Sonora Looking To Add Pickleball Element To Park Overhaul

Woods Creek Park MML Photo Photo by Sabrina Biehl

Sonora, CA — A pickleball court may soon be coming to Sonora as part of plans to overhaul a local park.

We reported earlier that the City of Sonora is receiving around $168,000 in Proposition 68 state grant money to revamp Woods Creek Park on Woods Creek Drive.

The city earlier requested contractor bids to put in new playground equipment, add new playground surfacing, install a basketball court, and other updates. The council will vote on Tuesday to revise the plans for the basketball court also to include pickleball striping, and a net, so that it can be a joint-use space. The sport is spiking in popularity across the country. It resembles tennis but has separate rules, paddles, and court dimensions. The court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide. According to city documents, in 2021, 2022, and 2023, the sport was named the fastest-growing in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association and currently has around 4.8 million players.

The council will also vote on submitting paperwork to the state asking that the Woods Creek Park project completion deadline be pushed past the current date of June 2024. The city cites the recent transition of retired Community Development Director Rachelle Kellogg, and the hiring and orientation of her replacement, Tyler Summersett, for the slight delay in getting the project going.

Tuesday’s meeting will be held at 5 pm at Sonora City Hall.