03-05-2018 Park Board Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Why does our 'older " neighborhood have to lose out and be neglected ? What can we do to have the council and city reconsider removing the tennis courts ? Sincerely, Erika Weymann My response was as follows : On Jun 23 , 2017 , at 10 : 07 AM , Rick DeGardner < rick . degardner@ci . lino - lal< es . mn . us > wrote : Mayor, Attached is the letter that was sent earlier this month . Tennis courts have an average life span of 20- 25 years . The tennis courts at Arena Acres Park were built in 1984 ( 33 years ago ) . Asphalt deteriorates over time just as a road or parking lot does . Tennis courts in northern climates tend to have a shorter life span due to annual freeze/thaw cycles that shifts the base material , causing cracks . Stability of the base material is the primary factor in extending the useful life of tennis courts . The more the base material moves, the more cracks form . Once constructed , there is nothing that can be done from a maintenance perspective to correct movement of the base material . Performance of the base material is also dependent on the quality of soils beneath the courts related to drainage ( In general , Arena Acres does not have good drainage ) . The tennis courts at Arena Acres Park are 33 years old and unsafe . The courts have many structural cracks that go through the asphalt and into the base which are not repairable . There are also low spots that hold water due to ground movement and shifting, as well as many surface cracks throughout the court area . I attached some photos . This creates an unsafe surface for court users which places the City potentially liable for any injuries that may occur . The tennis courts were resurfaced in 1999 . In the early 2000' s ( around the 20 year mark ) , the court surface and base material started failing measurably, causing numerous cracks . We filled the cracks in 2005 . Crack filling and surface painting only provide a temporary fix and improves the aesthetics of the court , but does not extend the useful life because it does not address the deterioration of the asphalt and base material . Several cracks resurfaced the following year indicating that the base material was continuing to fail . We met the contractor on - site to assess the situation . His assessment was that any additional crack filling would be throwing money away since more cracks would form each year . Crack filling works for cracks that are %" to %" . Many cracks at Arena Acres are much wider . We met with a contractor 6 - 7 years ago to see if there were any options . It was determined that the only solution to create a safe playing environment on these tennis courts that were built in the 1980' s is replacement . Since replacement isn 't a realistic option , each Spring staff evaluates whether we feel the Arena Acres tennis courts are in satisfactory enough condition to remain open to the public . For 2017 , we felt the court surface was not safe enough to remain open to the public . Therefore, we removed the nets and sent the attached letter to area residents .