Kendale Woods pickleball courts to close
Pickleball players who gather at the Kendale Woods Park in Annandale are going to have to find a new location.
The Fairfax County Park Authority plans to begin work soon to revert those courts to tennis-only courts.
According to the Park Authority, that is being done because of complaints from neighbors about noise and because the site does not meet the guidelines established in the Fairfax County Pickleball Study Report.
The dual-lined courts at Kendale Woods Park were installed before December 2021 when the study came out.
That study outlined several criteria for the placement of courts within residential areas, including proximity guidelines to mitigate noise intrusion for surrounding residences and parking availability. FCPA has determined that Kendale Woods Park does not meet the preferred criteria in either of these areas.
The Park Authority expects to begin repainting and striping the court for tennis only on June 3. The work should be completed by June 17.
The Park Authority has begun the process of identifying locations to install new pickleball courts to replace those at Kendale Woods Park.
Meanwhile, the Park Authority suggests pickleball players use the courts at Annandale Community Park and Roundtree Park. The Park Authority currently maintains 84 pickleball facilities countywide, including 16 with dedicated pickleball courts.
For those of us who worked hard to get the pickleball courts installed, this is a slap in the face. There is no other place nearby for many of us to play that are not already overcrowded. I think we should fight this!
This is a crime!!! I have lived in this neighborhood for 30 years and rarely if ever are there tennis players there. In fact, I’ve only once in the 5 years I’ve played pickleball there have I seen someone playing tennis there only once.
Guess what. Pickle ball players will continue to use the courts
And hopefully not continue to poop on them!
Indeed my thoughts. I think it was someone on the Ballston Badgers who keeps doing this, but no one can prove it. Seriously gross.
Local residents do need to not use the fenced in courts as a dog park
You must be a Ballston Badger. Those were not from dogs, unless someone has a 200 pound mastiff.
This is terrible news!!!! We meetup after work on Fridays and have a great time playing Pickleball here. Zero tennis players are here at that time nor have I seen this park with tennis enthusiasts playing while I am around either.
Bad call.
This is disappointing and illogical. The noise is no worse than listening to the lawn mowers, leaf blowers, dogs barking… The court does not have lights so games are played during daylight hours. There are many groups from the neighborhood who play pickleball on this court. There are no less issues with parking to use the playground, basketball court, or tennis/pickleball courts.
Yes, empty tennis courts are quieter than pickleball but they also do very little for the betterment of our community.
These courts are used everyday for pickleball by the people who live in this community. We fought to get the pickleball courts at Kendale. There are very few tennis players. Let us keep these pickleball courts. They are a huge part of the community.
My house is right next to the pickle ball court! I can hear your ping ping of the balls and your screams! Enough already!go play somewhere else!
Interesting that you would buy a home next to a play park that also has a children’s playground and then complain when people use it. Especially during daytime hours when the weather is nice.
Who made this decision? Does the local community not have a say?
Courts have no lights. So play is only during the day. The pool next door is loud all day, should that close too? Remove the swings from the playground b/c kids scream with joy. Pickleball will continue on the courts with or without lines. We were playing pickleball long before “the study”.
Way to waste tax money FFX county
I guess I will go play at wakefield park now… oh wait, I cant because they are always reserved or have classes. Thanks for taking away my amenity.
FCPA can afford to restripe only 3 years later but can’t fix the courts at Justice Park, which are in horrible shape and used not only by the community but also the HS team???
I agree! Also, the courts at Mason District Park have cracks so brutal that vegetation is growing in them.
This is so unfair to the people who use the courts every day. Those courts bring people together for companionship and exercise. No tennis players there. There really should not be an issue and this seems like a knee jerk reaction without a voice from the pickelball players.
This sucks I was a pickleball and tennis player there. I can def say it was rare to see any tennis players there and once I got into pickleball, played that more. There are more tennis courts than pickleball courts, also the fact that the two can coexist. This is disappointing news. Basketball also generates noise (for which I also used there) but let’s ban pickleball?!?! Bring back pickleball!!!!
You want to do something? First, be sure you go vote in every election. Second, Contact Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez at [email protected]
Otherwise, pay your taxes, let the people in charge do as they decide best (based on what I fear was some overpriced-outdated consultant report) with the funds, and be a “good” person by venting here and then do nothing else like so many.
boo hoo. happy for the residents suffering thru incessant noise for the pleasure of others. feeling comfortable in your own home should not require government or other intervention.
Pickleball at this location is the least noisy sound. Maybe talk to the people that live there and understand a community before making dumb decisions
define noise intrusion
I doubt the noise from pickleball exceeds the noise ordinance decibel level,
Which is the only justification for such a move.
I will note that the park authority does not seem pickleball-friendly
They would not put up the money for lining the second tennis court at Rolling Valley or for nets, which we did get because Supervisor Herrity paid for them out of his own office budget.
The USTA says it would be great to have separate facilities but when that is not possible tennis courts should be lined for pickleball
Not having courts multi use is ridiculous given how many more people are playing pickleball, a sport that is multigenerational and incredibly social
This is very shortsighted on FC’s part. There are paddles and balls that reduce the noise significantly or produce no noise at all. Do your research.
If FC spends tax payers money to close these courts FC should also spend taxpayers money to open new courts elsewhere.
Wonder if anyone from FC came out to listen for themselves. The noise you would hear is the noise of people of various ages having a fun time socializing, exercising and relating to a shared sport loved by MANY. We don’t shut down playgrounds due to the sounds of squeaky swinging or when children are outside screaming at the top of their lungs. Where is the tolerance for adults FC? Despicable!
Wakefield has little enough availability with the reservable courts almost always reserved. When the lower courts aren’t blocked for classes or camps, the play is not open play. Groups come to play pickleball and camp out with chairs and snacks for hours. Please urge Fairfax County to restripe the two Deerlick Park tennis courts off Braddock Road into four pickleball courts with lights. The park is under-utilized and master plan improvements dating back to 1985 were never made. Enhancements are way overdue.
That is very shortsighted on FC’s part
There are paddles and balls that reduce the noise significantly. Our tax dollars should be spent on creating more courts not eliminating them. Very sad.
this is very sad. we should be creating ways for people to get outside and get exercise. Study after study shows how being outdoors and exercise is beneficial to us in so many ways.
Thanks for sharing!
I think we should petition the board to stop the change and leave the wonderful pickle ball courts ALONE. Let’s start an email campaign! Try the Online Citizen Feedback Form
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/online-citizen-feedback-form
Thanks for sharing this link. I hope it can also be shared with our local supervisor and the BOS chair, as well as the Park Authority staff..
I find it ironic that the County cannot stop the horrific noise coming out of revved-up vehicles on our roads that roar and vibrate through our neighborhoods. Does the BoS and FCPD know what these machines of destruction are doing to the environment, wildlife and our quality of life?
So what does the County do? They “pick”on a benign activity such as pickleball rather than eliminate a much more serious noise problem affecting all of us day and night. This County government seriously needs to re-evaluate their priorities!
I think it is ridiculous to stop pickleball on these courts. Noise can not be that big of an issue, especially compared to leaf blowers, lawn mowers, etc., that are frequently going in my neighborhood. The health benefits are enormous for all ages: exercise and socializing with neighbors.
Nancy, you are the biggest screamer! Many noise complaints attributable to you and your wife. I can’t believe you commented here! Have a lovely Sunday anywayz.
Certain sounds — like a passing loud automobile engine — are intense but brief. The sounds of basketballs bouncing off backboards and pavements, aluminum bats contacting balls at athletic fields, and the pop of pickle ball paddles are intense and brief, but more repetitive and constant. If you are a participant in the sport the constant sounds are not annoying. But if you are in a nearby residence and cannot mute the sounds by closing your windows and doors, they can be very annoying — unless you are deaf. These activities should either be located far enough away from residences so the noise level is very low, or have some sort of sound barrier built around them — like on major highways.
Walt, I suggest you move to Columbia Pike to appreciate the 24/7 noise and vibrations that you seem to enjoy over the daytime patter of pickleball.
Walt the whole world doesn’t need to stop it’s joy so you can hear yourself dying.
Please reconsider your decision and keep the pickleball courts at Kendale Park.
The goal of the park authority should be to encourage usage of these spaces, not discourage it. The more the parks are used, the better. Right?
The pickleball study gives an objective view of the negative effects these courts have on neighborhoods. The study’s authors are to be congratulated. And kudos to Supervisor Jimenez for not bowing to opposition by a few. Moving these courts inside seems to be the solution. Anybody playing this sport obviously has money and can afford to join the St. James or another indoor facility.
Well, Walt made some valid points, but lost me when he claimed that “Anybody playing this sport obviously has money and can afford to join the St. James or another indoor facility.”
This is an assumption on Walt’s part that in my view and experience is indicative of arrogant ignorance.
What a hostile and negative reading of Walt’s post. And an ad hominem attack. Why so nasty and reactionary?
I would love it if Fairfax County would redo the tennis courts at Mason District Park. Justice plays their home matches at MDP – there is grass growing along the cracks (every court has cracks and some are very extensive and could be dangerous). One team we played was shocked at the poor playing conditions since there were cracks and growing all over the courts. They said they had never seen/ played in worse courts.
I feel sad about this. I first started playing pickleball during the pandemic when Donna, the leader of the group who, tragically, recently passed away, invited me to join. This group was a social outlet and lifeline during a very difficult time. It helped keep us all sane, and I think it is a shame that it is being taken away.
First world “problems .” 😫🥱
Jenni, do you know how much it costs to join St. James? Do you?
Not everyone who plays pickleball has that type of money, and it is beyond arrogant and beyond ignorant to claim they do.
In fact, what Walt wrote was a gross over generalization about people who play pickleball.
The park authority plans to redo the mason district park tennis courts starting in June of this year and add two dedicated pickleball courts to the facility in 2025.
Great for me. I can drive. Guess my kids are SOL
Sharing a local community members comment to fcpa.
I am a member of this community and live very close to the courts. The noise from the pickleball is no more disruptive than the noise from the pool that is across the walking path, or people mowing their lawns, or people’s dogs barking, or school children playing at recess at the school. We live in a suburban area not a sub-rural one. We don’t live in an HOA. Humans getting out and enjoying their community makes noise and it is welcome and inspiring one. Also by law noise that is allowed during the hours that it is occurring. Pickleball was played there before you provided the lines and the nets. I doubt that what you are doing will take away the noise. Those that need a court they can walk to I am sure will continue to play as they did before.
There are no lights on this court so no one plays by dusk. Well with in the legal time frame for noise.
In short this is tax payers money being spent on a non solution. As you have already spent the money recently to provide the courts perhaps it is more prudent to defer maintenance?