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Parks board hears neighborhood input and pickleball demand for Fourth Parallel court project
Summary
Staff presented survey results and neighborhood outreach about adding pickleball courts during the Fourth Parallel Park tennis court reconstruction; board voiced support and accepted public comment from the Oshkosh Pickleball Club president.
The Parks Advisory Board on April 14 discussed whether to include two pickleball courts in place of one tennis court during reconstruction of the courts at 40 Fourth Parallel Park, and heard neighborhood outreach results and public comment from the local pickleball club.
Why it matters: City staff said tennis-court reconstruction projects historically remove one of two tennis courts and can add two pickleball courts in the same footprint. Board members and the public weighed demand from players against noise concerns raised by nearby residents.
What staff reported: Parks staff said they hand-delivered a survey to about 60 homes surrounding the park and received 14 responses: 10 favored adding pickleball, three preferred keeping tennis-only, and one had no preference but wanted community benefit. Staff noted some respondents live directly across from the courts; one adjacent resident had not responded despite outreach. The earlier reconstruction of courts at West Haven and Tech Miller parks used similar configurations.
Public comment: Bruce Abraham, president of the Oshkosh Pickleball Club, said the club supports the project and that outdoor court demand currently outstrips supply. Abraham said he is not aware of formal outdoor tournaments being held at neighborhood parks and recommended reserving tournament play for larger complexes away from residences.
Board discussion: Several board members said demand appears to be rising and endorsed proceeding with pickleball as planned for the reconstruction. Staff noted past complaints at Tech Miller from one or two neighbors but said complaints have been limited given overall use. No formal ordinance or code change was proposed; staff sought the board's input and said design details, including possible noise-mitigation measures, can be evaluated as plans progress.
Outcome: The board provided input in favor of adding pickleball courts at 40 Fourth Parallel Park and asked staff to continue neighborhood outreach and plan design, but there was no formal vote or ordinance action recorded on court configuration at this meeting.
Context: Parks staff cautioned that some parks with single courts adjacent to many homes (the example named was Stevens Park) have different considerations and the department typically will not add pickleball in those constrained locations without neighborhood consent.
Ending: Staff said the project remains in the 2025 capital improvement plan and that design will continue with attention to neighbors' input and possible sound mitigation measures.
