A proposal to install benches near the La Jolla Recreation Center bocce court drew nearly a dozen players to the Aug. 28 meeting of the La Jolla Community Recreation Group, the advisory board for the Rec Center.
While supporting the concept, the board was unsure how to proceed and asked the proponents to return at a future meeting for a possible vote.
The regulation-size bocce court is along the Draper Avenue side of the Rec Center grounds. Related equipment such as a scoreboard and a broom and rake to maintain the court are to be kept inside the center for players to check out.
Representing the group of players, Chas. Dye said the objective is to get some benches installed on the sidewalk near the court because “when I play, the sessions usually are about two hours, and two hours can be a lengthy time to be on your feet.”
Players currently bring chairs for when they need a place to sit.
“There are also people walking by that like to stop and watch, so if they had a place to sit, that would be great,” Dye added.
The players are asking that the Community Recreation Group recommend to the city of San Diego that the benches be installed. If the city approves, Dye said, the players group would seek sponsorships for the benches to help cover the cost or approach local Scout troops to see if they would like to build them as a project.
Dye said the sidewalk appears to be wide enough to accommodate a bench or benches. While there was some discussion of installing the benches on the grass, several of those in attendance said the view of the court from the grass would be minimal. Further, with the Recreation Center planned for renovation, some said they don’t want the benches to be installed on the grass, only to have them taken out.
The logistics of the benches, such as the materials, whether to have backs, the costs, a maintenance plan and how they would be spaced out, have not been determined, Dye said.
“I think it’s a great idea,” board member Amy Spielman said. “It enhances the Rec Center.”
CRG Chairman Alan Dulgeroff added that “I think this is a wonderful [idea]. … It’s great that it is being used so much and appreciated. I see it used and I see the need for benches. I see the value of that.”
Former board member Mary Coakley Munk suggested the group meet with representatives of applicable city departments, given that the benches are proposed for the sidewalk, which is not Rec Center property.
But, she said, should the city approve, “I strongly support putting it on the sidewalk. They definitely need benches. All of us are getting older, so even half an hour is a long time to be standing.”
As a board member in August 2023, Coakley Munk spoke of the need for benches, preferably on the Draper Avenue sidewalk.
The board briefly debated this week whether to vote on the proposal, given that it is under the purview of the city. But players continued to advocate for a vote, arguing that it would give the proposal more weight.
The board ultimately decided to support the proposal in concept and asked the proponents to confer with the appropriate city departments and come back with more details.
The bocce court had been in the works since 2017 before it was installed in 2021. Its cost, estimated at $23,000, was funded by the nonprofit Friends of the La Jolla Recreation Center. La Jolla philanthropy group Las Patronas donated a bocce ball set.
Other CRG news
Manager update: Following the retirement of longtime area recreation manager Rosalia Castruita, La Jolla Recreation Center Director Nick Volpe said an interim manager has been serving the facility but there is no update on when a new long-term appointee would be brought on board.
Next meeting: The La Jolla Community Recreation Group next meets, pending items to review, at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. ♦