Walter Reed Pickleball Project - Second Engagement
Walter Reed Pickleball Project - Second Engagement
Welcome to the second engagement for the Walter Reed Outdoor Pickleball Court Project. This is the second round of engagement and this is an opportunity to explore two draft concepts. These draft concepts were informed by the 1,300+ participants who shared input during the first public engagement process in February 2023.
NEW and Important Updates to Project Scope:
- As stated in the April 25 presentation to the County Board, the site will consist of six dedicated pickleball courts.
- This summer, acoustic fencing will be added to the Walter Reed tennis courts.
- The County has been asked to consider a pause on the Walter Reed Outdoor Pickleball Court Project. Please take a look at the details below to understand potential actions in the event of a project pause and share your feedback.
We want to know your thoughts!
To start, click on the video below and watch a presentation from the May 23 open house. A PDF of the video slides may be viewed here as well. After you're done, please share your thoughts by answering the questions below. This feedback form will be open through June 22, 2023. If you experience any technical difficulties, please email here.
Draft Concept 1:
| Existing | Concept 1 | % Change | |
| Total Courts | 9 | 6 | -33% |
| Parking Spaces | 75 | 77 | 2.7% |
| Project Impervious Area (Acres) | 0.47 | 0.42 | -10.6% |
| Existing Trees Removed | 67 | 3 | -4.5% |
| Proposed New Trees | n/a | 24 | n/a |
| Trees: Net Gain | 67 | 88 | 31.3% |
| Distance from 16th Street S. Curb (on residential side) | 62 | 79 | 27.4% |
| Distance from Walter Reed Dr. Curb | 331 | 341 | 3.0% |
| Distance from 16th Street S. Houses | 102 | 119 | 16.7% |
| Distance from Walter Reed Dr. Houses | 350 | 359 | 2.6% |
Draft Concept 2:
| Existing | Concept 2 | % Change | |
| Total Courts | 9 | 6 | -33% |
| Parking Spaces | 75 | 81 | 8.0% |
| Project Impervious Area (Acres) | 0.47 | 0.47 | 0.0% |
| Existing Trees Removed | 67 | 5 | -7.5% |
| Proposed New Trees | n/a | 24 | n/a |
| Trees: Net Gain | 67 | 88 | 31.3% |
| Distance from 16th Street S. Curb (on residential side) | 62 | 140 | 125.8% |
| Distance from Walter Reed Dr. Curb (on residential side) | 331 | 214 | -35.3% |
| Distance from 16th Street S. Houses | 102 | 176 | 70.6% |
| Distance from Walter Reed Dr. Houses | 350 | 234 | -33.1% |
What are your thoughts on pausing the Walter Reed Outdoor Pickleball Project?
The project team has presented two draft concepts that attempt to balance varying interests gathered through community input from more than 1,300 participants in February 2023. However, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has received a request in a joint letter from pickleball players and neighbors to pause the project so that the County can conduct a broader study to identify another location for standalone pickleball courts.
What would it mean to pause?
A pause would mean that the Walter Reed Outdoor Pickleball Court Project would be halted. The County would treat Walter Reed the same as the other courts that were identified for pickleball striping as part of the outdoor courts assessment that was presented at that April 25 County Board meeting. Please note that the Walter Reed Tennis Courts scored a 6 while the Walter Reed Basketball Court scored a 4. Currently, the County is only striping courts that received a score of 5 or above for pickleball. For Walter Reed, this would mean that a project pause would result in the following actions:
- Remove pickleball from the basketball court until the time when the County decides to stripe courts with a score of 4 or below for pickleball.
- Do minor court improvements to the tennis courts.
- Stripe the courts to align with the restriping project. Of the three courts, one will be for standalone tennis and the other two will be for multi-use. Each multi-use court will allow for one tennis court or two pickleball courts.
- Install acoustic treatment to the fencing around certain sides of the tennis court to mitigate sound.
- Put the courts on the registration system which means that the courts would be “permit takes priority.” If there are no permits for the courts, drop-in play is allowable.
- Have the tennis/pickleball courts open from sunrise to 10 p.m. without locked gates.
As a next step, DPR would work with the County Manager and County Board to evaluate future options for pickleball play in Arlington County. The County would reallocate a portion of the funds from the Walter Reed Outdoor Pickleball project to conduct a multi-year planning process that would include consideration for dedicated pickleball facilities and further expansion of multi-use restriping based on the outdoor courts assessment. Following this planning work, staff would request funding as part of the County’s biennial Capital Improvement Plan process and, when the funding is made available, DPR would start the design and construction of new courts.