Enumclaw council approves temporary 'tennis-only' sign at Rainier Trails Park after residents complain about pickleball

The Enumclaw City Council on May 26 voted to place a temporary sign at Rainier Trails Park that encourages tennis use and directs pickleball players to nearby Dwight Garrett courts.

Councilmember Smith, reporting out of the community services committee, proposed the sign to address recent neighborhood complaints about noise, parking and public urination around the Rainier Trails courts. "I would like to make a motion to ask the council to implement a sign for Rainier Trails Park," the councilmember said when moving the item.

Council discussion focused on how to frame the sign and the limits of city enforcement. Several members warned a sign reading "tennis only" would be unenforceable unless the city adopted a formal regulation, and one councilmember noted that making such a restriction could obligate the city to reimburse the cost of previously painted court lines. "If you want it to be tennis only, then you resurface it or you codify it," the mayor said, adding a sign is a low-cost and nonbinding approach.

Several council members proposed a temporary, instructive sign that steers players to the newly resurfaced courts at Dwight Garrett while staff monitors outcomes and does outreach with the local pickleball group. Staff said a temporary sign could be deployed quickly and would be understood as an "honor system" rather than a codified restriction.

The motion to place a temporary sign with verbiage encouraging tennis and providing directions to alternate courts passed on a voice vote.

Next steps: staff will design the temporary sign, coordinate outreach with the pickleball group, and return to council if a codified restriction or permanent solution is needed.