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Neighbors press Sunnyvale to add pickleball and oppose sports lighting, extra courts at Las Palmas Park
Summary
Multiple residents at the Las Palmas Park meeting urged city planners to include free pickleball courts, questioned plans for sports lighting and argued that adding courts near a leased tennis center would worsen parking and noise; consultants said pickleball was not a choice for this park under current project assumptions.
A string of residents at the City of Sunnyvale's Las Palmas Park community meeting urged planners to add free pickleball courts and pushed back on plans for sports lighting and new courts close to an existing tennis center.
"There are zero free pickleball courts in Sunnyvale," said resident Emily Tanner, citing survey feedback and arguing the city should expand free access to the sport rather than rely on fee-based nearby facilities. Tanner asked why pickleball — repeatedly prioritized in past assessments — was absent from all three concept options.
City and consultant responses: Project manager Connie Fan and RRM consultants said the recommendations draw from the city's athletic facilities needs assessment, but that this renovation began with the assumption that synthetic turf and dedicated pickleball courts are not part of the project scope for Las Palmas. "We're not doing pickleball at this facility," a consultant said, and staff invited residents to record preferences in the follow-up survey and at the parks commission.
Neighborhood concerns: Several neighbors warned that adding night lighting and permanent courts could increase parking demand and noise. Mark Kessel said introducing nighttime fields could "exacerbate the parking issues" and urged caution. A resident who lives next to the park said pickleball noise is especially noticeable in nearby homes and asked that any courts be buffered by tall greenery if added.
Other community requests included more benches, a second restroom on the west side of the park, shade and drainage improvements for the dog park, and preserving the park's natural grassy character instead of converting it into a sports complex. Multiple speakers favored Option B as a more gradual change that retains open space while adding amenities.
What organizers said to do next: Consultants and staff encouraged residents to take the follow-up survey (open for three weeks) and to attend the on-site pop-up to indicate priorities. Bennett Chun, the city senior engineer, reminded attendees that the sports assessment was presented to the City Council on Jan. 28 and can be located in the council meeting records for further context.
No formal policy change or vote occurred at the meeting; planners said the community's responses will be folded into the next round of refined concepts.
