Controversy erupts as pickleball players seek more courts

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BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer

The Palo Alto Pickleball Club’s insatiable quest for more courts is upsetting tennis players, park visitors and disabled children who don’t like the noise.

The club asked the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission on Tuesday (May 19) to convert two tennis courts at Mitchell Park into eight pickleball courts.

Olenka Villarreal, founder and CEO of the Magical Bridge Foundation, said the Magical Bridge Playground for disabled kids is supposed to be “a sanctuary” at Mitchell Park.

But pickleball has significantly changed that experience with its sharp, repetitive sound that carries far beyond the courts, and families have cut playground visits short or stopped coming altogether, Villarreal said.

“For individuals with sensory sensitivities, this type of noise is not just a nuisance — it is overwhelming, disorienting, and distressing,” Villarreal said in an email to commissioners.

Commissioners have received 174 pages of emails from pickleball players, tennis players and residents ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

Pickleball players touted the health and social benefits of their sport, enjoyed by people of all ages.

“Playing pickleball at Mitchell Park is perhaps the best way I’ve found to alleviate my loneliness — both the camaraderie and the exercise. But unfortunately most of the time I go to play, there is a wait to get on the courts,” said resident Dave Garr, from the Duve-neck-St. Francis neighborhood.

Single-issue voter

Old Palo Alto resident Sean Fee said he’s a “single-issue voter,” judging elected officials only by their position on pickleball expansion.

Triple El resident Gilbert Wong said he’s played pickleball in Hawaii and Arizona, and Mitchell Park is unique for its level of friendliness. He said he plays five times a week for three hours each time.

Tennis players have already lost three courts at Mitchell Park to pickleball since 2018. They have four courts left there – the only lighted courts in south Palo Alto.

Offering to pay

Pickleball players have offered to pay to light tennis courts at the Cubberley Community Center so they can take over Mitchell Park.

But this would require extensive public review and approvals, and Mitchell Park would still see parking, noise and congestion impacts from pickleball’s ex-pansion, Recreation Supervisor Adam Howard said in a report for commissioners. Tennis player Namita Joshua is worried that losing tennis courts at Mitchell Park will drive more tennis players to Rinconada Park, where waiting times are already long.

Courts elsewhere?

Srdjan Kovacevic, president of the Palo Alto Tennis Club, said the city should build new pickleball courts somewhere else.

Howard said the city could explore a pickleball facility by softball and baseball fields in the Baylands Athletic Center, east of Highway 101.

City employees observed courts 68 times since August, primarily at busy times on weekday evenings and weekend mornings.

Pickleball courts were consistently above capacity, with waiting groups ranging from five to 60 players during peak periods, Howard said.

Employees counted an available tennis court 15 times during 68 visits to Mitchell Park. Tennis courts were generally available at several other locations throughout Palo Alto when pickleball courts at Mitchell Park were full, Howard said.

Howard recommended keeping the courts as they are at Mitchell Park.