Problems surface at new Siesta Key courts

The new tennis courts at Siesta Key Beach have been open since June, but court patrons haven’t been on a level playing field.

The tennis courts, located at the eastern end of the public parking lots off Beach Road, replaced the old courts as a part of the Siesta Key Beach Improvement Project. The courts cost approximately $118,000 to build, including lighting, courts, fencing and shelters.

A couple weeks after opening, the courts’ paint layer began to bubble up, and some of the bubbles are cracking the court surface.

County staff is currently in the process of determining the cause of the problem, said Brad Gaubatz, project manager.

The tennis court is composed of two layers: one is pervious asphalt, and the other is an impervious thick layer of rubbery paint that makes up the actual court. Gaubatz said he believes the problem lies with the high water table at the beach.

“Water is naturally underneath,” Gaubatz said.

The water table — the level at which ground water naturally collects — varies depending on the tides and how much it has rained, he said. When the table rises, the water could be pushing the asphalt up in pockets, which causes the paint to bubble.

To fix this, the county plans on installing a drainage system around the court. Then county staff will flatten the bubbles and recoat the court.

Right now, the bubbles are minor, said Siesta Key resident Gary Campbell, who emailed the county about the issue.

“The main thing is that the county, having spent much money on these courts, they should be in tip-top shape,” Campbell said in an email to commissioners.

Residents frequently use the courts, and as season grows there will be even more players using the facility, he said in the email.

The old tennis courts had a lot of cracks that made the courts progressively unplayable, he said. The bubbles on the new courts could make the trajectory of a tennis ball change unexpectedly.

At first, the bubbles were only occurring within the red out-of-bounds areas on the courts. However, within the last few weeks some bubbles have appeared on the green playing surface.

“Any player can point out the bubbles,” said Jean Kirshenbaum, a Siesta Key resident who frequently plays on the courts. She said safety is also a concern, for the bubbles could lead to an injury.

 

Safety First
In addition to problems with bubbles on the courts’ surface, players find fault with another feature of the new facility: the water fountain.

The fountain hugs the fence in the playing area between two of the courts.

Siesta Key resident Jean Kirshenbaum is concerned for players who are focused on their game and may run into the fountain while backing up for a ball or someone getting a drink may get hit. Players from the other courts have to walk behind other players to get a drink, which is both a distraction and a safety hazard, she said.

“It’s better to have nothing there than to have it in that position,” Kirshenbaum said.

Gaubatz said he’d never received any other complaints about the water fountain. It was placed in the current location because it was the closest spot to connect the fountain to plumbing and electricity.

If the location proves to be a concern, it could be moved to the outside of the fence, Gaubatz said.

“We’re trying to make everything efficient,” he said.