Menlo Park: Badminton may bloom in industrial park Menlo Park: Badminton may bloom in industrial park (September 29, 2004)

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

Among the warehouses and office buildings of Menlo Park's M-2 industrial zone east of U.S. 101, a new sports facility is being born.

Badminton enthusiasts Mike Yang and Ben Lee are planning to open the Golden Gate Badminton Club at 190 Constitution Drive, in a warehouse just down the street from the biotech company Geron Corp. and a Sun Microsystems office.

They're hoping to attract a range of players, including workers needing a stress break from their lab or computer, and kids from the nearby Belle Haven neighborhood. But their aspirations don't stop there.

"Our goal is to produce high-level, Olympic-caliber athletes out of the club. We'll be working closely with the U.S. Olympic committee," said Mr. Lee, who competed in the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona.

This will be the first club for the two, who met while playing Bay Area tournaments. Mr. Lee has taught badminton classes in South San Francisco for several years.

The plan for the club, which was unanimously granted a use permit by Menlo Park's Planning Commission on September 13, includes having eight courts and a shop where rackets, shoes, bags and other sport accessories will be sold.

Planned hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., with classes, drop-in play and periodic tournaments.

City officials are also working with the club to plan classes through Menlo Park's community services department, which currently doesn't offer badminton.

"It's an Olympic sport now, and it's so fast-acting," department director Curtis Brown said enthusiastically. He added that he hopes to have some classes offered at a discounted rate for Belle Haven residents.

The club is expected to open by the end of the year, after some work on the building, Mr. Lee said. Originally used as an indoor tennis facility, the structure houses a printing company that will be moving out.

The most important thing is to do something about the concrete floor, Mr. Lee said: "With the wear and tear on our knees, we'll need a more cushioned flooring."

While several letters were sent to the planning department in support of the club, including one from Mr. Brown, Menlo Park developer David Bohannon voiced concern about the site not having enough parking for the club.

The site has 22 parking spaces, which meets zoning-code requirements, but a badminton club is not a typical use in the area under the code, which is why a use permit is required.

Mr. Lee and Mr. Yang say they expect no more than 16 players to use the club at once, and that tournaments should attract few spectators. They are also working with the owner of a neighboring business park on an agreement to use parking there in the evening.

Mr. Bohannon said last week that he didn't know whether he would appeal the Planning Commission approval to the City Council. Any appeal would have to take place by the end of September.

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