Council directs temporary 'tennis only' sign at Rainier Trails Park after neighborhood complaints

The Enumclaw City Council approved a motion on May 26 to place a temporary sign at Rainier Trails Park encouraging “tennis only” use and to direct pickleball players to the recently resurfaced courts at Dwight/Garrett.

Councilmembers and staff described multiple recent complaints from an HOA board member and other residents about noise levels, parking on adjacent streets and instances of public urination. Councilmember Smith (speaker 5) read committee notes and public comments that listed parking and restroom concerns and said the committee agreed to propose signage to inform park users of alternatives.

Several council members emphasized the sign should not imply enforceability. Council discussed whether the city would be legally required to change parking or park rules; staff replied that a temporary, non‑codified sign is allowable and that only a codified regulation would trigger enforcement obligations or require reimbursement for prior striping work. Some council members proposed a temporary sign be installed immediately and reevaluated in a month.

The council also discussed complementary steps raised during committee: possible temporary porta‑potties, outreach to local pickleball groups about repainting lines, and encouraging use of larger parks with restroom facilities. The motion to place a temporary sign with language encouraging tennis-only use and directing players to Dwight/Garrett courts carried by voice vote.

Next steps: parks staff will design and install a temporary sign and re-evaluate community response after roughly one month; council members discussed whether to pursue codifying any restriction if problems persist.