The Martinez City Council has voted to permanently close pickleball courts that opened only a year ago but attracted sometimes unruly crowds and resulted in complaints from neighbors.
The council on Wednesday voted to close the eight pickleball courts at the Hidden Valley Sports Courts, located in a residential area across Center Avenue from the larger Hidden Valley Park. Some homes were located as close as 50 or 100 feet from the courts, according to the city.
The courts were funded largely by federal grand dollars and opened in February 2025, but quickly became too popular for their own good and drew noise, trash and traffic complaints from residents.
The City Council in September reduced the available hours and days that people could use the courts, but the problems continued. The results of a survey sent last fall to residents led city staff to recommend the permanent closure of the courts, and the council on Wednesday approved the closure.
Tyler Harding, one of the members of the public who spoke during public comment on the topic at the meeting, described parties at the courts with alcohol, smoking, loud noise, and people not following the court hours set by the city.
“I feel like we deserve the right to peace and privacy in our own home without living next to what sounds like a gun range peppered with profanity,” Harding said.
Councilmembers at the meeting acknowledged the city was trying to balance the interests of the residents and players of a sport that has grown in popularity in recent years.
Councilmember Satinder Malhi, who represents City Council District 3 where the courts are located, said he has “been a supporter of pickleball in our city for a very long time,” but said the city was facing the possibility of litigation from residents over the persistent problems.
“This is not where any of us had hoped we would end up,” Malhi said. “What this experience has shown is that yes, location matters. Facilities like this need adequate space, appropriate buffering and setbacks, and thoughtful planning so they can thrive without negatively impacting nearby residents.”
A city staff report for Wednesday’s meeting noted that the closure will mean that there are no other pickleball courts free and open to the public in Martinez, though there are 23 in nearby Concord, 10 in Walnut Creek and four in Pleasant Hill.
The council ultimately voted 4-0 to approve the closure, with Vice Mayor Jay Howard absent. The staff report said that upon approval by councilmembers, city employees “will immediately begin implementation, which will result in locking the current pickleball facility and removing its nets.”
An adjacent tennis court and renovated halfcourt basketball court there will remain open for public use, and the city said in a statement that the “long-term repurposing of the former pickleball courts will be determined at a later date.”