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Commission endorses racquet-courts policy revisions after pickleball line dispute; public asks for clarification on Court 5
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Summary
The commission recommended updates to the Racquet Sports Court policy (formatting, booking limits, hours and rental rules) and heard public comment from Kathy Togic, who asked whether Court 5 would be repainted for four single-use courts or remain dual-use for pickleball; staff said Court 5 remains a dual-use pilot and the commission voted to recommend the policy updates unanimously.
The Menlo Park Parks and Recreation Commission on March 25 recommended updates to the city—s Racquet Sports Court policy, changes staff said clarify hours of availability, rental guidelines, USAT/USTA guidance, and booking limits in the city—s reservation system.
Staff said the draft rescoped the policy to align with city formatting standards, added sections on hours and organizational contacts, and included booking-system rules intended to reduce large instructors—holdings of slots and last-minute cancellations. "We—re hoping that the combination of policy changes and back-end changes and some better signage at the courts, we can even address some of these complaints," a staff member said.
Public commenter Kathy Togic, who identified herself as a pickleball player, asked whether Court 5 would be repainted with tennis lines (four single courts) as previously discussed or remain a dual-use court. "It indicated to me at our prior meeting that that court would be repainted for the four individual courts... and then when I saw the dual use listed in the document, I know that's a little bit in conflict," Togic said, asking staff to confirm whether April repainting would render Court 5 single-use tennis or maintain pickleball markings. She argued dual markings could be confusing and less safe for seniors and new players.
Staff responded that Court 5 remains dual-use under the current pilot because city council has not directed a permanent change; staff said they plan to restrike pickleball lines for now while considering future changes and will provide clarification to the commenter. Staff also described operational fixes: limiting how far in advance courts can be reserved (two-week boundary) and restricting the number of rental slots available to a single instructor to reduce hoarding and cancellation patterns.
The commission moved to recommend the updated policy and approved the recommendation unanimously.
Why it matters: The policy change aims to improve equity of access to courts and reduce informal "squatting" by instructors, while the public comment highlights community tension over whether courts should be dedicated to pickleball or remain shared. Staff said the issue is still a pilot-level decision pending council direction.
Next step: Staff will provide the clarified language about Court 5 and painting plans to the commenter and forward the recommended policy to the city council process as appropriate.
