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Resident urges resurfacing of Dupree Park pickleball courts and urges council to act on affordable housing
Summary
A longtime Woodstock resident told council the pickleball courts at Dupree Park need resurfacing this year to serve daily players and leagues, and urged the council to develop an actionable affordable‑housing plan after saying no affordable homes have been built in the city since 2021.
Gopinath Govindaraj, a Woodstock resident, told the council during public comment on Feb. 24 that Dupree Park’s pickleball courts are deteriorating and in need of a full resurfacing this year to support daily players and upcoming league play.
Govindaraj said the courts draw “at least 50 people who come every day” and that dead spots on the surface are reducing playability and deterring regular players. He said the Dupree master plan’s multi‑year timeline (which he estimated at 10 to 15 years) would not address immediate maintenance needs and asked the council to allocate budget for resurfacing during the current budget cycle. He gave a personal example of a friend who no longer plays there because of court condition.
Govindaraj also urged the council to take leadership on affordable housing, asserting that “since 2021, we have not built even one affordable home in the City of Woodstock” and calling for a strategic plan to help renters become homeowners and enable young families to afford housing in the city. His remarks were delivered as public comment; no formal council action on these items was recorded in the meeting minutes.
Govindaraj identified himself as a resident of Woodstock for the last 10 years and closed by asking council to “come up with a strategic plan to address” housing affordability.
