Dear Editor,
When leaving our house to take a walk last night, my husband and I were reminded how the quality of life as residents who live across the street from Rossmoor Park has been profoundly diminished—This as a result of Demarco’s self-serving push to put Pickleball in the center of our small residential park. He doesn’t live near this park and he made well sure it didn’t land anywhere near him—the ultimate NIMBY principle.
As we walked out our door, our previous pattern on a beautiful 8:30 p.m. evening after a long hot weather spell would have taken us to stroll the perimeter of the park. But we were forced to turn the opposite direction because of the inescapable incessant shrill pop pops of pickleball that rattle the nerves on an otherwise perfect Friday evening.
Many of you readers may not know about the lack of due process in pushing this project through, but bullet points are:
1.PB was NEVER BUDGETED FOR! They lied about using grant money to pay for it. In fact they recklessly spent $100,000 for pickleball instead of earmarked park upgrades that have not yet been addressed/completed.
2. Demarco should have recused himself because his wife was a vocal advocate for PB, indeed a participant assisting the acoustic consultant—Demarco refused to recuse.
3. Together with RCSD directors Maynard and Barke, DeMarco dismissed all of the warnings (including a petition from dozens of north Rossmoor homeowners) of pushing PB onto a small residential park. The worst predictions have all come to fruition. Notably, the rights of neighbors to enjoy peace and tranquility in their homes, the tennis community who has been driven elsewhere to a large degree because of fewer courts and the noise of PB, and the dangerous traffic and illegal parking that makes pulling out of driveways on Hedwig a T-bone collision RISK every day.
4. Demarco dismissed recommendations of RCSD’s two acoustic consultants for 12ft (not 8ft) sound barriers on ALL sides of the PB courts (not just 1 1/2 sides). They also dismissed the consultants’ recommendations for limited hours of play to allow for quiet hours when people are home (such as early mornings and evenings, and some holiday respites), and to use quieter paddles. Demarco and pals claim —to their ears—PB noise and traffic is just not a problem. [Commentary — high frequency hearing loss is common in men with advanced age].
I am bringing the matter to light because we have a consequential vote coming in November (or sooner with mail-ins and drop-offs). We must vote Demarco out and avoid another 4 years of disregard for all of the Rossmoor residents and for due process.
There are many other cases of poor governance by DeMarco, including squandering public funds on activities outside RCSD’s jurisdiction. No doubt, Mr. and Mrs. DeMarco would insist that there are a number of Rossmoor residents who want pickleball, and while that is true, it is a tiny minority of Rossmoor’s 10,000 residents. Many of the players come from outside the community. The majority of Rossmoor residents care more about the crime and traffic safety.
So beginning at 7 AM and ending at 9:15 PM, 7 days a week, including holidays, Rossmoor Park is never going to be the destination of choice for my husband and my evening stroll.
Sue Kaplan
Rossmoor
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