Item No. 11
Town of Atherton
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – REGULAR AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: ROBERT OVADIA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: JULY 16, 2025
SUBJECT: REVIEW THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PARK AND
RECREATION COMMITTEE REGARDING THE PICKLEBALL
PROGRAM AT HOLBROOK-PALMER PARK AND PROVIDE
DIRECTION TO STAFF
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Council review the recommendations from the Park and Recreation Committee regarding the pickleball program at the Park; and provide direction regarding changes to the pickleball program including potential restriping of the courts, permanent facilities, changes in hours, use, and instructional use of the courts.
BACKGROUND
The pickleball trial at Holbrook-Palmer was initiated at the end of January 2024, with shared use of a tennis court (Court 1). In September 2024, based on recommendations from the Park and Recreation Committee, the City Council expanded the reservable hours of the pickleball courts as follows:
• Mornings (until noon) – daily
• Evenings (after 4pm) – Tuesdays and Thursdays
• All day – Sunday
As with tennis, access to the court reservation system is limited to key holders. Drop-in/open play usage of the courts has not been approved.
There is heavy demand for the pickleball courts, with reservation hours reaching 195 hours in April 2025, 255 hours in May 2025, and 206 hours in June 2025. There have been complaints regarding availability of the courts due to the heavy usage and instructional use of the courts. There are similar complaints regarding availability of the regular tennis courts.
At this time, due to the limited number of pickleball courts, and concerns regarding impacts to HPP Pickleball Program
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availability for general use, instructional usage of the pickleball courts has not been allowed.
At its May and June City Council Study Sessions regarding the FY 2025-26 budget, the Council received information regarding a potential donation to improve access to pickleball at HolbrookPalmer Park. The donor offered to restore the clay court (Court 3) to a standard tennis court and convert Court 1 to full time pickleball. This information was shared with the Park and Recreation Committee at their June 4, 2025, meeting.
At the meeting, staff provided the dimensions required for various layouts that could be considered in court conversion and/or relocation (possibly to the hand ball court). The Committee reviewed the options. The Committee’s initial recommendation was that Court 1 be converted to a pickleball only court and that the clay court, due to its limited usage (see chart below), be converted back to a regular hard court for tennis. A second alternative was also recommended for further review included the demolition of the handball court and the construction of two pickleball courts between the tennis courts and the pathway to Felton Gables, along the rail side of the park. This second alternative was less desired as it did not increase the number of pickleball courts. Final recommendations were pending information on approximate costs.
At the meeting, the Committee also requested an opportunity to review and discuss the pickleball program, hours and usage.
At its July 2, 2025, meeting, the Park and Recreation Committee received additional information regarding court reservation, concerns regarding instructional use, improvement options and alternatives to provide additional facilities for pickleball, as well as preliminary cost estimates for the various alternatives. The Committee received input from Player Capital Tennis and members of the public and recommended the following regarding the pickleball program:
1. Short Term - Restripe Court 1 to overlay 4 pickleball courts over the tennis court as compared to the current configuration of two courts over the tennis court – provide additional nets to accommodate the new courts.
2. Long Term – Remove the handball court located between the tennis courts and the Felton Gables Safe Routes pathway and construct two self-enclosed pickleball courts. Potentially donor funded.
ANALYSIS
As noted above, there is a heavy demand for pickleball at Holbrook-Palmer Park. The following chart, excerpted from the June 2025, Parks Division Report, depicts the usage of the courts at Holbrook- Plamer Park:
Month PC Court
Hours
# of
Student
s
Private
Lessons
Key
Holder
Hours
Clay
Court
Hours
Pickleball
Court
Hours
24-Jul 812 415 443 465 64 75
24-Aug 705 408 433 380 39 117.5
HPP Pickleball Program
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HPP Pickleball Program
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24-Sep 805 315 407 395 15 116
24-Oct 797 342 397 325 22 132.5
24-Nov 667 345 415 362 6 169
24-Dec 642 295 367 322 15 125
25-Jan 597 299 351 321 9 167
25-Feb 660 301 433 395 12 188
25-Mar 676 294 408 323 19.5 187.5
25-Apr 693 335 452 365 18 195.5
25-May 698 375 455 353 15 255
25-June 784 435 475 320 20 206
Total 8,586 4,159 5036 4,326* 254.5 1,754
* corrected
As noted in the chart, pickleball usage is significantly higher than that of the clay court, and clay court usage averages approximately 20 hours/month. Summer usage of the clay court usage peaks with Player Capital usage of the court for their summer tennis camps. Clay court revenue associated with non-resident usage was reported by Player Capital Tennis to be less than $2,000 per year. Such revenue has not yet been shared with the Town.
Court Conversions
Attached to this report are depictions of various tennis and pickleball layouts for review by the Committee for a recommendation to the City Council. Though formal cost estimation has not been conducted, the following options are ordered in approximate least cost to most cost:
Permanent conversion of Court 1 to pickleball – resurfacing, striping and net installation Permanent conversion of Court 1 to pickleball, and conversion of the clay court to hard court tennis
Demolition of the handball court and construction of two pickleball courts, with reconversion of Court 1 to tennis – note that new fencing and access will be required for the pickleball courts and the rear tennis courts.
Conversion and expansion of Court 5 to accommodate pickleball, with reconversion of Court 1 to tennis. Also included is the conversion of the clay court to hard-court tennis.
Note that there are different layout options showing pickleball court striping in the space of a tennis court, ranging from two courts (current) to four courts.
Approximate construction cost ranges, not including design and construction management, are provided as follows:
• Court 1 – resurfacing, striping and nets: $25,000 - $35,000 • Court 3 – removal of clay court and reconstruction as hard court: $150,000 – 200,000 • Handball Court – removal of handball court and replacement with two pickleball courts:
$250,000 - $300,000
HPP Pickleball Program
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• Court 5 – removal of handball court, expansion of Court 5 and restriping to accommodate four pickleball courts, including resurfacing of Court 1 to tennis only: $200,000 - $250,000 *Note – these are rough magnitude costs only.
As noted above, after review and deliberation, the Committee recommended both short and longterm improvements to add pickleball facilities at Holbrook-Palmer Park as follows:
1. Short Term - Restripe Court 1 to overlay 4 pickleball courts over the tennis court as compared to the current configuration of two courts over the tennis court – provide additional nets to accommodate the new courts
2. Long Term – Remove the handball court located between the tennis courts and the Felton Gables Safe Routes pathway and construct two self-enclosed pickleball Courts. Potentially donor funded.
Monitoring and maintenance of the clay court is difficult and increasingly expensive as compared to the limited use the court receives. Though Player Capital Tennis is responsible for day-to-day oversight and management, including watering and spreading, the greater burden is with the Town, including issues with the irrigation system and court refresh and repairs.
Staff is seeking Council direction regarding the recommendations from the Park and Recreation Committee on short and long-term options; as well as considerations regarding conversion of the handball courts.
Court Hours and Use
The Committee also discussed the potential of increasing pickleball use of Court 1 to all day on Saturday and the addition of drop-in/open play. After deliberation and discussion, including input from Player Capital Tennis, there was a concern about impacts to tennis court availability with added hours on Saturday, as it is a heavy demand day, and how drop-in/open play would be monitored and managed. Player Capital Tennis will be evaluating modifications to the reservation system to limit tennis reservations on Court 1 when other hard courts are available, potentially improving availability of the pickleball courts. Ultimately, the Committee recommended that the hours and reservation requirements stay the same and that the recommendation to modify the striping on Court 1 would improve court availability.
Staff is seeking Council direction regarding the Committee’s recommendations on use hours and reservations.
Pickleball Instruction
The Committee also discussed if instructional usage of the pickleball courts should be permitted.
The current agreement with Player Capital Tennis recognizes them as the exclusive provider of tennis lessons at the Park Tennis Facility. This is interpreted to extend to pickleball at this time as it is on an existing tennis court within the existing tennis facility that was converted after the agreement. There have been complaints regarding the extent of instructional usage, initially HPP Pickleball Program
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purported to be by Player Capital Tennis, as well as desires by some members of the community wanting to use their own instructors and others wanting to instruct on the courts. As noted above, staff has been trying to restrict instructional use to maximize play opportunities by the community.
While possible to provide, Player Capital Tennis has refrained from offering pickleball lessons at this time. Once additional courts are provided there is an opportunity to allow instructional use on the pickleball courts.
Staff is seeking Council direction regarding instructional imitations, including if the existing agreement with Player Capital should extend to pickleball instruction, the number of courts/hours that instructional use would be permitted, if outside instructors should be permitted on the courts and the type of agreement for such authorization to instruct on the pickleball courts.
FISCAL IMPACT
Fiscal impact will depend on the options selected and if a donor or donors can be found to offset costs.
GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:
• Goal D - Be Forward Thinking
• Goal E - Maintain and Improve Public Infrastructure
• Goal F - Build Community & Promote Civic Engagement
POLICY FOCUS
The policy focus for this item is regarding potential improvement and or expansion of pickle ball program and facilities at Holbrook-Palmer Park.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the project is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders –to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire Protection District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.
COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
Park and Recreation Committee (meets each month)
HPP Pickleball Program
JULY 16, 2025
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 –Pickleball Court Dimensions and Layout Options