March 28, 2023

Board of Directors
Estes Park Recreation & Park District
600 Community Drive
Estes Park, CO 80517

Dear EVRPD Board Members,

We are a group dedicated to the sport of pickleball. As pickleball grows throughout the country, a 159% increase over the last three years nationally, it also is picking up momentum in the Estes Valley. The numbers have increased greatly for indoor as well as outdoor pickleball.

Trying our best to create guidelines for fair and quality play on behalf of all players, with the help of the Rec staff, is a continuing challenge. Our thanks to Lauren (Pavlish) for her support in working to schedule time and opportunities for play, her efforts are greatly appreciated. With Tom Carosello’s approval, we are currently working with Lauren to develop a set of guidelines for the outdoor pickleball courts designed to help with congestion and player management during the summer months.

We know that this summer will be very busy on the outside courts! Last year we regularly had players waiting on court availability and anticipate an even greater number of players this summer. Not only will local pickleballers be using the courts on a regular basis, but the number of summer visitors who wish to play pickleball while in Estes is also increasing. Given this growth, we would like to offer some observations regarding how the Board can help support and promote the growth of our sport.

The current master plan for Stanley Park calls for the destruction of the existing four pickleball courts and the construction of six new courts. Given the summer demand for pickleball, we believe that eight courts are a better long-term solution for meeting anticipated pickleball demands. We are happy to share our data supporting this belief if desired, we have already shared this information with Tom Carosello. We are aware that inspection & code issues with the current courts mandate their replacement. We request that the Board give serious consideration to the construction of eight new pickleball courts (instead of six). With an eight-court configuration, we will not only be able to continue working with Lauren on clinics and other new player activities but expand with Estes holding pickleball tournaments and other events. There are many reasons why an expansion to eight courts is preferrable to six. One final observation, we suggest including windscreens as an integral part of the courts, as screens permit additional hours of play every day.

We know that the proposed six new pickleball courts are just one component of the overall Stanley Park Master Plan. Given the growth of our sport, would it be possible to revisit this aspect of the Master Plan and explore options for eight courts? We have knowledgeable people that could offer valuable input. We realize that some of these decisions are months away; thank you for listening. Pickleball is here to stay! We have many individuals in our community that have won tournaments competing along the front range and other locations, and we have also worked with Lauren holding clinics for new players. As EVRPD continues to improve our facilities, the better our community will be able to accommodate all who wish to play and improve.

Sincerely,

Dennis Gellhaus
Tom Kostohryz
Susie Kaszynski
Jan Dekker