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Dallas council authorizes $1.7 million pickleball grant application for Dallas City Park
Summary
Council unanimously authorized staff to apply for an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department grant that would cover 60% of a roughly $1.7 million project to build 10 pickleball courts at Dallas City Park; the city plans to use park system development charges for the remainder and expects construction in 2026 if funded.
The Dallas City Council on March 17 voted 8–0 to authorize submission of a grant application to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department for construction of 10 pickleball courts and accompanying diagonal parking at Dallas City Park.
City Manager Brian Latta told the council the project’s estimated cost rose from roughly $700,000 to about $1.7 million after staff discovered the former outdoor pool had been buried rather than removed and because new Federal Emergency Management Agency flood-plain requirements add engineering and excavation costs. Latta said the grant program would cover 60% of the revised cost if awarded; the city proposes using park system development charges (SDCs) — funds collected from development and restricted to park expansion — to pay the local share. Staff emphasized these SDCs are restricted to park development and do not compete with general-fund priorities such as public safety or water and sewer infrastructure.
Jennifer Ward, parks and recreation staff, told the council the grant application deadline is April 1 and that, if awarded, the project would be bid in 2026 with construction as weather allows; the grant requires projects be completed within two years of award. Staff said the city applied for a similar grant in a prior round when the project estimate was lower and did not receive funding; additional cost estimating and site work were done since then to produce the updated $1.7 million figure.
Several councilors raised concerns about park priorities and the use of SDC funding for pickleball courts. One councilor said they preferred focusing future investments toward families and younger residents; staff responded that the city currently holds approximately $607,100 in SDC reserves and has multiple park projects in progress, including John Barnard Park (playground and court elements) and the Foursue Creek Trail, which are also funded from SDCs. A councilor also said they were not personally in favor of the selected location near the former pool and suggested revisiting siting options given the buried pool and floodplain implications.
With the resolution adopted, staff will include the council’s authorization in the grant application due April 1. If the grant is awarded, staff plan to prepare bid documents in 2026 and begin construction as weather permits.
