THE PROBLEM: Almost every summer weekend for nearly 20 years, Mike Williams and his friends would head to the basketball courts at south De Anza Cove in Mission Bay Park for an afternoon of pickup games and barbecue.
THE SITE: South De Anza Cove, Mission Bay Park
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The basketball tradition ended years ago as the blacktop surface began to deteriorate, making balance and ball control more difficult.
Now the two full courts are just plain worn out. The surface is rough, with scattered, loose gravel and deep cracks through some of the free-throw lines. Weeds push up in a few spots.
Williams has been taking pictures of the facility over time and can't believe the courts, located near the Visitor Information Center and a sandy playground, have been allowed to continue to decline since he quit using them.
“It's been like that for at least eight years,” he said, calling the current condition an invitation to a broken ankle. “It's ridiculous.”
He has complained directly to supervisors in San Diego's Park & Recreation Department and wonders whether the city has given up on the courts.
STATUS: Mike Ruiz, acting district manager for Mission Bay Park for November only, inspected the courts Friday. He talked to two men playing on their lunch break and agreed that “the condition of the court is not the best.”
Ruiz asked a grounds maintenance manager in charge of the area to sweep the loose gravel, a tripping hazard, by the end of this week. He also promised that the worst gap in the surface will be filled in and leveled out.
The court needs to be completely resurfaced, but Ruiz said that kind of work will have to await additional funding, which “will be very difficult” in a time of deep cutbacks by the city. Mayor Jerry Sanders has recommended cuts in the Park & Recreation Department budget to help close a $43 million funding gap this fiscal year.
The Mission Bay Park Committee, an advisory group, will meet at 6 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Santa Clara Recreation Center, 1008 Santa Clara Place. The public can voice opinions on funding priorities at the meeting.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Mike Ruiz, who can be reached at (619) 235-1158 regarding maintenance and operations issues in Mission Bay Park.
NEED A PROBLEM SOLVED: Is there a problem government hasn't fixed despite your complaints? Just Fix It might be able to help.
Complaint forms are at justfixit.uniontrib.com, or call (800) 820-8714.
