We, the pickleball players, athletes, taxpayers, and residents of Carmel Valley, Torrey Hills, and Pacific Highlands Ranch, urge the City of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department and Council District 1 to stop proposed cuts to open play hours across our local recreation centers, explore community solutions to keep doors open, and resolve long-standing court maintenance issues. 

Pickleball is the fastest-growing recreational sport in our community, drawing hundreds of players across all ages each week. However, our facilities are already struggling with severe overcrowding, and upcoming budget cuts will make these bottlenecks drastically worse: 

Stop Budget Cuts to Open Play Hours (Top Priority)

• Severe Overcrowding Will Worsen: Open play hours across Ocean Air Recreation Center, Carmel Valley Recreation Center, and Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Recreation Center are already congested, with players facing long paddle queues and extended wait times. 
• Slashing Operating Schedules: Under proposed FY 2027 reductions, Ocean Air Recreation Center face 20-hour weekly cuts (dropping from 60 down to 40 hours per week). Shortening facility hours will further compress court time and lock out seniors, working adults, and families during peak morning and daytime play. 
• Protect Taxpayer Investment via Alternative Solutions: These recreation centers are built and funded by our tax dollars. The City's own budget reduction options memo highlights opportunities for philanthropic and community partnerships to preserve impacted services. The City must work with local players and Community Recreation Groups (CRGs) to find operational alternatives—including volunteer and community assistance—to keep facilities open and maintain full open play schedules rather than cutting hours. 

Resolve Chronic Facility Maintenance Delays

• Repair Non-Functioning Outdoor Lights: Out of the 8 installed outdoor court lights at Ocean Air, only 3 are functional. This creates serious safety and tripping hazards at night, despite multiple Get It Done reports submitted over the past two years.
• Complete Approved Line Painting: Dedicated pickleball line painting on the outdoor courts was approved over 12 months ago, yet the work remains stalled.

What We Are Demanding:

1. No Cuts to Open Play Schedules: Protect and maintain open play hours across Ocean Air, Carmel Valley, and Pacific Highlands Ranch recreation centers. 
2. Explore Community & Volunteer Solutions: Direct the Parks & Recreation Department to partner with community members, user groups, and local CRGs to explore alternative operational models that keep centers operating at full capacity. 
3. Fix Outdoor Lighting & Complete Court Striping: Promptly dispatch maintenance staff to restore all broken outdoor court lights and paint the approved outdoor pickleball lines.

Take Action: Sign & Send a Direct Email to City Officials

(note: please DO NOT make any donations! )

Step 1: Sign and share this petition with local pickleball groups and community members.

Step 2: Copy and send the message below directly to district and department leadership: 

To: AskParks@sandiego.gov, afield@sandiego.gov, spalle@sandiego.gov, KDennison@sandiego.gov, jmonsour@sandiego.gov
CC: joelacava@sandiego.gov, smach@sandiego.gov

 
Subject: Protect Pickleball Open Play Hours & Fix Courts in District 1 

"Dear Director Field, Assistant Director Dennison, and Council President LaCava, 

As a District 1 resident and local pickleball player, I am writing to demand urgent action to protect our recreational facilities: 

1. Do Not Cut Open Play Hours: Ocean Air, Carmel Valley, and Pacific Highlands Ranch recreation centers are already heavily overcrowded. Reducing operational hours at Ocean Air will exacerbate wait times and shut out active taxpayers and seniors. 

2. Explore Community Solutions: Per the City's budget reduction options memo, please collaborate with local CRGs and community members on alternative and volunteer-supported solutions to keep our centers open for full operational hours. 

3. Complete Overdue Maintenance: Please restore the 5 broken outdoor court lights at Ocean Air and complete the approved outdoor line painting that has been delayed for over 6 months.

Our community pays for and heavily utilizes these public facilities. We ask for schedules and maintenance that reflect actual community demand. To demonstrate the widespread community support regarding this issue, we have gathered signatures from concerned residents, which you can view here: https://c.org/R2tYRwqKQp.

Thank you."

Contacts as reference: 

Elected Representatives (City Council District 1)

• Joe LaCava – Councilmember & Council President, District 1:  joelacava@sandiego.gov
• Sandy Mach – Council Representative for Carmel Valley / Torrey Hills, District 1: s mach@sandiego.gov

Parks & Recreation Department Leadership

• Andy Field – Director, Parks & Recreation Department: afield@sandiego.gov
• Karen Dennison – Assistant Director, Parks & Recreation Department: kdennison@sandiego.gov
• General Parks Comments / Inquiries Inbox: AskParks@sandiego.gov

Regional Division Leadership (Community Parks I & Maintenance)

• Steve Palle – Deputy Director, Community Parks I Division (Oversees District 1 Facilities: spalle@sandiego.gov
• Victor Nava – Deputy Director, Citywide Park Maintenance Services Division (Oversees Hardscape & Lighting Repairs): vnava@sandiego.gov

Local Facility Management

• Joe Monsour – Center Director, Ocean Air Recreation Center & CRG Staff Liaison: jmonsour@sandiego.gov