Pleasanton's Parks and Recreation Commission will take a second look Thursday, Oct. 8, at whether players should be able to book pickleball courts at Muirwood Community Park, after the City Council declined to act on the idea last month.
The commission recommended in August that three of the park's six courts be reservable, with the other three left open for free play. Commissioners approved that option 6-0 at their Aug. 13 meeting, with Commissioner Immadi absent, according to the minutes.
When the proposal reached the council on Sept. 15, it drew what the city's staff report calls extensive public comment. Council members then voted 4-0 to return the matter to the commission and asked it to review what residents had said.
What speakers told the council
The staff report, written by Library and Recreation Director Heidi Murphy, describes the issue as contentious, with residents on both sides. It summarizes the themes raised at the council meeting, including:
- open play builds a sense of community, and the recommendation was not supported by data
- demand and wait times for courts were overstated, and reserving half the courts would make open-play waits longer
- complaints about noise, traffic and parking are not backed by data
- outreach was thin, with no signs posted at the courts before the commission's earlier vote
- court maintenance could be funded through sponsorships, banners or tournaments instead
- a compromise could limit reservations to certain hours or days
- reservations would be hard to enforce, and the city has too few courts overall
The report notes that tennis courts at the Tennis and Community Park can already be reserved through Lifetime Activities. It also says some emailed comments favored reservations, but no one spoke in favor in person.
