HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2025-09-09_11a Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Court RequestItem 11.a.
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council
FROM: Sheridan Bohlken, Director of Recreation Services
SUBJECT: Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Multi-Use Court
Request Discussion
DATE: September 9, 2025
RECOMMENDATION:
1) Confirm the next steps and implementation plan for the Soto Sports Complex Master
Plan;
2) Review, discuss, and provide direction on the possible conversion of two tennis courts
at Soto Sports Complex into multi-use courts, which include pickleball; and
3) Find that the requested direction and proposed actions are exempt from the California
Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), including under the Class 1 exemption, which
applies to the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor
alteration of existing structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical
features where the project involves negligible or no expansion of existing or former use
(State CEQA Guidelines, § 15301); and alternatively, that the Soto Sports Master Plan
discussion is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”)
because it has no potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect,
physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (c)(2)-(3),
15378.)
IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:
The Council budgeted $275,000 in FY 2025-26 for the community survey and
development of a master plan to address connectivity, a community center, Elm Street
Park, and the Soto Sports Complex. In FY 2026-27, $600,000 is budgeted for the design
of a Recreation Services/Community Center building, inclusive of ADA restroom design
and construction.
BACKGROUND:
Soto Sports Complex
The Soto Sports Complex (“Complex”) is a hub for community sports and recreation.
Located at 1275 Ash Street, the complex encompasses 18 acres , including seven sports
fields, four tennis courts, four pickleball courts, a meeting room with pool tables, a
concessions facility, 2 sets of public restrooms, a community garden with 24 plots, and
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Item 11.a.
City Council
Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Multi -Use Court Request
Discussion
September 9, 2025
Page 2
two water retention basins. The Complex supports seasonal softball, baseball, football,
soccer, and flag football, as well as youth and adult tourn aments and community events
such as Cops-N-Kids and Meet the Machines. The facility serves a mix of high to low -
density neighborhoods, in addition to regional and traveling sports teams. While smaller
in size and scope, the nearest comparable facility is in Pismo Beach and contains three
sports fields on five acres.
Image 1: Soto Sports Complex and Elm Street Park
Elm Street Park
Elm Street Park, a 3.2-acre site adjacent to the Complex, includes the nationally
accredited Kiwanis Inclusive Playground, gazebo with barbeque, grass area for sports
and events, and the only dog park in the Five Cities Area that hosts approximately 38,400
annual visitors and is operated by the Elm Street Dog Park Association. Until its
demolition in January 2025, the approxima tely 5,000-square-foot Mark M. Millis
Community Center provided office space for Recreation Services staff, classrooms for
programs and meetings, a small playground, and two public restrooms , with 38 on-site
parking spaces. Following demolition, the site now provides 34 parking spaces along with
temporary facilities, including a mobile office unit for Recreation Services and four
portable restrooms.
City Council Goals
Staff presented the results of a Community Priorities Survey during the Council Goal-
Setting meeting on February 10, 20251. This survey was conducted December 9, 2024 -
January 15, 2025, and results indicated Community Events/Recreation Activities and
‘more pickleball courts’ in the top four community priorities, however, these specific topics
were not prioritized as City Goals due to limited staff time and resources, as well as
competing work priorities.
1 https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=13574
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Item 11.a.
City Council
Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Multi -Use Court Request
Discussion
September 9, 2025
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On May 13, 20252, staff presented its 10-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The
CIP allocated $275,000 in FY 2025-26 for the development of a master plan to address
connectivity, a community center, Elm Street Park, and Soto Sports Complex including a
community survey. The master plan is scheduled to be funded through Measure O-06
Sales Tax Fund, linking infrastructure, public safety, and ADA accessibility with the
community’s long-range infrastructure and facility priorities.
Pickleball at Soto Sports Complex
Pickleball was initiated as a pilot program in 2014 by volunteers and the Recreation
Services Department. The program grew in popularity, and in 2016 with community
fundraising and Council support, Tennis Court #5 at Soto Sports Complex was
permanently converted into four pickleball courts. The sport of pickleball has continued to
grow locally as seen in Table 1, and nationally. Dubbed as the ‘fastest-growing sport in
the U.S.’, pickleball reached 13.6 million players nationally in 2023, growing 224% since
2020, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Currently, the neighboring
communities of Pismo Beach and Grover Beach both have four permanent courts, and
Nipomo has six permanent courts. The City of San Luis Obispo has three permanent
courts and seven temporary courts.
Table 1: Arroyo Grande Pickleball Club Participation 2019-2025
Count of Resident Status Non-Resident Resident Grand Total
2020 Annual Membership 127 37 164
2021 Annual Membership 169 48 217
2022 Annual Membership 168 48 216
2023 Annual Membership 179 46 225
2024 Annual Membership 204 54 258
2025 Annual Membership 177 46 223
Grand Total of Registrations 1056 279 1335
Pickleball in Arroyo Grande is distinguished by its volunteer and club programs. About 20
volunteers routinely maintain courts, manage equipment and sign-ins, and serve as
liaisons with the Recreation Services Department. With volunteer support, the
Department facilitates the AG Pickleball Club3, providing registered members with
consistent play opportunities. In addition to the Club, the department offers pickleball
clinics, classes, leagues, and tournaments to the public.
2https://pub-arroyogrande.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=156c5494-7627-4d27-8d02-
08af3067520f&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English&Item=49&Tab=attachments
3 https://www.arroyogrande.org/623/Pickleball
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Item 11.a.
City Council
Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Multi -Use Court Request
Discussion
September 9, 2025
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Tennis
The Five Cities Tennis Association was once very active at Soto Sports Complex roughly
between the late 1990s and 2015. The volunteer organization planned tournaments,
performed maintenance, and assisted with light access for night play. The group has
become less active in the last decade and less available to oversee the functions of the
sport and facility at Soto Sports Complex. Aside from the Five Cities Tennis Association,
the four permanent tennis courts provide a home base for several women’s leagues and
are utilized for regional tennis tournaments and local play. The Recreation Services
Department provides youth tennis classes and camps and facilitates court and light use.
Though there was a noted period of decline during and following COVID-19, tennis trends
have seen a recent increase in participation with youth camps and court rentals. Per the
U.S. Tennis Association, tennis participation surged in 2024, reaching 25.7 million
Americans (an 8% increase from the previous year). Regional neighbors in the City of
Pismo Beach have one tennis court, Grover Beach has three tennis courts, and Nipomo
has two tennis courts. The City of San Luis Obispo currently has seven tennis courts.
Request for Multi-Use Courts
Pickleball demand in Arroyo Grande continues to grow, with 20 -30 players often waiting
to play at AG Pickleball Club, extending wait times beyond the typical 10 -15 minutes.
During Club play, tennis court use has been documented by pickleball volunteers as
minimal, resulting in a request to convert two tennis courts to pickleball courts
(Attachment 1). On August 12, 2025, Council directed staff to present the cost and
operational impacts of restriping tennis courts for shared use with pickleball. As a review
of the steps for development of the Soto Sports Complex Master Plan was already
scheduled for Council consideration, the two items were merged for discussion.
Multi-use courts that accommodate both tennis and pickleball provide flexibility and
maximize use of limited park space, providing the ability to meet the rising demand for
pickleball while maintaining traditional tennis play. Below is an image of how to fit two
pickleball courts onto one tennis court:
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Item 11.a.
City Council
Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Multi -Use Court Request
Discussion
September 9, 2025
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Image 1: Multi-Use Court Layout
Multi-use courts are more cost-effective than new court installation since line striping and
nets can be modified without full court reconstruction. Adding four more pic kleball courts
is expected to significantly increase the number of participants frequenting the park by
the dozens (four players per court plus those waiting to play). While this will enhance
community activation of the facility, it will also place additional strain on currently limited
infrastructure, including reliance on portable restrooms and limited parking. Shared use
can also create conflicts between user groups, as overlapping demand may limit
availability, and multiple sets of lines on the courts can cause visual confusion for players.
Additionally, the differing styles of noise levels between the two sports may reduce the
quality of experience for some users.
ANALYSIS OF ISSUES:
Soto Sports Master Plan
The Soto Sports Complex and Elm Street Park serve as key recreational assets for the
Arroyo Grande community and region. Given the diverse needs these facilities serve, as
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Item 11.a.
City Council
Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Multi -Use Court Request
Discussion
September 9, 2025
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well as physical needs for infrastructure maintenance such as the retention basins,
updates to ADA access, and facilities that have reached the end of their useful life, staff
has identified the need for a comprehensive master plan. The master plan will seek
community input, evaluate facility needs with Council oversight, prioritize work, and
coordinate projects in a phased manner, ensuring improvements are integrated with the
Parks and Recreation Element of the General Plan, currently being updated.
In order to move forward with support for development of the Soto Sports Complex Master
Plan, Council direction is needed on the following key issues:
1. Community Engagement: Provide direction on surveying community needs,
facility locations, infrastructure, and priorities through:
a) FlashVote and workshops, included in the RFP process (recommended); or
b) Alternative statistically valid outreach and workshops, included in the RFP
process.
2. Recreation Facilities: Decide whether the master plan should:
a) Include a Recreation Services office alone; or
b) Include a Community Center with multi-generational programming, funding,
and partnership opportunities; or
c) Defer this decision until community feedback is obtained through community
engagement.
3. Infrastructure: Confirm inclusion of permanent infrastructure at Elm Street Park,
including:
a) Restrooms;
b) Parking and access improvements;
c) Phased lighting upgrades;
d) Safe spectator spaces; and
e) Coordination of retention basin projects for efficiencies.
4. Connectivity: Confirm inclusion of safe pedestrian pathways and connectivity
throughout the complex and park.
5. Pickleball Courts: Confirm priority for addressing community interest by selecting
one of the following options:
a) Defer until survey data and community input establish clear priorities
(recommended); or
b) Phase in four multi-use courts after foundational needs (restrooms, parking)
are established through the master plan, while continuing with the study of
permanent courts; or
c) Convert two tennis courts into four multi-use courts (striping-$600 per court,
portable nets-$2,400 per net), estimated at $12,000; or
d) Construct dedicated pickleball courts once need and location are confirmed in
the master plan, estimated at $100,000-300,000.
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Item 11.a.
City Council
Soto Sports Complex Master Plan and Pickleball Multi -Use Court Request
Discussion
September 9, 2025
Page 7
ALTERNATIVES:
The following alternatives are provided for the Council’s consideration:
1. Provide direction on the scope and process identified for the development of the
master plan; or
2. Provide other direction to staff .
ADVANTAGES:
A master plan helps to preserve and improve infrastructure through capital asset
construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance, and improves coordination and scheduling
of public improvements that require more than one year to complete, while offering an
opportunity for residents and the community to participate in decisions that impact their
quality of life.
DISADVANTAGES:
A master plan will provide direction, but funding will need to be sourced to support
identified efforts.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The requested direction and proposed actions are exempt from the California
Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), including under the Class 1 exemption, which
applies to the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor
alteration of existing structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical
features where the project involves negligible or no expansion of existing o r former use
(State CEQA Guidelines, § 15301); and alternatively, that the Soto Sports Master Plan
discussion is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”)
because it has no potential to result in either a direct, or reasona bly foreseeable indirect,
physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, §§ 15060, subd. (c)(2)-(3),
15378.)
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS:
The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with
Government Code Section 54954.2.
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