(WSB file photo, sign at site last October)
9:18 AM: Seattle Parks has dropped its plan to convert former tennis courts in Lincoln Park into pickleball courts, according to the advocates who led a campaign against the plan. Sandy Shettler says, “Parks informed us that they will not be building pickleball courts in Lincoln Park! They even suggested that they are open to our hope to depave and rewild the cement pad.” Kersti Muul adds that Parks has told her “the fencing [around the site] will be removed by the end of the week.” We’re following up with Parks today to see what their West Seattle pickleball plan will now focus on.
We reported last month that Parks deputy superintendent Andy Sheffer had told the city Parks Board that a decision was close. We first told you about the pickleball-conversion proposal first in September, when Parks dropped a plan to add pickleball stripes to Solstice Park tennis courts, and pivoted to the Lincoln Park conversion concept, which drew intense opposition.
12:27 PM: Parks spokesperson Christina Hirsch confirms this: “Seattle Parks and Recreation has made great progress identifying another location to add another pickleball court to West Seattle and thus has decided to no longer pursue creating courts at Lincoln Park.” That new location has not yet been disclosed; there are various already-discussed possibilities – for example, while speaking to the Fauntleroy Community Association earlier this year, deputy superintendent Sheffer suggested there might be possibilities with the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (which is shared by Seattle Public Schools and Parks), and previously, Hiawatha had been under consideration as a “pickleball hub.”
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