Letter to the Editor – July 2025
From Kristene Cutts, David Doi, Don and Faye Haynes, Nancy Mansfield, Anne Mitchell, Allen Moore, Bruce and Cindy Picton, and Janice Slater
We are pickleball players who are Jacksonville residents. When we read the Mayor’s recent article in the Jacksonville Review, we felt the need to clarify some things. We were saddened by the remark that pickleball can be divisive. In our experience, it is quite the opposite. One of the joys of the past few years has been playing morning pickleball for excellent exercise, enjoyment, and fun with players of all ages. It creates community and brings revenue to local businesses.
For nearly four years, we have been discussing with the City complaints from a few people who live near Pheasant Meadows. We have presented many reasons why pickleball is desirable and why it is important for Jacksonville to have four courts. As Mayor Bowen mentioned in the article, Pheasant Meadows is the only Jacksonville park with restrictions. The first compromise, starting three years ago, was no play on Sunday. Pickleball players have tried to be very considerate by obeying the times posed and parking regulations.
In subsequent years, pickleball has been on the Council agenda several times and each time pickleball players far outnumbered complainants. The original Council vote to limit Pheasant Meadows to two courts was taken on September 5, 2023. In subsequent conversations with the Mayor in the spring and fall of 2024, we were informed that the issue could not be revisited unless there was a substantial change. We were not told that the action taken in September 2023 was not a legal resolution or that a legal resolution was needed. To the contrary, we were informed that no subsequent vote could be taken.
Then, unexpectedly, the issue was revisited by the Council in December 2024. The timing of the City Council’s December 3, 2024 vote “to enact a legal resolution” to limit Pheasant Meadows to 2 courts invites some skepticism. Had that vote been taken one month later, with the new Council in January, the results would almost undoubtedly have been different. Rushing that action did not reflect well on truly hearing the voices of over 140 Jacksonville residents who supported keeping four courts during the petition campaign and who were told that no additional vote could be taken.
The Mayor mentioned how many pickleball courts are available nearby. There is no small irony in the Mayor advising residents to go to Medford and Central Point for their games. Three years ago, when the Council was considering pickleball issues, much was made of players coming from other communities to play in Jacksonville. Imagine that—outsiders coming to our town and using our parks! Somehow we didn’t mind people from other communities coming to Britt or the Woodlands or Historic Jacksonville events. But it was not ok for pickleball. What if the cities of Medford and Central Point took that same point of view about pickleball players from Jacksonville now? There has been a reputational cost to Jacksonville, which is now perceived as a place where players from other communities are not welcome. Yes, we can drive to other towns but we live and pay taxes in Jacksonville.
The Mayor encourages citizen involvement with respect to raising funds for the development of a different site for four courts. In the past when that has been discussed for the Pheasant Meadows courts we have said we are more than happy to do fundraising and help in any way we can. The pickleball community is comprised of good citizens who will likely help with the process for a different site—but they are the same citizens whose willingness to provide financial help with sound remediation or repairs at the Pheasant Meadows Courts was dismissed. So they are justifiably feeling more than a little bit unappreciated and disappointed at how this situation has played out.