BOISE BENCH, Idaho — Boise City Council will decide in October whether to convert the tennis courts at Owyhee Park into dedicated pickleball courts as part of the city's five-year pickleball court management plan.
The proposal has drawn split reactions from players on both sides, with many saying the real issue is a shortage of available court space across the city.
WATCH: Boise weighs converting tennis courts to pickleball at Owyhee Park
"My initial reaction was frustration," tennis player Katie Van Lier said.
"I was super excited," pickleball player Kyle Trenga said.
The Boise Parks and Recreation Commission voted 5-1 to recommend converting all four tennis courts at Owyhee Park into 12 dedicated pickleball courts.
RELATED |Boise considers changing tennis courts to pickleball courts at Owyhee Park
Boise currently has 75 tennis courts, along with 14 dedicated pickleball courts, 10 dual-use courts and 12 bring-your-own-net courts. But Katie Van Lier said the numbers don't always translate to an open court.
"After work time, they're taken up by school practices. They're taken up by league tennis, so it's really difficult to get on,” Katie Van Lier said. “So there is a shortage of courts for both industries.”
Sara Arkle, director of Boise Parks and Recreation, said Owyhee Park emerged as the strongest candidate for conversion.
"Owyhee Park really stood out as the only place, frankly, where a conversion would make sense," Arkle said. “This is the only court conversion that we're considering over this five year plan.”
Tennis player Calix Van Lier said he is not against adding pickleball courts, but questions whether they should come at the expense of existing tennis space.
"There's a big lack of pickleball courts with how big it's exploded and continued to grow but they need to be able to create more courts instead of just taking away courts on one side or the other,” Calix Van Lier said. “Tennis is still growing just as much as ever.”
For pickleball players, 12 dedicated courts at Owyhee Park would fill a gap on that side of the city.
"It'll be a meeting hub for a ton of pickleball players on this side of town to again experience the community of pickleball," Trenga said.
READ MORE | Boise pickleballers react after neighbors' lawsuit shuts down courts
The pickleball community lost playing space after courts at Willow Lane and Manitou parks were converted back to tennis following a legal dispute over pickleball noise.
Arkle said the city is focused on fair access for all players.
"No one's always going to agree on the same outcome, but we know that in terms of seeking to provide equitable access for play, uh, we're heading in the right direction," Arkle said.
If the conversion is approved, the new pickleball courts would be funded through the city of Boise's fiscal year 2027 budget.
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