface that is expensive to repair and leaving nets up year around is a costly adventure esp if year around the facility is not being used as intentioned.

 

Here's a thought,   before we pay for another espensive surface on the apartment tennis court---do they really want to have a place to play  tennis or have a facility that is a hard surface they can do more activities.  How many people actually utilize the tennis courts yearly or would rather have it converted into something else.  This HOA and its amenties were established in the 70's----how many HOA's now put in tennis courts?  No matter what the original HOA papers state,  the majority of the members can ask that some out dated 1970's sport be replaced by what the majority may actually want in 2019.  Yes,  you did change the double tennis court to some pickleball courts---so other changes to the original plan can also be done or you could not have decided to make one tennis court into pickleball(that did not exist in the 70's).

 

Over the years, we have reported crimes to the police when damage was being done to any facility including fires being set, park benches being broken.  This tennis court misuse is not a reportable crime.  We have spoken with kids that were using the tennis backboard for baseball speed throwing, chased off kids hanging and swinging on nets and it works for awhile, until another set of people(who probably know better) start some other activity up. 

Thanks for your ideas. The board was already planning to discuss this issue to determine the best approach. My previous post was meant to re-enforce your initial discussion post for the members who utilize the website.

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