The Palisades Recreation Center, built in the 1950s, needs improvements to many of its amenities, including the bathrooms and playground.
The Pacific Palisades Recreation Center Park Advisory Board will hold its quarterly meeting via Zoom at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20. Residents, who use the park, and those who just take pride in this community, are invited to participate.
In addition to hearing a park update from senior facility director, Jasmine Dowlatshahi, public comment will be held about items on the agenda or other items that residents wish to bring to the board’s attention.
The agenda includes a Veterans Gardens update, a park tree update and a bylaws discussion. There is the need to find someone to raise funds for the park and a grant writer is sought.
TENNIS COURT LIGHTS:
Also on the agenda is the need to upgrade the tennis court lights. At the January PAB meeting, tennis center director Mike Tomas told the PAB, “The tennis lights are from the 1950s and 1960s; they are not energy efficient.” (The lights on Court 7-8 were installed in the 1970s). He also pointed out that with different poles, the lights could be lowered and more focused, thus projecting less light pollution.
The lights, which are not LED, are also not on a timer. Residents reported that sometimes the lights are still on late in the evening, even when no one is on the courts.
At that meeting, Tomas told the Board that Cheviot Hills and Westwood had received new lights for their municipal tennis courts.
Then, PAB asked the City Recreation and Parks Department to look at the lights.
Darryl Ford, who is Rec and Park’s Superintendent of Planning, Maintenance and Construction, submitted the following report to PAB
- Demolition and removal of existing lights and arms (66 lights and 36 arms). Existing poles would remain and would be reused.
- Installation of 48 new LEDs and 36 new inline arms. Lighting would be designed to ensure illumination meets the target task of 50 footcandles for the tennis.
Ford said the current estimate for the project is $200K and there is no funding currently identified or secured for this project.
The amount of money saved in electricity costs from installing LED lights was not included in the report.
The 1986 playground at the Palisades Recreation Center is not handicapped accessible.
NEW PLAYGROUND NEEDED:
Finally, there will be an ADA compliant playground update. The playground installed in 1986, was funded through local residents. In 1993 new safety standards were set for playgrounds and California Assembly Bill, 1055, required all playgrounds installed between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 1999, be updated by January 2000.
The 36-year-old Palisades Rec Center playground has never been updated. There are no shade structures and the lone tree next to the playground fell over in December 2021 but was never replaced. The sand underneath the play equipment does not allow a child in a wheelchair the chance to play.
To join the Zoom meeting, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85023154622 or call (669) 900-6833. The meeting ID: 850 2315 4622.
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