Mountain View city officials are trying to accommodate the needs of pickleball enthusiasts with plans for 12 new courts at either Cuesta Park, the adjacent undeveloped annex or newly acquired property at San Rafael Avenue.
The Cuesta Park option has local environmentalists decrying the potential loss of green space at Cuesta, specifically where an off-leash dog area is located.
The city has scheduled an Aug. 27 community meeting to present draft findings and conceptual designs to gather further public input. Plans then go to the city council for more direction.
According to spokesperson Lenka Wright, the city is analyzing locations for the possible construction of new pickleball courts as part of a “Pickleball Study, Design and Construction Project.” Wright said the three options are from among more than 60 city-owned parcels initially considered.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission last October recommended the off-leash dog park location at Cuesta. Two additional locations are at play, including the 2.4-acre property near San Rafael Avenue and a portion of the Cuesta Annex near the Cuesta tennis courts.
These new locations were included at the direction of the Mountain View City Council on April 22 as part of the FY 2025–27 Strategic Work Plan, in response to “considerable community input,” Wright said.
But environmentalists, some with groups such as Greenspace Mountain View and the newly formed Save Cuesta Park, are concerned that the city is moving ahead after hearing more from pickleball advocates than the rest of the community. One Save Cuesta Park member, who asked not to be identified, said the city did a community survey that showed only 7% of respondents were interested in pickleball courts. She said that survey has since been removed from the city’s website.
The Save Cuesta Park group suggests conversion of parking lots would be preferable to digging up existing green space.
“Once something’s paved over, nothing ever gets unpaved,” the member said.
Resident Li Zhang framed her opposition to the project this way: “Imagine replacing a big chunk of that (park) with a 12-court pickleball complex, the thwack-thwack of plastic balls echoing across the meadow, and a full parking lot spilling into more pavement. That’s the future on the table right now.”
“The city recognizes that parks are shared public spaces meant to serve a wide variety of community needs,” Wright said. “These include amenities such as playgrounds, trails, picnic areas, open space and more active features like basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis and pickleball courts. As with any park planning effort, this process requires balancing a range of interests, oftentimes at odds – including those advocating to protect open space, as well as neighborhood residents, park visitors, tennis players and pickleball players.
“Mountain View is not alone in navigating these challenges,” Wright said. “Many cities locally and across the country are working to meet the evolving recreational needs of their communities while preserving access to and the character of existing park spaces. The city is committed to moving forward with transparency and meaningful public engagement.”
Pickleball, a variation on the game of tennis, was invented in the 1960s, but skyrocketed in popularity just a few years ago. From 2021 through 2024, Sports and Fitness Industry Association said pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in the United States.
The city initially responded to demand with the opening of three dedicated courts at Rengstorff Park in 2018. Then in 2023, six more pickleball courts were striped onto two existing tennis courts at Rengstorff Park.
“This seven-year process of responding to the community’s interest in pickleball is now culminating in the feasibility study that is underway,” Wright said.
Wright pointed to a Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan survey. Pickleball courts received a Medium Priority Investment Rating of 77 (medium range = 50-99). Pickleball programs – such as lessons and leagues – scored even higher, with a rating of 99, placing them near the high priority threshold (100+).
“While court construction may not have been the top-rated facility, there is community interest in pickleball activities and dedicated court space will help support that demand,” she said.
Some expressed concern that pickleball courts would impact a large portion of the annex.
“The potential layouts being developed, which will be shared at the Aug. 27 public meeting, propose to integrate new courts adjacent to the existing tennis area by using less than one acre of Cuesta Annex and approximately 11.5 acres would remain as is,” Wright said.
“I don’t yet have a solid opinion about this particular proposal,” said Councilmember Lucas Ramirez. “I generally support providing additional pickleball facilities. It’s clear that the demand is high, and the pickleball community has been advocating for years for new courts. I’d like to see that this is accomplished. The location is harder.
“I wish we had more effectively engaged residents early on to identify suitable locations. Staff had shared with the council that several sites are being evaluated. My guess is that, one way or another, we will have to make a hard decision. There doesn’t seem to be a location that is universally supported.”
