Rohnert Park moves to convert Sunrise Park courts to permanent pickleball courts; drilling may hit underground electrical conduit

City staff told the Rohnert Park City Council on Aug. 26 that Sunrise Park’s mixed pickleball/tennis courts will be reconfigured as permanent pickleball courts using in‑house crews and equipment supplied by the Rohnert Park Pickleball Club.

"We are moving forward with doing that despite the fact that the pickleball project that we had on the table had to be pulled because of budget restraints," Cindy Bagley, director of community services, said. Bagley explained that courts 1–6 are already permanent pickleball courts and courts 7–12 are temporary lines painted over permanent tennis courts; the plan calls for drilling supports and painting lines so the temporary courts become permanent pickleball courts.

Bagley warned of one logistical complication: markings indicate electrical conduit may run directly beneath the southern three courts "exactly where the permanent poles need to go." She said staff plan to hydro‑excavate the southern courts to locate and expose underground utilities; if conduits are too shallow, staff may pause and reconfigure those southern courts. The city will install nets and signage once drilling and painting are completed. The Pickleball Club is funding nets and paint, she said, and the work will be done by the city’s streets and parks crew.

A tentative schedule presented by staff called for work to begin in mid‑September with completion by the end of September and reopening by the beginning of October. Councilmembers asked whether utility interruptions would affect nearby residents; staff said the conduit connects court lighting only and should not affect neighborhood electrical service.

Council thanked staff for the public‑private partnership and characterized the solution as a possible model for future park improvements.