Third Beach Tennis Court to Serve Hermosa

A third beach tennis court will be added to the existing two courts at 14th Street, the Hermosa Beach City Council has decided.

The council unanimously agreed to expand the tennis courts. Planning for the third court's installation is under way.

By “allowing the conception of beach tennis to take place, [the city] has generated buzz as the place to come try, learn and play the sport,” wrote Donny Young, founder of West Coast Beach Tennis, in a letter to the council (see accompanying document under photo).

Young advocated for the tennis courts last year.

“Since the demand is still continuing to grow, as we have seen, sometimes 50 to 80 people roam through on a weekend playing beach tennis at our designated courts,” he said in support of a third court addition.

In January 2010, the city recommended that the council install three beach tennis courts near 14th Street and the Strand. A few residents who lived near the site opposed the idea of installing the courts  due to noise concerns.

“When you are home with the windows open, the back and forth rally of the ball, and the exuberance of the sport, with normal raising of the voice, can get real annoying when it goes on for hours,” a petition read, which was written by Hermosa Beach resident Bernard Robbins and signed by six other residents (see accompanying document under photo).

But after hearing from other residents in support of the courts, the council approved the installation of two courts, leaving a decision on whether to install a third court until this year.