Neighbors urge removal of pickleball lines at Rainier Trails Park; council to wait for new courts

Residents of the Stonebrook neighborhood told the City Council on April 27 that pickleball lines painted last year at Rainier Trails Park have produced sustained daily noise that disrupts nearby homes.

"We want to be clear that we are not opposed to pickleball. However, we are concerned about the location of the court at Rainier Trails Park," Stonebrook resident Richard Gardine told the council. He said players use the court daily from May through the summer and that some homes sit roughly 30 feet from the court. Gardine said the parks board voted two weeks ago to remove the pickleball lines and that funding is available to resurface the court.

Council members who participated in the Community & Economic Development and parks discussions described a split between residents seeking line removal and council members concerned about removing recreational space before alternatives are available. One council member said it made sense to "get the new court surfaced and lined out and then see what the use is" at Rainier Trails before making a removal decision. Councilmember Storton, who lives in the neighborhood and plays pickleball, said Garrett Park will have seven courts and called it a "proper facility," and said he supported removing the Rainier Trails lines once alternatives are fully available.

Other council members raised fiscal caution about removing lines now if the city will have to pay for removal. A compromise emerged: wait until Garrett Park’s resurfacing and new courts are open (work slated to start May 18) and then re-evaluate use and potential removal of Rainier Trails lines.

The council scheduled further discussion at the May 18 meeting, and no formal action to remove or restore lines was taken tonight.