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Neighbors press council to remove pickleball lines at Rainier Trails Park; council opts to wait for new courts
Summary
Stonebrook neighbors told the Enumclaw City Council that pickleball lines added last year at Rainier Trails Park create daily noise for homes as close as about 30 feet; council members agreed to delay removing lines until the new Garrett Park courts are resurfaced and use patterns can be observed.
Stonebrook residents urged the Enumclaw City Council on April 27 to restore Rainier Trails Park’s court to tennis-only after pickleball striping added in May 2025 drew daily players and persistent noise.
"We want to be clear that we are not opposed to pickleball," said Richard Gardine, reading a statement on behalf of Stonebrook neighbors. "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 said some homes are as close as "approximately the distance from the back of this room to the front of council chambers." He told council the parks board had voted to remove the pickleball lines and asked the council to discuss restoring the court to tennis only.
Council members debated the tradeoffs between neighbor impacts and public use of parks. Councilmember Storton, who lives in the neighborhood and plays pickleball, said he supported removing the lines once alternative courts were available: "I'm personally as long as Garrett is there, that the, I don't see a reason why the lines at Rainier Trails shouldn't be removed." Other council members voiced fiscal concerns about paying to remove lines and urged patience until the seven new Garrett Park courts are completed and resurfaced.
Kevin Orsut told colleagues he found the issue "annoying" and questioned the expense of removing lines with public funds, but he agreed that waiting to resurface Garrett Park then reassess was a reasonable compromise.
The council did not take formal action but agreed to revisit the issue at its May 18 meeting after the Garrett Park resurfacing is underway. Several members said they favored postponing any removal until use patterns at the new facility could be observed and the city could avoid paying to remove lines unnecessarily.
What happens next: Council directed staff to bring the matter back on May 18 so members can decide whether to remove Rainier Trails lines after Garrett Park comes online.
