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Enumclaw council delays removal of pickleball lines at Rainier Trails until Garrett Park courts open
Summary
Stonebrook neighbors asked the council to remove pickleball lines at Rainier Trails Park because play generates sustained noise; councilmembers agreed to wait until seven new courts at Garrett Park are resurfaced (work begins May 18) before deciding.
Residents pressed the city to remove pickleball striping at Rainier Trails Park, but the council agreed to delay action until replacement courts at Garrett Park are brought online.
"We want to be clear that we are not opposed to pickleball," said Richard Gardine, representing Stonebrook neighbors, reading a written statement asking the council to restore the Rainier Trails court to tennis-only use. Gardine said the lines added in May 2025 have led to daily play and a level of noise that directly affects nearby homes as close as "approximately the distance from the back of this room to the front of council chambers." He said the parks board previously passed a motion to remove the lines and noted funding is available to do the work.
Several council members said they sympathized with nearby residents but favored a cautious approach. "Let's get the new court surfaced and lined out and then see what the use is," one council member said, urging the council to wait until Garrett Park is operational before removing existing lines at Rainier Trails. Council member Storton, who said he both lives in the neighborhood and plays pickleball, said the activity "was really, really noisy" after the lines were added but agreed removal could proceed once the new facility is available.
Others raised fiscal concerns about the cost of removing lines and re-striping courts; one council member called it "wasteful" to spend tax dollars to remove pavement lines and suggested waiting for the Garrett Park work to be completed.
The council directed staff to discuss the issue again and scheduled follow-up discussion for the May 18 meeting, allowing the city to evaluate how play patterns change after the new courts open.
The public comment that initiated the discussion came from Stonebrook neighbors organized around the noise impact; Garden Park resurfacing and the planned seven-court facility at Garrett Park were cited by staff and council as the preferred near-term solution.
