Overview
- The council approved the shutdown 4-0 with the vice mayor absent, and staff began locking the facility and removing nets right away.
- The eight courts opened in February 2025 after converting tennis courts in a project that cost roughly $1.5–$1.7 million funded largely by federal grants.
- Residents reported persistent noise, parking congestion and trash, and a city survey of households within 500 feet found more than 40% felt negatively affected despite reduced hours adopted last fall.
- City staff pointed to nationwide pickleball noise disputes and best-practice setbacks near 300 feet, warning of potential litigation as Martinez’s courts sat far closer to houses.
- The closure leaves no free public pickleball courts in Martinez, though adjacent tennis and basketball facilities remain open as officials weigh repurposing the site and alternative locations.