Pickleball regulars in an upmarket suburb have staged a protest after the city hired security to prevent them from using local tennis courts.
Fairfax County Park Authority workers dismantled pickleball nets in the middle of a game at Kendale Woods Park in Annandale, northeastern Virginia, but four angry players refused to leave the court.
The county attempted to close the courts for maintenance on June 14 while it renovated and signed the tennis-only courts, citing noise complaints, in an attempt to exclude pickleball players.
But the four headstrong women – and a dog – recently staged a sit-in in hopes of overturning the decision.
“It’s a slap in the face for the residents not to be able to use the courts the way we want to use them and the way we pay for them,” said Marjery Gehan. WUSA9.
Pickleball regulars in an upmarket Virginia suburb have staged a protest after the city hired security to prevent them from using their local tennis courts.
Four headstrong women — and a dog — recently staged a sit-in in hopes of overturning a decision to dismantle their pickle ball courts and turn them into a tennis-only space.
Fairfax County Park Authority workers dismantled pickleball nets in the middle of a game at Kendale Woods Park, prompting a protest from some players.
Gehan said she filed a court order requesting an open conversation about the court’s decision before any changes were made. But the Fairfax County Park Authority told WUSA9 that “there was no court order.”
Angry residents said county workers removed their nets and cleaned their stenciled pickle ball lines, while hiring security to patrol what was once a quiet, idyllic playground.
“We stopped the original pressure washers from going in there,” said Monica Gonzales, 54, Washington Post.
“But it was very calm. There was no exchange of negative words,” he added.
But other residents disagree, saying noise from the courts has been disrupting their daily lives.
“I can hear animals playing in the master bedroom with the windows closed. My dog doesn’t want to stay in the backyard when there are animals playing,” one resident wrote on local news website Annandale Today.
“I feel insulted every time people try to dismiss the problem,” they say. “I can’t move the property.”
Fairfax County Park Authority workers dismantled pickle ball nets in the middle of a game at Kendale Woods Park, but four angry players refused to leave the court.
The county attempted to close the courts for maintenance on June 14 while it renovated and signed the tennis-only courts, citing noise complaints, in an attempt to exclude pickle ball players.
Meanwhile, players have responded by saying they don’t make much noise. They even went so far as to conduct their own decibel level checks with their phones and check that they were in compliance with county guidelines for tolerable noise levels.
“We don’t want to fire the person who finds this noise bothersome,” high school teacher and local resident Sarah Wysocki, 44, told the Washington Post.
“The question is how can we work with you to reach a compromise. But to be told there is no compromise and this is what it is and to base the decision on one person is a very slippery slope.”
“It’s not us against them,” Wysocki said, adding that the goal is to find a compromise and reach a peaceful solution.
However, he added that pickle ball players would not comply with current instructions to leave the court.
“Are they telling us to go to one of the other 16 courthouses?” Wysocki asked. “I mean, why would we go to another courthouse when our pool is right there? Our homes are right here.”
Players have responded by saying they don’t make much noise. They even went so far as to conduct their own decibel level checks on their phones to see if they were within county guidelines for tolerable noise levels.
“After careful consideration, the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) has made the decision to move forward with resurfacing and signing the Kendale Woods Park courts for tennis only, beginning Friday, June 14,” the Park Authority said in a statement.
‘This deliberation comes after welcome and informative conversations with you, members of the neighborhood surrounding Kendale Woods Park, and with residents directly adjacent to the park who are affected.
‘While we appreciate and share your feelings about Kendale Woods Park, this decision is true to the FCPA’s mission of enriching the quality of life for all Fairfax County residents.
‘FCPA appreciates your understanding and encourages you to utilize the 16 pickleball courts located within five miles of Kendale Woods Park.
‘We understand this is not the decision you were hoping for, but FCPA is committed to finding other opportunities for pickleball in the immediate area, including installing two dedicated pickleball courts one mile apart at Mason District Park in 2025.’
