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Residents press Reston Association for more dedicated pickleball courts as board outlines tennis-reservation pilot
Summary
Multiple residents at the June 25 meeting urged the Reston Association to add dedicated pickleball courts—particularly on the south side—citing long waits and unmet promises; staff announced a July tennis-reservation pilot and said a fuller recommendation will follow in the fall budget cycle.
Residents packed the microphone at the June 25 Reston Association meeting to press for additional dedicated pickleball courts, telling the board that prior promises have been deferred and that overcrowding forces many players to leave Reston to find courts elsewhere.
Why it matters: Commenters said pickleball is inclusive across ages and abilities and argued the association risks losing participation and revenue if it fails to expand facilities. Several asked that dedicated courts and associated funding be included in the 2027 capital improvement plan or the upcoming draft budget.
"We were promised that pickleball would be revisited after the Barton Hill decision over a year ago. Yet nothing has happened," said Raquel Melanix, who told the board that a lack of progress has left a large portion of the community “being left behind.” Other speakers described long waits, overcrowding at evening hours, and residents who travel to neighboring jurisdictions or pay to use private facilities.
Residents cited local capacity and national participation data: one speaker said Reston has eight courts with only four dedicated, serving a community of more than 64,000 residents; national figures discussed during comments referenced over 24 million players and projected continued growth.
Board and staff response: Acting CEO Peter Lusk announced a pilot reservation system for tennis courts at Newbridge and North Hills that will start in July; the pilot is limited to tennis courts and will not convert existing pickleball courts. Staff said they will report pilot results during the fall budget season and that additional long-term planning would follow. Several residents asked that resurfacing or upcoming projects be used as an opportunity to convert courts and that funds be allocated in the 2027 budget for permanent dedicated pickleball facilities on the south side.
What’s next: Staff will run the tennis-reservation pilot over the summer and deliver preliminary data in the fall. Residents requested the board include pickleball considerations in capital planning and to accelerate site assessment for new dedicated courts.
