AUSTIN, Texas — In the Steiner Ranch Community in northwest Austin, there are three areas with neighborhood tennis courts. Some of them have pickleball lines.
Residents can make reservations to play either game, but recently a debate has landed on the courts at the Bella Mar community center over whether a tennis court should be converted into four pickleball courts.
The growing debate started on April 4 when the Steiner Ranch Pickleball Community came out with a petition explaining why they believe conversion is needed.
The petition highlights safety issues, equipment wear and tear and concerns with the courts being fully booked. One of the goals is to create a short-term solution.
However, news of the petition led long-time Steiner Ranch resident Penny Arnold to start her own list of signatures just two days later, in an effort to protect the courts and leave them as they are.
Arnold pointed out concerns including the noise levels of pickleball games, lack of tennis courts in the community and a higher demand in tennis reservations.
"We would love to have new pickleball courts. We would like to have them separate away from residents so that that doesn't bother their lifestyle and their homes," Arnold said. "We're not against pickleball. We just don't want to lose our courts."
Tonya Frederic is also a long-time resident of Steiner Ranch and echoed Arnold's sentiments.
"We would like residents to have access to pickleball, but we don't think it should come at the expense of tennis," Frederic said. "It's very difficult to book a tennis court. You have to set an alarm for 6:58 a.m. and jump on it right away to get a court three days later."
KVUE reached out to the person who started the petition for the pickleball courts on Sunday but did not hear back.
The Steiner Ranch Homeowners Association (HOA) plans to host a town hall meeting April 17 to discuss the matter. KVUE also reached out to the HOA about the dueling petitions and is waiting to hear back.
"I just hope plenty of people in both camps – tennis and pickleball –turn out and that we can start working together on a solution," Frederic said.