Oak Harbor Pickleball Court Expansion: Discussions about adding more pickleball courts in Oak Harbor continued during a Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting on September 8. The city is considering converting an existing basketball court at Fort Nugent Park or Windjammer Park into three pickleball courts while planning for eight new courts in the future.
Growing Demand for Courts
Darin Cook, president of the Whidbey Pickleball Association, said more options are needed for local players.
“We do have a place to play, but it’s not provided by the city,” he explained. “So a group of us got together and said, ‘Look, how do we change this? How do we better advocate for ourselves and keep focused on what we want and deliver the message?’ And so that’s when we got our start.”
The Whidbey Pickleball Association formed in June and already has 160 members. Cook said the group wants to support the sport’s growth and bring dedicated courts to Oak Harbor.
Currently, players have access to only four outdoor courts at Rotary Park near North Whidbey Middle School. Two of those courts are in poor condition, creating safety risks.
City’s Efforts and Delays
The city council approved $50,000 in 2022 to fix the Rotary Park courts, but the project never happened. Last year, the council hired architects to design eight new courts at either Sumner Park or Fort Nugent Park, costing $78,100. However, the city has not secured grant funding to move forward.
Cook believes converting a basketball court would be faster and cheaper than waiting for the larger project.
“There’s zero places to play pickleball on Parks and Rec land and there are five parks you can play basketball at,” he said plainly.
Still, Cook stressed that the pickleball group does not want to clash with basketball players.
“I don’t want to make it us versus them, that’s not what it’s about,” he said. “It’s just that we’ve been working at this — the pickleball community — for a long time, 12-plus years off and on.”
Community Voices
At the September 8 meeting, commissioners discussed the idea of converting the Fort Nugent basketball court and passed a motion to study the project. Cost estimates may be reviewed at an October workshop.
Justin Santos, a basketball player and administrator of the Whidbey Island Basketball Facebook group, said his group of 738 members also wants to be part of the conversation. He helps organize an annual basketball tournament at Windjammer Park and wants fair input.
“We would like to have a voice so we don’t create division,” Santos said. “We’re willing to listen and provide any information on what the basketball community wants.”
He encouraged basketball supporters to attend the Oak Harbor City Council meeting on Tuesday to share comments.
What Happens Next
Both basketball and pickleball communities are expected to speak at the upcoming council meeting. The city will continue studying short-term and long-term options to meet the needs of both sports.
News in Brief: Oak Harbor Pickleball Court Expansion
Oak Harbor is weighing plans to add pickleball courts, either by converting a basketball court or building eight new ones. The Whidbey Pickleball Association and basketball players are both voicing concerns. City officials will review cost estimates in October and gather more input at upcoming council meetings.
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