Tennis, Not Private Club

I strongly oppose the proposed development at Las Positas tennis courts. The removal of oak trees should not be allowed. The developers should not be given a setback variance. The planned grading, cut, and fill will damage the fragile ecosystem of the area. Also, the planned excavation of the hillside to make room for more tennis courts and parking is adjacent to a landfill, bringing up more ecological problems.

As a longtime user of these tennis courts who is now denied access due to the exorbitant rates charged by Elings Park in partnership with Oceanside Tennis (a private for-profit academy that is using these public courts for its commercial enrichment), I question the need for more courts, a restaurant, a gym, and office space on public park land when only the wealthiest in the community will have access to it. As it stands now, Las Positas courts are 90 percent empty under Elings stewardship; why should we allow them to build more courts on what amounts to a private club on city park land?

The new development plan goes before the city’s Architectural Board of Review on Tuesday, December 17, at 3 p.m., 630 Garden Street, David Gebhard Public Meeting Room.