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Pickleball players press Cupertino council to make Memorial Park courts permanent, lower plan cost
Summary
Multiple speakers at the March 3 workshop urged the council to scale back a proposed $40 million Memorial Park renovation, make existing pickleball courts permanent, fund permanent striping, and consider sound mitigation; staff said the park plan is not currently funded and CIP work will be considered in April.
Cupertino — Dozens of residents and members of the Cupertino Pickleball Club urged the City Council on March 3 to scale back the proposed Memorial Park renovation and to make the current eight pickleball courts a permanent facility rather than building new courts as part of an $40 million plan.
Representatives from the Cupertino Pickleball Club said the group now includes more than 1,000 members and that volunteers maintain the temporary court lines. Anoop Singhal, speaking for the club, urged the council to “remove the construction of a new pickleball court” from the Memorial Park plan and to designate the existing courts as a permanent home, saying the change could save at least $1.2 million in construction and site‑preparation costs.
Speakers described an extensive volunteer effort to retape non‑permanent lines, with Frank Chu saying volunteers retaped courts roughly every two to three weeks and estimated about 12 hours of volunteer work monthly to maintain lines. Several speakers said the group would privately fund permanent painted lines; Frank Chu and others offered photos and maintenance examples to staff.
Noise and neighborhood impacts also came up. Player David Lim gave measured sound readings of 59–63 decibels during peak hours and noted Cupertino’s municipal code limit of 65 dB. He urged the city to consider a sound barrier along Christensen Drive; staff said sound mitigation and permanent improvements are likely CIP matters and would be considered during CIP prioritization in April.
Staff clarified that the Memorial Park renovation plan discussed in prior materials is not currently funded; the CIP prioritization process will be presented to council in April. Several council members asked staff to provide project cost breakdowns and to return with options that would deliver needed park improvements at a more modest cost. The mayor and staff also said staff would provide additional information about the park‑related settlement agreement (a 100‑day restriction on certain uses) and the budget and legal implications of changing operating limits.
Public comment also included proposals to introduce resident/nonresident registration and fees for high‑demand facilities and to study membership models. Council members and staff said they would examine the feasibility and legal implications of residency‑based fees and registration.
