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Council approves temporary 'tennis only' sign at Rainier Trails Park after debate on parking and enforcement
Summary
After a lengthy discussion about parking, noise and enforceability, the Enumclaw City Council voted 5–1 to place a temporary sign at Rainier Trails Park encouraging tennis-only use and directing pickleball players to nearby Dwight Garrett Park; the sign is nonbinding and will be reevaluated.
The Enumclaw City Council voted to place a temporary sign at Rainier Trails Park encouraging tennis-only use and directing players to nearby Dwight Garrett Park, after a prolonged debate about parking, noise and whether a sign would create enforceable obligations.
Councilmember Smith moved the measure, telling colleagues, “I make a motion to ask the council to implement a sign for Rainier Trails Park.” The motion was seconded and carried after councilmembers discussed complaints from residents and the limits of city enforcement.
Supporters said the sign is a low-cost, interim step to steer pickleball activity to newly resurfaced courts elsewhere in town. Councilmembers and staff repeatedly noted the sign would function on an honor system unless council codifies a restriction. As one council member put it during discussion, “I just wanna be clear that this is not enforceable.”
During debate, council members cited three recent public complaints: reported public urination, cars parked on both sides of a narrow street creating safety concerns, and noise from multiple people playing on the court. Some councilmembers recommended a temporary sign so staff could monitor whether the resurfacing and new courts would reduce the issues before pursuing a formal regulatory change.
The council discussed alternatives such as codifying restrictions (which would require a separate policy process and possible reimbursement if prior stripe work is restricted) and placing temporary signage prior to committing to permanent wording. Staff said a temporary sign could be posted quickly and advised that language should encourage use of Dwight Garrett Park’s courts rather than assert a legally enforceable ban.
The motion passed on the floor and the council directed staff to produce temporary signage with suggested verbiage and to reevaluate the outcome within a short follow-up period. The council recorded the final vote as 5–1; names were not called for each recorded aye/no vote.
