This $2 million pickleball facility would bring more indoor courts to Pierce County
A sport that includes a paddle and a plastic ball with holes in it has dominated tennis courts in Pierce County: pickleball.
A group in Enumclaw hopes to increase the number of courts available for the sport.
The Enumclaw Pickleball Association has a proposal to construct a 12-court indoor pickleball facility with parking in Buckley. The project is estimated to cost around $2 million, and the facility is expected to be between 1.5 to 2 acres.
The facility would be “gifted” to the city after construction, according to a notice on the city’s website. It would be supervised by the Parks and Recreation department. It is “anticipated to generate additional revenue” for the city, according to the notice.
Three proposed locations for the facility are:
An open field west of the Fright Factory Haunted House at 2000 Collins Road
An open field east of White River Senior Housing at 420 Spiketon Road
An open field southwest of the Buckley Veteran’s Monument
The Buckley City Council is scheduled to approve or reject a partnership with the pickleball association, as well as a location for the facility, on March 28 or April 11 during the council meeting.
The March 28 council meeting is 6 p.m. at 811 Main St. To join virtually, go to us02web.zoom.us/j/88933145263.
The council held a town hall meeting on March 14, during which pickleball players and residents voiced their support for and opposition to the facility.
Cathy Dahlquist said during the meeting that many local businesses such as Anchor House Coffee Roasters, Salon 790 and Main Street Bistro signed a petition in support of the facility. She is a member of the Enumclaw Pickleball Association.
Amy Boucher with the Buckley Downtown Association said the facility aligns with the association’s mission — to revitalize downtown and make it a place for locals and visitors to gather.
“We’re not saying we support. We’re not saying we’re against right now,” Boucher said at the meeting.
Boucher said they need more answers about the financial sustainability of the facility.
Julie Goetz said her home is near one of the proposed locations. Goetz is a member of the Ryan Estates Homeowners Association. She said there’s been a “drastic” increase in traffic and speeding in a neighborhood nearby.
“Our fear is that’s going to happen to our neighborhood,” Goetz said at the meeting, talking about the proposed facility.
Buckley resident Janet Phillips told those at the meeting that she moved to Buckley from Tacoma 18 years ago because she was “tired of the shooting” and “tired of the drugs.”
Phillips said she found “heaven” in Buckley, and that she’s worried it might become like Tacoma if the pickleball facility is built.
Pickleball player Gordon Hosmer said he traveled from the Bonney Lake area to attend the meeting. Members of his pickleball club, which has over 300 members, always look for a place to play indoors when it rains.
“If you haven’t played pickleball, you’re missing out,” Hosmer said. “If you build it, they will come. And believe me, they will come.”
