This project concluded in November 2022.

What is this project about?

At their July 5, 2022 meeting City Council directed Parks and Recreation staff to develop a process to explore possible alternative locations for new pickleball courts in Lake Oswego. Currently, George Rogers Park is the only City-owned pickleball courts site within the community. This study will explore potentially suitable locations for siting new pickleball courts in Lake Oswego. The process will allow the city to assess potential sites with an objective lens that balances community interests and concerns. It will explore multiple options including developing new pickleball courts on vacant land, or converting or retrofitting existing facilities to accommodate pickleball play. Sites may include vacant properties or portions of properties that are owned by the City, owned by our partner agencies, or are privately owned. The process will be guided by a by a Task Force comprised of representatives of the LO Pickleball Club, Lake Oswego School District, Parks Board, neighbors of the existing pickleball courts at George Rogers Park, and community members at-large. Community-wide input was also gathered through an online community preferences survey, which was available for three weeks in August 2022 and received 588 responses.

The Task Force will have their last meeting on November 3 to finalize their recommendations for Council. City Council will have a special meeting on November 14 to review and discuss those recommendations, as well as discuss next steps for pickleball at George Rogers.

schedule_v1_crop.jpg

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will the new pickleball courts be located?

The Parks & Recreation Department is undertaking a study to explore potentially suitable locations for siting new pickleball courts in Lake Oswego. The process will explore all possibilities within city limits. The City will be working with a Pickleball Task Force to create a set of site criteria to evaluate potential new court locations. The criteria will consider factors such as distance from homes, traffic and parking, impacts to sensitive natural areas, and nearby land uses. The process will also consider community preferences around where, when, and how people want to play pickleball. Ultimately, this process will identify a preferred alternative, or several preferred alternatives, along with preliminary project cost and timeline implications.

Will there be noise mitigation at the new pickleball courts?

Yes, most likely. Depending on the potential location(s) identified and their proximity to noise-sensitive areas such as homes, the Parks & Recreation Department will install the appropriate noise mitigation measures at the new pickleball courts once site is selected and the new courts are developed. We will not know what types of mitigation will be required until a site is selected.

Will pickleball courts be provided as part of the future Lake Oswego Recreation and Aquatics Center (“LORAC”) project?

Yes, indoor pickleball will be offered in the City’s new Recreation and Aquatics Center as part of the multi-use gym space.

Why can’t the City’s existing Tennis Center accommodate pickleball?

The Tennis Center and outdoor tennis courts throughout the community are popular amenities. The City does not believe taking an existing utilized amenity away is the long-term solution for pickleball. By selecting a new and dedicated site for pickleball, we will be able to meet the growing demands without compromising other recreational amenities, programs, or services. However, this process may explore the possibility of retrofitting existing facilities for joint use if that is an option that the community and the task force express interest in.

Will pickleball leave George Rogers Park?

As a part of the Pickleball Task Force and future site evaluation, Parks and Recreation staff will be creating a plan for the future of the pickleball courts at George Rogers Park. More information will be shared this fall once the site suitability study process is complete. In the meantime, to mitigate neighborhood impacts, play hours and schedule adjustments have been made and court users are required to play with noise reducing paddles and soft balls. The Parks and Recreation Department has also installed an acoustical barrier fencing (Acoustiblok) around the courts to minimize noise impacts to nearby neighbors.

Why were pickleball courts sited at George Rogers Park in the first place?

There has been growing demand for pickleball in the Lake Oswego community over the last decade, and the popularity has increased even more in recent years.

In 2015, staff identified the existing George Rogers Park tennis courts as being underutilized and decided to offer temporary pickleball play. At the time, there were temporary tape lines on the existing tennis courts and portable nets to meet the demand. From 2015 to 2018, additional lines were painted on the tennis courts to meet the needs of both tennis and pickleball users.

In 2018, as part of the routine maintenance of resurfacing the tennis courts, the City elected to convert the underutilized tennis courts to pickleball courts permanently. The two tennis courts turned into six pickleball courts. The conversion of the courts was low cost solution to meet the growing pickleball demand without building additional courts, which would have required land acquisition or removal of an existing sports field.

Who can I reach out to with questions or comments about the site suitability study process?

If you have any questions or comments about this process, please reach out to Kyra Haggart, Project Manager, at khaggart@ci.oswego.or.us or 503-697-6576.