It has come to my attention that the three Tennis Courts at McGaugh School may be demolished to make way for additional parking spaces. Please let’s not substitute limited utility for the beneficial effects of outdoor recreation for our Community and most importantly for our children.
As a retired architect and having designed numerous projects in Seal Beach I understand the importance of having adequate parking for Public and Commercial facilities. In fact, the required parking is usually the governing factor when designing most projects. However, given the present financial climate, it seems demolishing existing recreational facilities is an unfortunate choice.
Once gone …. gone forever!
My wife JoAnn and I, 42-year-residents of Seal Beach, are grateful our children were able to play and obtain tennis lessons at the McGaugh Courts.
Several subsequently participated in Tennis programs while attending High School.
Obviously, with the courts demolished, today’s kids will not have this availability.
Furthermore, having to play at Old Ranch Tennis Club or the tennis courts in Long Beach’s Eldorado Park will incur financial burdens and will require driving substantial distances that may not be possible for many residents.
Demolition of the Courts at McGaugh will leave the Old Town and the Hill areas of Seal Beach with only the two Marina Courts. They are rarely in adequate shape and are frequently used for basketball further diminishing available courts.
Surely our community of more than modest means can and should provide cost free recreation for our children to learn a healthy activity which they may well continue to enjoy into adulthood as many of us did.
In the 1970’s, the heyday of tennis, Jack Dampman and I, along with several friends, formed the Seal Beach Tennis Club which was very active for many years.
At the time we lobbied for a Tennis Center before the Seal Beach City Council.
Not surprisingly we were unsuccessful so we used the available courts at Zoeter and McGaugh to conduct numerous tennis club tournaments enjoyed by many in the city.
Sadly, several years past, the Tennis Courts at Zoeter School were demolished to raise monies for the school district. The property is now a commercial center. With the loss of the Zoeter Courts, the Tennis Club was no longer a viable entity.
We are prone to say, “How great it is living in Seal Beach.”
And it is!
We all love living here.
Hopefully, in the spirit of “Greatest Benefit” for the community as a whole, the school board will vote to retain the courts and have the contractor restore them to proper playing condition when construction is completed.
Mario A. Rossi is a retired architect and a longtime Seal Beach resident.
