Camas Pickleball Court Conflict: Camas Parks and Recreation Director Chris Witkowski is working on a solution to the growing conflict between tennis and pickleball players in the city’s shared public courts. Witkowski, who started his role on May 5, is considering separating the two sports to reduce noise, crowding, and community complaints.
Residents Frustrated by Shared Court Use
Tensions have been rising for years between tennis and pickleball players using shared courts at Crown Park and Grass Valley Park. Camas residents Myles Crawley and Nikki Zhu expressed concern about visiting pickleball players.
“The biggest problem that we see with the current arrangement and situation is that most of the pickleball players are from elsewhere,” they said in an email to Camas Communications Director Bryan Rachal. “They throw their trash all over the courts and leave empty water bottles, clothing, broken folding chairs, and other personal items lying around.”
Others have raised concerns about noise from the sport and crowded parking lots. Local residents have sent letters and spoken up at public meetings, asking for changes to the court system.
A New Parks Director Brings Fresh Ideas
Before joining Camas, Chris Witkowski worked in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, where he managed hundreds of parks and dealt with similar sports conflicts.
“There were lots of conflicts over shared courts, court availability, one group not giving up court space”-(Chris Witkowski).
His solution in Canada was to create separate courts for tennis and pickleball. Witkowski is exploring whether a similar plan could work in Camas.
“My experience is that separating the two uses is the best path forward”-(Chris Witkowski).
Potential Court Changes at Crown and Grass Valley Parks
In a late May meeting, Witkowski suggested having tennis-only courts at Crown Park and pickleball-only courts at Grass Valley Park. He said the switch could ease neighborhood noise issues near Crown Park.
“I personally am concerned about the noise of pickleball around Crown Park. I know the continued ‘pop’ of the paddle hitting the ball can be bothersome for some residents.”-(Chris Witkowski).
While commissioners liked the idea of separating courts, they worried about parking pressure at Grass Valley Park. They also discussed converting underused hard surfaces in other parks into smaller pickleball courts to spread out the use.
“We’re not meeting the demand for pickleball,” said Commissioner David Dewey. “And we don’t have decades or even years to figure out a solution.”
Community Input Needed Before Final Plan
Chris Witkowski said no final changes will be made until at least 2026. He plans to look at court use, parking issues, and available park space before making any decisions.
“I want to look at the parking situation at Grass Valley and determine the use for each sport, particularly around pickleball, and look at underutilized courts and parklands to come up with the best solution”-(Chris Witkowski).
He also encouraged community members to share their views.
“I want to collect data … and know how the community is feeling,” Witkowski said. “I want to try to make it better for everybody if I can”-(Chris Witkowski).
News in Brief: Camas Pickleball Court Conflict
Camas Parks Director Chris Witkowski may split tennis and pickleball courts to reduce conflict at Crown Park and Grass Valley Park. He’s collecting input and exploring court use, noise, and parking concerns. No final decisions will be made until 2026. Community members can share feedback with the city parks department.
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