Milpitas: Permanent Pickleball court location divides residents

Milpitas is caught up in another round of back-and-forth debates about whether or not to permanently install pickleball courts at local parks During the City Council s Tuesday meeting councilmembers unanimously voted to delay a long-awaited decision to permanently install pickleball courts at Hall Memorial and Gill Park opting instead to have staff explore alternative indoor and outdoor court locations The holdup was prompted by conflicting views from residents Various avid pickleball players expressed excitement over having designated courts at Hall Memorial to play but residents who lived nearby reported they are frustrated about pickleball-related noise traffic and safety issues We learned a lot Councilmember Evelyn Chua announced but I think now getting the feedback and learning from the two years of pilot initiative we still need to learn more how to meditate this issue The pickleball discourse started in when Milpitas launched a pilot campaign that temporarily converted six new temporary pickleball courts from tennis courts at Hall Memorial and enhanced two existing temporary courts at Gill Park s Handball Courts Within a matter of months pickleball enthusiasts from all over Milpitas and the surrounding communities flocked to the new destination and promptly created a close-knit group However the parks especially Hall Memorial are located in single-family residential areas Residents complained about constant pickleball noises and traffic congestion on their streets going as far as sending a petition to the city last year to move the courts somewhere else In the past year city staff made efforts to address these concerns including implementing a daily time frame for pickleballers If the courts are permanently enacted staff will look into adding additional measures including sound dampening panels painting new parking stalls away from the neighborhood and painting a red curb for urgency conveyance parking But particular residents noted more necessities to be done During Tuesday s meeting resident Melissa Pereira explained she and her fellow neighbors have spoken to council again and again to move the location of the courts but to no avail Pereira revealed she isn t anti-recreation or against pickleball but believes the courts are creating division among residents We think Milpitas deserves to thrive to have parks that bring people together and bring locality she announced but the spirit has been lost here This pilot has created conflict not connection In a letter to the council resident Henry Soong disclosed homeowners residents and tenants near Hall Memorial can t get away from the ongoing popping sounds of the paddle hitting the ball The unwanted noise exposure can trigger stress and other physical condition issues and potentially have a negative effect on the arena values of nearby homes according to Soong I urge the City to think hard on the consequences of providing recreational opportunities to mostly non-residents and balance the interests of the residents who cannot escape their situation Soong stated While plenty of pro-pickleball residents on Tuesday didn t insist on making the Hall Memorial location permanent they did emphasis a need for such courts in Milpitas Resident Van Leong who is president of the Milpitas Pickleball Club disclosed Hall Park welcomes more than thousand players every week from senior working adults to Milpitas high schoolers They come to play everyday to stay proceeding relieve stress and also build social connections Leong noted Prashanth Kumar another avid pickleball performer noted the sport helped him to maintain his fitness once he turned Thanks to this pilot campaign and the Milpitas pickle ball neighborhood I was able to encourage and learn and play he announced What began as a way to stay developing promptly turned into a daily practice Vice Mayor Garry Barbadillo disclosed the issue is not residents versus pickleball players but about where the courts should be Barbadillo explained he encourages the council staff members and residents to work together to find a compromise on where pickleball courts can be expanded in the city We inevitably try to balance it he mentioned Lets continue to work together One thing is sure about this situation pickleball is in Milpitas