Corona’s City Council voted to adopt a compromise plan for pickleball court expansion at El Cerrito Park after a lengthy public hearing that included dozens of speakers from tennis and pickleball communities and neighbors concerned about noise and parking.

Parks staff reviewed nine options that ranged from converting existing tennis courts and repurposing vacant parcels to moving the project to Butterfield Park. Staff said option 6 — the recommended compromise — would construct new courts at El Cerrito while converting Border Park back to two tennis courts, add a basketball court in a vacant spot, and keep the total number of tennis courts in the city constant. Staff estimated option 6’s cost at roughly $1.2 million (about $100,000 over the CIP budget).

Neighbors from the Border Park area described daily noise and parking impacts; one speaker, Antonio Anaya, urged relocation or enforcement to protect residents’ quiet. Tennis players and school coaches, including several Santiago High School representatives, warned that removing tennis courts at El Cerrito would harm youth teams that use the site for practice. Seniors and pickleball advocates described the health and social benefits of pickleball and urged the city to find a balanced solution.

Councilmembers debated options and mitigation measures. Several members favored option 6 because it maintains the city’s tennis‑court inventory while accommodating pickleball; others pushed additional measures such as quiet paddles, restrictions on organized Friday‑night play and required parking studies. The council ultimately approved a motion to move forward with option 6 and to require limited Friday‑night closures of El Cerrito pickleball courts (voice vote recorded as: Daddario No; Speak Yes; Richens Yes; Casillas No; Mayor Steiner Yes). The motion passed on a 3–2 vote.

What passed: direction to implement the option 6 compromise (construct new courts at El Cerrito, convert Border Park back to tennis, create a basketball court in the vacant lot) and to impose restricted play/locked gates on Friday evenings as an interim mitigation measure; council asked staff to continue working with the pickleball community on details and parking solutions.

Next steps: staff will bring forward project design and budget refinements, pursue needed CIP adjustments for the funding gap, and coordinate with community groups on enforcement and scheduling plans.