Outdoor Pickleball Pilot Program Background
Modified Pilot Program
The original pickleball pilot program has been revised following valuable feedback from the Los Altos community. As a result, the modified pilot program incorporates improvements aimed at enhancing the overall experience for everyone.
The pickleball/tennis priority use guidelines will go into effect at McKenzie Park on Monaday, May 1, 2023.
Court Lining Program
- McKenzie Park: Tennis Courts #1 and #2 - Overlaid with 6 Pickleball Courts.
Priority Use Schedule at McKenzie Park
- Pickleball: Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat - All Day
- Tennis: Tue/Thu/Sun - All Day
City sponsored tennis lessons have court priority.
View the modified court lining plan here.
Original Pilot Program
The original pickleball pilot program was delayed in order to ensure the City is addressing concerns that residents have raised and to take the appropriate time to hear from all Los Altos residents about how to improve the program.
- Marymeade Park: Tennis Court #1 - Overlaid with 2 Pickleball Courts
- McKenzie Park: Tennis Courts #1 and #2 - Overlaid with 4 Pickleball Courts
- Montclaire Park: Tennis Court #1 - Overlaid with 2 Pickleball Courts
- Rosita Park: Tennis Courts #2 and #3 - Overlaid with 6 Pickleball Courts
View the full original court lining plan here.
Background
Pre-pandemic (for seven years), the Recreation Department offered indoor pickleball at Hillview, LAYC, and Egan Gym. We developed a relationship with the regional representative for USA Pickleball who has been a great resource of information. In October of 2021, staff began working with a community group who represented a contingent of Los Altos residents (75+) who are current members of the Palo Alto Pickleball Club at Mitchell Park. Leading into our planning for outdoor pickleball opportunities in Los Altos, we sought input from this group and the City of Palo Alto. In addition, we worked with our current tennis instructors, indoor pickleball players and compared pickleball programs at Menlo Park, Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and San Mateo. Most recently, we participated in a survey hosted by the Sports Association of Northern California Recreation Agencies (SANCRA) to gain additional information about industrial trends and local direction regarding pickleball. The SANCRA survey included 25 agencies including 11 cities within Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
All of these elements informed our initial plan for outdoor pickleball which were presented to the Senior Commission on December 6, 2021, and to the Parks & Recreation Commission on December 8, 2021. Staff adjusted the plan to incorporate feedback received from the public as well as the commissions. Mainly, the Senior Commission endorsed offering opportunities at all tennis court sites, while the PARC endorsed the concentration at one site which led to the concentration of 6 pickleball courts at Rosita. Quite a bit of consideration was given to traffic and parking which is why the concentration of pickleball courts is at McKenzie and Rosita which has the ability to accommodate the anticipated increase in use and popularity. We are aiming to mitigate some of the noise concerns with our priority use schedule to control when pickleball has priority and can be played.
The intent of introducing pickleball is to gain community feedback to see if there is community interest to keep or adjust shared-use, or if there is a desire to potentially have a dedicated pickleball space in the future.
Feedback
We encourage residents to share their feedback and suggestions to improve the pilot program. Please send your questions and/or comments to LosAltosPickleball@losaltosca.gov.
