Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Noise topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors ask council to remove pickleball lines at Rainier Trails Park; council prefers waiting for new Garrett Park courts
Summary
Stonebrook residents asked Enumclaw council to remove pickleball striping at Rainier Trails Park because daily play generates persistent noise for homes as close as 30 feet; the parks board recommended removal but council members favored waiting until new courts at Garrett Park are resurfaced to provide alternatives.
At the public‑comment portion of the April 27 meeting, Richard Gardine of the Stonebrook neighborhood urged the council to remove pickleball lines added at Rainier Trails Park in May 2025, saying daily play produces noise that directly affects nearby residents.
“We want to be clear that we are not opposed to pickleball,” Gardine said. “However, we are concerned about the location of the court at Rainier Trails Park ... A pickleball group plays daily beginning in May and continuing through the summer months, creating a level of noise that directly affects those of us living in close proximity.”
Gardine told the council the parks board passed a motion to remove the pickleball lines and that funding is available to complete resurfacing this year. He asked the council to discuss removing the lines and restoring the court to tennis only after resurfacing and after new courts at Garrett Park open.
Councilmembers reported the parks and community services committees had debated the issue. One council member said the parks board recommended removal but suggested waiting to resurface Rainier Trails until newly funded courts at Garrett Park (seven courts planned) are completed so players have an alternate location. “We kind of wanted to wait to remove the lines, or resurface the court until the new pickleball courts are done,” a council member said during committee reports.
Other council members said they sympathized with neighbors’ noise concerns but worried about the cost of removing lines and then having to remove them again after resurfacing. One member called for patience to see how use changes once Garrett Park work begins (scheduled to start May 18). Another member said he supports waiting for the Garrett Park courts to come online and offered that the city should avoid taking facilities away without providing alternate space.
Council agreed to discuss the matter further at the next meeting on May 18, 2026, and to monitor the situation once the Garrett Park courts are resurfaced.
