Katy council approves $2.36M park upgrade but removes pickleball conversion after resident outcry

Katy City Council voted Dec. 8 to approve the base scope of a $2,357,530 capital improvement project for Katy City Park while removing a $“alternate” that would have converted two public tennis courts to pickleball courts.

The decision followed more than two hours of public comment in which parents, coaches and longtime players warned the council that removing two courts would reduce tennis access at a facility they said is heavily used by children and teens. "If we're going to rip out a court, I'm opposed to it because I see that the kids don't have a place to play," said Alan Walker, a Katy resident who said his daughter relies on the park's lit courts.

Supporters of the base project said the primary work addresses the park's drainage, mobility and turf subgrade and is aimed at safety and long-term usability. Parks staff told the council the pickleball conversion had been submitted as an alternate bid; removing that alternate keeps the project's critical infrastructure work intact while allowing separate, lower-cost options to be pursued for pickleball.

Why it matters: Residents and youth coaches say the six public tennis courts near downtown Katy provide low-cost, walkable access for children and a training pipeline for competitive tennis. Speakers repeatedly cited capacity data presented by staff showing tennis-court rentals rose from several hundred per year in 2022 to more than 1,000 in 2024, a jump council members said made the trade-off more consequential.

Council debate centered on cost, usage and alternatives. Councilmember Janet Court and others asked whether restriping courts (painting lines for dual use) or locating standalone pickleball courts elsewhere in the city would be feasible. Parks staff said restriping two courts could likely be procured separately and would not require rebidding the park's base contract; the council directed staff to seek proposals and return if the work exceeded the staff procurement threshold.

Councilmember Gina Hicks moved to amend the pending award to approve the base bid without the pickleball alternate; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The amended approval authorizes the park drainage, sidewalks, subgrade and field-related work but excludes permanent pickleball construction from the current contract. Council further directed staff to solicit restriping proposals and to bring back numbers or proceed under staff authority if below the applicable dollar threshold.

Officials also approved a separate resolution to fund sports-field LED lighting for the multipurpose field at Katy City Park. The city authorized a $210,000 contract with Siteco Lighting US Inc. to upgrade the park's lighting to a sport LED system.

Looking ahead: Parks staff will provide cost estimates or request council approval for any restriping or standalone pickleball construction that exceeds procurement limits. The base park work will proceed under the approved contract; staff said the construction package addresses accessibility, drainage and safety concerns that the council identified as priorities.

"We need to address the multipurpose field and the drainage in the park," a city staff member told the council, explaining why the base bid moved forward independent of the pickleball alternate.

The council's action: Approved base Katy City Park capital-improvement project (voice vote); removed pickleball alternate from the award; directed staff to pursue restriping proposals and return if necessary.