Members of Asheville City Council are trying to figure out what to do with the Aston Park Tennis Center. I may be mistaken, but it seems either the courts or vast improvements thereto came about through a kindly philanthropic devise. The city was deeded its Municipal Golf Course, too. Both municipal parks became money drains for the enjoyment of the upper-middle class. The city couldn’t just sell the golf course due to deed restrictions, but it was able to get a management company to try to run it at a profit. The city is now looking into its options for the tennis center.

The tennis courts are among the best in the state. They are made of high-maintenance clay, which is a draw to tennis enthusiasts as well as seniors who take a beating from normal asphalt courts. Suggested remedies include raising fees, letting the courts go to seed, or replacing them with asphalt. It may be the local daily is feeding us an advocacy article, as several better options come to mind.