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 Certain avid pickleball players expressed excitement over having designated courts at Hall Memorial to play but residents who lived nearby disclosed they are frustrated about pickleball-related noise traffic and safety issues We learned a lot Councilmember Evelyn Chua reported but I think now getting the feedback and learning from the two years of pilot effort we still need to learn more how to meditate this issue The pickleball discourse started in when Milpitas launched a pilot activity 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 briskly created a close-knit society 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 crisis car parking But certain residents declared more requirements to be done During Tuesday s meeting resident Melissa Pereira declared she and her fellow neighbors have spoken to council again and again to move the location of the courts but to no avail Pereira commented 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 society she reported but the spirit has been lost here This pilot has created conflict not connection In a letter to the council resident Henry Soong noted 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 strength issues and potentially have a negative effect on the area 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 explained While a large number 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 revealed Hall Park welcomes more than thousand players every week from senior working adults to Milpitas high schoolers They come to play everyday to stay operational relieve stress and also build social connections Leong announced Prashanth Kumar another avid pickleball athlete mentioned the sport helped him to maintain his fitness once he turned Thanks to this pilot plan and the Milpitas pickle ball group I was able to encourage and learn and play he stated What began as a way to stay functioning speedily turned into a daily practice Vice Mayor Garry Barbadillo stated the issue is not residents versus pickleball players but about where the courts should be Barbadillo declared 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 perpetually try to balance it he mentioned Lets continue to work together One thing is sure about this situation pickleball is in Milpitas