Note: This is a direct counterpetition to the following: https://www.change.org/p/transform-2-of-9-washington-park-tennis-courts-into-mixed-use-tennis-pickleball-courts?recruiter=1340977643&recruited_by_id=0cdeddd0-273f-11ef-b865-7f45b47cd517&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink

Primary note: Victory has been noted here: https://www.change.org/p/preserve-washington-park-s-tennis-courts/u/32738801 AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. We could not have done it without all the petition signings, support, as well as the health discussion. I am glad to see the tennis community is active both online as well as on the courts.

Secondary Note: There has been a set of counterpoints made by the original petitioner.  I'd like to lay the rebuttal here as well:

1.  The original petitioner's points were shared online on r/pickleball, but they didn't gain much traction. In contrast, our counter-petition has been widely shared online as well as among  local tennis partners,  friends of those players, and various local group chats on Facebook, Whatsapp,  and Instagram. The local tennis community has shown overwhelming support, with significantly more signatures than the original petition as of 7/11/24 both locally and all over..
2. Mixed-use lines on the courts are not a suitable solution, as mentioned in the original petition. A better approach would be to find ways to create new courts for different activities.
3. The original petition lacks consideration for the tennis players who have been using these courts for years. Tennis players in Hudson County already struggle to find courts and often have to drive over an hour to secure one. Hybriding or Removing  two tennis courts for another activity directly impacts their ability to play. High school tennis season further limits court availability. Our petition suggests exploring alternatives that allow pickleball players to play without taking away from tennis players. Please see point 4 for a possible suggestion.
4. The concern about noise is valid. The tennis courts are very close to the street and neighbors, and noise could become an issue. It would be more sensible to add new pickleball courts next to the recently built ones, which are further away from houses, rather than encroaching on existing tennis courts.

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Tennis has been an extremely popular pastime in Hudson County for many years. Near Hoboken, we have a total of three public courts at Columbus Park, which are always extremely busy and used by the city for junior practices. Pershing Field in the Heights has four courts, which are also always crowded with lines that often have waits longer than an hour. The only courts available and easily accessible to most tennis players in the area are at Washington Park.

Currently, there are nine courts available at Washington Park, and even on hot summer days (including weekdays during normal working hours), all courts are usually taken, with waits often exceeding an hour. The situation has become so busy that last summer, the courts had to have line monitors at night to ensure court availability and to prevent people from waiting 2-3 hours for a court.

Furthermore, the courts are remarkably busy during the spring and fall seasons, as they are shared with high school students and adult enthusiasts alike. The courts are only available after 6 PM, at which time the line for the courts often has more than ten people waiting.

The two tennis courts that the earlier petition proposes converting to pickleball courts are separated from the others. These courts are vital for young and novice players to practice without fear of rolling their balls into other courts. They are typically used by various high schools for training as they don’t interfere with others in the separated area. Additionally, these courts are within a shaded area and constructed with Har-Tru clay imitation material, which works better for seniors looking to play. Taking away these courts would directly affect our youth's ability to learn tennis in a safe and controlled environment, as well as seniors and other players who benefit from the shaded, softer courts.

Configuring these two courts for mixed-use pickleball is not a good solution. The original petition times (Sunday, Monday, Friday) are not ideal, as those are the busiest days for the tennis courts, and a monitor is not always available to track timing. Furthermore, two of those three days are used for high school activities. The original plan also suggests transforming the two courts from a 2-4 player breakout to four sectioned pickleball courts in one tennis court. This is not ideal, as it would leave no availability for tennis players. One pickleball group can finish while another group starts on the same court, effectively reserving these courts exclusively for pickleball players and depriving tennis players of the opportunity to use them. A more practical solution for pickleball players would be to add more courts adjacent to the two newly built ones or construct them in other areas without encroaching on the tennis courts.

Additionally, the tennis courts are right next to residential housing, and the sound of pickleball would directly impact those living in those houses.

Therefore, any move to alter such an integral part of our community seems unnecessary and disruptive. While the growth of pickleball is understandable and appreciated, encroaching on much-needed tennis courts is not the solution.

Instead, we should explore alternatives like setting up separate pickleball courts in less-frequented parks where noise and interference with tennis players would not be an issue. This could result in a win-win situation for all parties involved.

I urge pickleball enthusiasts to continue enjoying their game, but to please not take away from the already overused and limited tennis courts for the vast tennis community in this area. Instead, please petition the local government to build more courts to fit your needs. Let us preserve our nine courts.

On a final note, with such high demand, it becomes incredibly reasonable to consider increasing the number of tennis courts rather than reducing the existing tennis space, given how heavily used our courts are.

Please sign this petition to preserve and uphold the existing structure of our beloved Washington Park's tennis courts, and potentially even expand them to cater to our growing community's needs.