HEALDSBURG, CA — Healdsburg pickleball players are demanding at least six permanent, dedicated public courts, bringing half a decade of frustration to Monday's City Council meeting where a sand volleyball study sharpened questions about recreation priorities and scarce funding.
Pickleball players complained about waiting for years for public courts and asked the city to pay for them.
Volleyball supporters described young athletes without public outdoor courts despite years of waiting.
Council members acknowledged both needs but said maintenance obligations and limited funds constrain new construction, outstripping the tourism taxes that residents expect to use for infrastructure projects like athletic courts.
The council approved no construction funding for either sport.
Pickleball organizers said more than 1,000 residents signed their original request for dedicated courts roughly five years ago.
The city contributed $40,000, and players added $6,500 to convert two junior tennis courts at Healdsburg High School into four pickleball courts. A September 2021 agreement established public access under a five-year arrangement.
Players said they understood the high school courts would provide a temporary solution while the city developed permanent facilities.
School activities take priority, playing hours restrict access, and approved monitors must oversee public use. Speakers reported cracks, damaged windscreens, and unanswered questions about maintenance responsibilities.
Organizers reported more than 750 registered players and approximately 450 active participants since 2025. One speaker described 16 people playing while another 12 waited. Another recalled 24 people waiting during a recent visit.
Residents urged the council to identify funding, select a site, and establish a construction schedule. They suggested land north of the community center or renovation of deteriorated courts at Giorgi Park.
Fred Eisenhardt, a member of the Healdsburg Pickleball Committee, urged the city to reconsider how it funds parks and recreation and pursue supplemental revenue.
Other speakers questioned why staff had studied sand volleyball locations while pickleball players continued waiting for permanent courts.
Council members clarified that an existing high school agreement allows additional one-year renewals.
Volleyball parents and coaches urged the council to recognize demand for their sport.
Mitty Kiff, a parent of two volleyball players, said more than 85 public school female athletes tried out for volleyball that year. She said players lacked public outdoor courts and depended on adults opening gyms for organized practices.
Kiff favored Badger Park, followed by Barbieri Brothers Park, but questioned how courts at Badger would withstand flooding.
High school junior varsity volleyball coach Heather Reichel said local players travel outside Healdsburg to practice sand volleyball. She supported adding courts while also backing pickleball players' request for a permanent home.
Staff evaluated five locations: Abel de Luna Community Center, Badger Park, Giorgi Park, Laura Fish Somersal Park, and Barbieri Brothers Park.
Most options could accommodate two courts. Giorgi Park could accommodate one, while staff understood high school varsity play would require at least two.
Each location presented complications, including competing uses, flood exposure, limited parking, isolation, or changes to approved park plans.
Project Manager Tom Campbell cited two recent projects to illustrate construction costs.
Mill Valley spent approximately $295,000 on two courts. A four-court college facility with additional amenities cost approximately $1.2 million. Neither figure included design or planning, and neither represented a Healdsburg project estimate.
Mill Valley's courts also supplied a warning: builders omitted subsurface drainage, and the city soon faced drainage problems and possible corrective work.
Staff looked at Healdsburg parks including two that are slaeted for major overhauls. Badger Park and Laura Fish Somersal Park are moving forward with improvements.
At Badger Park, that includes a restroom building and river access with a kayak landing. The Magical Bridge Foundation fundraising is going toward that rebuild.
At Laura Fish Somersal Park, a multi-use trail, bridge crossings, creek restoration, and a 10-space parking lot are planned. Budget constraints removed a planned restroom from that phase.
Neither first phase included pickleball or sand volleyball courts.
Campbell said Healdsburg's 2026–27 budget contains no funding for sand volleyball design, construction, programming, operations, or maintenance.
Council members emphasized the cost of maintaining existing facilities and described deferred maintenance needs totaling tens of millions of dollars.
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