About the Survey

Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation has heard an overwhelming desire for more pickleball opportunities to be added to the parks system.

While dedicated pickleball courts are often a preferred option, new courts can be cost prohibitive and take several years to construct. Because of these restrictions, we are exploring more immediate and creative ways to meet public demand. One way to do this is to add pickleball striping to existing city tennis courts. As a result, several parks are now being considered as potential locations to add pickleball striping to the existing tennis courts.

For this survey, we would like your input on which existing tennis courts should potentially be prioritized, if we were to add pickleball striping. We also want to hear about your pickleball (and/or tennis) habits and preferences!

Please note that there will be surveys for each individual park before any pickleball striping is added so that each neighborhood can give feedback on preferences for its specific court.

This survey will close Sunday, June 29th. Please read the three tabs below before taking the survey for more information about this project.

As we explore the possibility of adding pickleball striping to existing tennis courts, several factors should be considered by both the City and the community. This survey is designed to gather your thoughts and help guide future decisions.

Park Use & Capacity: Each park has its own character and existing uses. Many are smaller in size and already serve specific recreational purposes. When introducing a new amenity, we consider whether the park can accommodate increased activity and visitor use. While we value active, vibrant parks, we must ensure that any additions are a good fit for the space and do not create conflicts or overcrowding.

Court Use: This survey focuses on adding pickleball striping to existing shared-use tennis courts, not on creating dedicated pickleball courts. Since tennis and pickleball share the same court space but have different play styles and equipment, we aim to balance demand for both sports. Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation is also actively planning for additional dedicated courts for both tennis and pickleball where feasible.

Court Conditions: The condition of a court is an important consideration. While constructing new courts is costly, we want to ensure that any sport is played on a safe and functional surface. There are typically two options for addressing worn courts: full reconstruction or surface crack repair. Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation is currently conducting a comprehensive assessment of all court types—tennis, pickleball, and basketball—with results expected later this year to guide future investments.

Sound: All recreational activities generate sound—whether from gameplay, cheering, or casual enjoyment. While sound itself is a natural part of parks, the location of sound sources can be an important consideration. Since comfort levels vary from person to person, we invite community input to help us evaluate whether a particular site is a good fit for this type of activity.

Pickleball striping can be done in one of two ways.

Center on tennis court net: Pickleball over striping is centered so that the existing tennis court net is used for play. Tennis court nets are not standard height for pickleball. One pickleball court per tennis court can be created with this method, and an example can be seen at the tennis courts at South Maple Park.

Place on either side of net: Pickleball over striping is placed to either side of the net and players provide their own portable standard nets. Two pickleball courts per tennis court can be created with this method, and an example can be seen at the tennis courts at Veterans’ Memorial Park.

Please reference the images below to visualize the proposed striping:


Option

Pros

Cons

Examples

Center on tennis court net

  • Existing net can be utilized
  • There are fewer overlapping lines
  • Only one pickleball court is created
  • Net is not regulation height

Allmendinger
South Maple

Sylvan

Place on either side of net

  • Two pickleball courts are created
  • Players must bring their own portable nets*

Veterans Memorial Park


*A limited number of nets will be available for rental through the front desk at the Veterans Pool and Ice Arena and the Ann Arbor District Library.

Currently there are dedicated pickleball courts at:

  • Burns Park
  • Leslie Park

There is pickleball striping on tennis courts at:

  • Allmendinger Park
  • South Maple Park*
  • Sylvan Park
  • Veterans Memorial Park (striping for 2 pickleball courts on 1 tennis court)

*Note that the South Maple Park courts, while still playable, are scheduled for demolition and reconstruction. The new court project will aim to create four dedicated pickleball courts and two dedicated tennis courts. This project is expected to start construction in spring 2026.