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A temporary pickleball court may be coming to Holbrook-Palmer Park for a six-month trial. The idea got overwhelming support in a survey the town of Atherton sent to residents in April asking whether they’d approve of the addition of a pickleball court to the town’s only park.
The survey was discussed at the July 19 Atherton City Council meeting, and town staff directed to return in September with a plan and cost analysis.
The survey highlighted the many ways a pickleball court could be implemented, such as converting one of the six tennis courts into a pickleball court or converting a tennis court into a multi-sport court. The survey also gave the community an opportunity to give the council guidance on the decision.
Of the 401 responses, 78% said that they approved of pickleball options being added to Holbrook-Palmer.
The most popular suggestion was to convert one of the existing tennis courts into a temporary pickleball court for six months. The trial pickleball court would be on court one and will only be open to pickleball players from 9 a.m. to noon every day of the week, with additional hours from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The biggest concerns brought up in the July 19 meeting were the possible noise disturbance and if the pickleball court would cause conflict with tennis players or the culture of Holbrook-Palmer Park.
On Sept. 20, the topic will come back before the council for a decision, with staff expected to provide information about the cost of installing noise baffles, among other things.
Pickleball is played on a smaller court than for tennis and the net is about 2 inches shorter in the middle. To play pickleball on a standard tennis court, the net must be adjusted and removable border markings, such as tape, must be added to mark the smaller court.
Despite the growing popularity of the sport in the Bay Area, there are no public pickleball courts in Atherton, with the closest being at Nealon Park on Middle Avenue in Menlo Park.
