Pickleball Dispute Delays Hunter Park Court Upgrade Decision in Ashland

A $1.2 million upgrade to eight aging tennis courts at Hunter Park in Ashland, Oregon hit a wall on Wednesday, March 11, when Ashland Parks & Recreation Commissioners couldn't agree on how to balance competing demands from pickleball players, tennis players, and even bike-polo advocates, delaying what should have been a straightforward vote.

At the center of the dispute was a proposed amendment to a $720,000 state grant, one component of the $1.2 million project that also includes a local matching grant, that would add extra pickleball striping to one of the eight courts. That seemingly modest change opened the door to a much larger conversation about where pickleball belongs in Ashland's park system.

Commissioner Dan Wiener, who lives near the area in question, put the noise issue plainly: "They don't want to hear pickleball." Wiener pointed to the city's roughly $1 million investment in the Lithia Park Japanese Gardens as an example of deliberate effort to protect quiet spaces, and cited the nearby duck pond and Madrone Picnic area as similarly contemplative spots. "These relatively contemplative areas are now confronted with the noise of pickleball," he said.

Wiener didn't just raise the problem; he brought a proposal. He suggested banning pickleball from Lithia Park entirely and redirecting players to Hunter Park, where two tennis courts would be dedicated to pickleball and a third double-striped for shared tennis and pickleball use. Because a single tennis court can be divided into four pickleball courts, Wiener calculated the plan would produce 12 pickleball courts in total. He was careful to acknowledge the sport's momentum: "There's no question pickleball is popular."

Commissioner Jim Bachman called the proposal worth considering. "It's something to chew on for a while," Bachman said, adding that he favors multi-use facilities across Ashland's parks generally.

Seven residents addressed the commission during public comment. Ashland resident Dale Rooklyn captured the sentiment many were reaching for: "Rather than compete, we should meet the needs of each group."

After a lengthy debate, commissioners couldn't reach a consensus on a specific proposal to address the competing interests and will take the issue up at a future study session before voting on it.

The delay carries real stakes beyond Ashland. In Newport, attorney Michael Mineau filed a legal complaint in mid-February on behalf of residents Mona Barbera and Warren Garner, who live on Dyer Gate directly adjacent to that city's Hunter Park pickleball courts. The complaint argues the noise has hindered their use and enjoyment of their residence and that the city failed to remedy the nuisance. Newport's interim City Manager Laura Sitrin had recommended in an August 2023 memorandum returning those courts to tennis-only use and barring pickleball from any city property within 750 feet of a residence, but the City Council ultimately adopted only altered playing hours, a response the complaint characterizes as "a grossly inadequate response." Barbera and Garner are seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction blocking pickleball use of the courts entirely. That case is a separate municipal matter from Ashland's deliberations, but it illustrates how unresolved park-use disputes can escalate when commissions run out of time to decide.