It seems like many decisions by P&R and the commission involving tennis are frequently based upon someone winning and someone losing. Zero sum implies if someone gains, then someone else has to lose.
Advocates from other sports are being encourage to secretly monitor and report usage numbers to P&R. For what purpose? We hope this data is just being gathered for planning on future facilities. But the concern is that this data will be used for decision making, to reduce current facilities and opportunities for those with fewer users.
In this case, if one group has more users, they relentlessly seek solutions to “inherit” facilities from others. This even includes facilities that have been historically preserved for local and family and walk up residents. Facilities which serve the “community”. Who supports the student, family member, youth or “drop-in” players from losing their opportunities to play nearby in their home community on public courts and parks?
Tennis courts are run as a public court focused on Chapel Hill local citizens of all ages. It does not have to be used 100% of the time, just look at the ball fields, playgrounds, greenways, and other public facilities all of which need to be preserved. We encourage P&R to honor it’s vision statement of “create, inspire, and preserve”.
When a tennis court is gained by one group and lost by another that effectively becomes zero sum. Instead, let’s think how we all might win-win for the Chapel Hill tax payers in supporting our public parks, community, families, students and youth. So that we can all serve and play on!
