Title
Update regarding the Department’s Pickleball Pilot Court Program (Greg Mediati, Parks and Recreation Director)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Parks and Recreation Commission be apprised of the status of the Department’s pickleball offerings and the location of a proposed dedicated court pilot project.
Body
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
As reported at the September 2023 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, the sport of pickleball is commonly recognized as one of the fastest growing activities in the United States.
The sport simply employs the use of paddles and pickleballs, similar to a whiffle ball, and a net. A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20 feet by 44 feet. Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts. In most cases, a single tennis court can be striped with four pickleball courts within the same footprint. The sport, with its smaller playing area, is accessible to those of all abilities, ages, and skill levels.
In recent years, the Department has expanded pickleball programs, in large part due to community demand for this growing sport. Currently, the Department offers weekly classes at the Terrabay Gymnasium and drop-in programs twice per week.
As previously reported, the City does not have any dedicated pickleball courts. Tennis courts at Buri Buri Park, Stonegate Tennis Courts, and Westborough Park have been striped for pickleball, in addition to tennis. The Orange Memorial Park Master Plan does envision the construction of six new pickleball courts, however, funding for construction does not yet exist. As a stop gap, and to test the effectiveness of a dedicated pickleball court at Orange Memorial Park, a pilot program was created to temporarily dedicate an existing tennis court for pickleball.
Feedback from the Commission indicated that the stand-alone court at Orange Memorial Park, court #5, was the most appropriate location for this activity due to its central location, availability of several courts that would remain available for tennis, and ease of access and parking.
Feedback received from some members of the pickleball community, most notably Mr. Armando Leigh, a City pickleball instructor and community pickleball advocate, was that Orange Memorial Park would work for this function, however, he believed Sellick Park’s tennis court would be more appropriate due to the distance from nearby residents and to avoid impact to the large tennis community at Orange Memorial Park.
In December 2023, staff opened the pilot program court at Orange Memorial Park, which was received with mixed reactions, with a preference for pickleball play. Tennis players, as expected, were disappointed to lose a tennis court. Pickleball players, on the other hand, were as expected, very happy with the court. However, nearby residents have made several complaints to the Department and City Council about the noise generated by the sport here, consistent with feedback received from Mr. Leigh at the onset.
Survey results are attached to this report.
To collect another data point, staff is relocating the pilot program to Sellick Park as suggested. The pilot program will be in place for three to four months, while survey results are gathered. Results will be also shared with the Commission. Staff have already engaged with a contractor to get the courts painted at Sellick Park in the coming weeks.
Additionally, staff is submitting a budget request of $650,000 from the park fund to construct a dedicated court in the new fiscal year. The scope of work includes pre-design due diligence to study appropriate locations with respect to noise, circulation, lighting and other factors, court design, and construction. Orange Memorial Park, and perhaps other locations away from private residences, will be studied for appropriateness, if the budget request is approved.
CONCLUSION
Feedback from the Commission is welcome. Relocation of the pilot program is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, pending weather and the court-striping contractor’s schedule. Once a schedule is known, appropriate signs noting the relocation will be posted, as will a request for park users to participate in another survey to solicit feedback on the program’s efficacy.