Martinez council votes to close Hidden Valley pickleball courts after year of neighborhood complaints

The Martinez City Council voted on March 18 to discontinue pickleball play at Hidden Valley Sports Courts, a move staff recommended after a year of neighborhood complaints about noise, parking and public-safety concerns.

Assistant City Manager Lauren Seguyan told council members the courts, renovated and reopened in February 2025 using one-time federal funds, draw regional players and generate a “sharp, repetitive pop” that penetrates nearby homes. Staff said they had tried operational changes, signage, volunteer ambassadors, revised hours and a survey of nearby residents, but found the core problem to be land-use incompatibility: the courts sit only 50 to 100 feet from two-story homes and no feasible sound mitigation short of full enclosure would solve the problem. “We no longer believe we can recommend these pickleball courts stay open at this location in this residential setting,” Seguyan said.

Neighbors described the noise and its effects in blunt terms during public comment. One resident who works from home said the sport’s impulse noise—“the sharp pop of a paddle hitting a plastic ball”—repeatedly disrupts sleep, concentration and work. Another told the council that players sometimes jump fences, leave trash, and engage in fights and public urination near private yards.

Pickleball players and other residents urged compromise, pointing to quieter ball options, sound wraps and volunteer ambassadors. “We teach each other. We encourage each other,” a longtime player told the council, adding the courts are an affordable place for people of all ages to exercise and socialize.

Councilmembers said they weighed the recreational value against persistent harm reported by neighbors, the prospect of litigation and the city’s limited ability to enforce park rules without dedicated staffing. After deliberation the council approved the resolution discontinuing pickleball at the Hidden Valley site, with council directions to work through the parks master plan this summer to identify suitable relocation sites and design standards that provide setbacks, buffering and other protections.

The resolution passed on a 4–0 roll call vote with one council member absent. Staff said implementation would begin immediately and that the council will consider relocation options and potential capital improvements in upcoming budget and master-plan reports.

What’s next: staff will coordinate with public works and parks staff to implement the closure at Hidden Valley and to present relocation options and design guidance for a future dedicated pickleball facility during the parks master-plan update.