Pickleball players ask Oak Harbor to expand and resurface Sumner Park courts as Fort Nugent timeline remains uncertain

Darren Cook, president of the newly formed Whidbey Pickleball Association, told the Oak Harbor Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on Aug. 11 that his group — now about 132 members — lacks dedicated public courts and would support converting or expanding existing city assets to meet demand.

Cook said the association can accommodate eight pickleball courts if Sumner Park’s eastern edge is extended by about 10 feet and the surface is resurfaced. “We can get 8 courts out of there if we expand the eastern edge by 10 feet,” he said.

The request came as staff and commissioners cautioned that the city’s planned Fort Nugent courts are not yet ready for play. Parks staff said the Fort Nugent design is nearly complete but that grant funding was not awarded this round and construction remains contingent on future…