Parks staff outlines short- and long-term fixes for Strobel (Indian Creek) pickleball courts

Morgan Webb, deputy director for Parks, Recreation, Fleet and Facilities, presented an update on Strobel Park’s pickleball courts — also referred to in public materials as the Indian Creek Pickleball Courts — and described a mix of immediate maintenance actions and design lessons for future courts.

Webb said crews will remove landscape around the courts to reduce shrub debris and bee activity, replace the ground material with medium-sized rock to prevent transfer onto the courts, reattach the bottoms of nets to keep them in place, and investigate higher fencing as requested by residents. Webb cautioned that resurfacing the courts would be a costly, temporary fix because cracks result from how the concrete was poured; the department is investigating longer-term construction methods (post-tension or fiber-reinforced concrete) for future courts.

The parks staff has consulted two members of the Boise Area Pickleball Association for design advice and plans to meet with a resurfacing company to discuss maintenance and care. Webb listed other design elements staff will consider for new or reconstructed courts: higher fencing with gated entrances, wind breaks, shade structures, and nearby drinking water.

Why it matters: Residents raising complaints about the courts prompted the review; city staff said fixes now will address nuisance problems (bees, debris, loose nets) while larger capital solutions require budgeting and design changes. Webb said the department will reach back out to the Indian Creek residents who presented the concerns.

Council members asked whether staff had met the presenting homeowners; Webb said staff planned to contact them the next day and had already consulted local players for design advice. The council did not take formal action on the item at this meeting.