City of Martinez staff is recommending permanently closing eight pickleball courts located at Hidden Valley Sports Courts due to persistent noise and traffic/parking complaints from nearby residents. The courts opened one year ago following the conversion of former tennis courts into eight pickleball courts. As part of the same project, a new tennis court and a renovated half-court basketball court were also constructed. The improvements were predominantly funded through one-time federal COVID-era relief funding. The tennis courts and half-court basketball court would remain open for public use.
The recommendation will be presented to the Martinez City Council at its March 18th meeting, when the Council will discuss the item, hear public comment, and determine next steps.
The renovated courts opened on February 28, 2025, following conversion of the existing tennis courts. Since opening, the City has received ongoing neighborhood feedback regarding noise and adverse traffic/parking impacts, which included a neighborhood survey that was released last fall and also indicated significant negative impacts on the neighbors.
Over the past year, staff implemented multiple attempts to find a balance between pickleball players and nearby residents who complain about the sound of a solid paddle striking the hollow plastic ball, including:
- Installation of signage and parking advisories
- Two structured trial periods with revised operating hours
- New court-specific rules
- Encouragement of quieter equipment use, with volunteer enforcement
- A neighborhood survey of residents within 500 feet of the courts
- Implementation of an ambassador program with volunteers helping to reinforce rules
The City’s Community and Recreation Services staff have been managing the implementation of these measures, including the locking and unlocking of court gates to ensure reduced court hours were honored.
Staff also engaged an independent acoustical engineer with expertise in pickleball, who provided guidance on sound mitigation measures that could be feasibly implemented at the sport courts. After analyzing the court’s design and operations, the engineer did not identify any mitigation measures that would adequately resolve the noise impacts given the courts’ proximity to neighboring residences.
“Based on the ongoing operational challenges and concerns over compatibility of these pickleball courts in a residential setting, City staff is recommending discontinuation of pickleball at this location,” said Michael Chandler, City Manager. “We invite public comment about this recommendation to help the City Council determine next steps.”
The City Council will consider the staff recommendation at its March 18th meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to attend or provide comment. The staff report and participation options can be found on the meeting agenda.
