Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Parks & Recreation Department

DATE: December 27, 2012

TO:     Dave Corliss, City Manager,

Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager

          Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager

          Ernie Shaw, Interim Director Parks & Recreation

FROM: Mark Hecker, Assistant Director Parks & Recreation

RE:     Lighted Tennis Facilities

The attached chart delineates current options to provide an 8-court lighted tennis facility for the community.

If either of the high school sites are selected the City and the School District would need to enter into a cooperative agreement to provide for the long-term maintenance and scheduling of the facility. The Rock Chalk site would be maintained and scheduled by the City.

Staff Recommendation:

The Rock Chalk Park site offers the most advantages. 

	Lawrence High	Lawrence High	Rock Chalk Park	Free State HS
Project Description	Install a Permanent lighting system on 8 existing court	Install a Temporary lighting system on 8 existing courts for 2013 season	Construct 8 new tennis courts with lights	Resurface 5 existing courts, build 3 new courts,  light all 8 courts
Current Number of Courts	8	8	0	5
Proposed Number of Courts	8	8	8	8
Current Court Condition	Good (Some minor surface cracking )	Good (Some minor surface cracking )		Poor (5 existing courts need resurfaced)
Parking for events	152 spaces (not enough for events)	152 spaces (not enough for events)	Over 1400 spaces planned	Available in school parking lot
Public restroom facilities	Currently not available but planned in the future	Currently not available but planned in the future	Available in new Recreation Center	Available in school facility at north end of maintenance building
Current court lighting	None	None	None	None
Considerations that factor in to  the installation of court lighting	· Court proximity of residential housing · Neighborhood is on record as opposing lighting project · Drainage system built under courts restricts pole placement · Installation of  new lights would require cutting existing court surface to install conduit and east poles · Meeting City Code for lighting foot-candles at the property line can be accomplished but mitigation of light impact may reduce the times and months of the year to play tennis. · Glare from lights will impact neighborhood	· Court proximity of residential housing · Neighborhood is on record as opposing lighting project · Drainage system built under courts restricts pole placement · Installation of  new lights would require cutting existing court surface to install conduit and east poles · Meeting City Code for lighting foot-candles at the property line can be accomplished but mitigation of light impact may reduce the times and months of the year to play tennis. · Glare from lights will impact neighborhood · Lighting will be installed and then removed when rental period is complete · Lights would not be owned by the City and could not be used on other sites.	· Currently minimal residential housing near this site · Will be part of a larger sports complex · Constructed by spring of 2014 · The tennis facility was included in the total negotiated cost of the new recreation facility.	· Residential housing not as close to courts so light impact not as great to neighborhood compared to LHS site. · Minimal opposition from the adjacent neighborhood to lighting has been received.
Considerations that factor in to new court construction	None	None	City in complete control	New courts would occupy a portion of the current soccer practice field
City / USD Cooperation	Will require an agreement for future maintenance  and scheduling of the USD owned facility	Will require an agreement for future maintenance  and scheduling of the USD owned facility	City would control maintenance and scheduling.	Will require an agreement for future maintenance  and scheduling of the USD owned facility
Estimated Project Cost	$238,000	$175,000-$200,000 for 6-month equipment rental. Plus $25,000 - $30,000 for electrical connections	Constructed as part of the  $25 million  Recreation  Center Project	$606,932