Fredericksburg Planning & Zoning Commissioners approved the site plan for the Fredericksburg Racquet Center and adjacent park on Friendship Lane, a public‑private project that the applicant said will add tennis and pickleball courts, a roughly half‑mile concrete walking trail and a 15,000‑square‑foot playground.

Why it matters: The project responds to needs identified in the city’s parks master plan and, if built as presented, would be the city’s first park with a concrete walking trail and a multi‑court racket facility aimed at serving school teams, families and adult recreational players.

What was approved: Commissioners approved the concept of phase 1 — parking, the outdoor courts and the ADA‑compliant concrete trail — while noting that future phases (including an indoor facility and stadium courts) will require additional engineering review and site‑plan sign‑offs. Staff conditioned approval on completion of standard civil reviews, verification of impervious‑area calculations for stormwater, confirmation of parking and ADA spaces on final plans, and compliance with screening and landscaping requirements.

Project details and funding: The applicant described a multi‑phase plan with 12 courts in the immediate layout (a mix of tennis and 12 pickleball courts in the initial overlay), and parking sized to meet daily use projections. The presentation listed approximately 118 vehicle spaces in phase 1. The walking trail was described as roughly 2,100 feet long (about a half‑mile) and 10 feet wide to meet ADA standards. The playground area was described as a 15,000‑square‑foot, shaded play area; the applicant said Rotary and other funders are expected to contribute and that a budget line of roughly $300,000 is in the concept package for playground equipment.

On parking and events: Commissioners asked whether parking would be sufficient during tournaments; the applicant said tournament or peak events would require off‑site planning (bus staging, carpooling) but that the on‑site parking is designed to meet routine daily demand and local league play. The United States Tennis Association provided informal consulting feedback and viewed the parking provision as generous for typical daily use.

Access and phasing: The developer plans a half‑width build of an unbuilt local road (Sunrise/Sunset shown on maps) to provide additional access and emergency ingress. The applicant said the first phase includes restrooms, clubhouse/office functions (possible temporary office) and parking; larger buildings and stadium courts are contemplated for later phases and will be reviewed separately.

Commission action and next steps: Commissioners voted to approve the phase‑1 site plan with the standard civil and engineering contingencies. Staff will verify drainage, turnout/turning radii for emergency vehicles in the building permit stage, and final landscape and screening details.

Quote: Julie Eldoriz, representing the registered director group, said the complex "will be a hero in the community, offering fun, healthy activities for our kids, for families, for retirees." Mark Portett of Portett Engineering summarized site work and noted that "we're pretty close" on parking calculations and that detailed stormwater and civil plans will be reviewed in permitting.

The project moves to the permitting stage for civil engineering review; later phases will return to the commission for additional site‑plan and entry‑corridor review as needed.