Mia DeRouchey | Writer
January 27, 2023
Harsh weather has come as a surprise to many San Clemente residents this winter, and sadly, high winds caused major damage to San Gorgonio’s beloved pickleball courts last week. The courts are compromised at the moment, leaving many pickleball enthusiasts with nowhere to go. Luckily, the San Clemente City Council approved $404,000 worth of design work for new courts at Richard T. Steed Memorial Park.
These new courts will hopefully relieve residents near San Gorgonio, who have continually complained about noise as well as crowds at the neighborhood park during all hours of the day.
8 new courts will be built at Steed Park in an estimated year or more, costing a projected 5-8 million dollars. Although the project isn’t expected to be done until early-mid 2024, some are already concerned about the cost of these new courts. A letter to the editor featured in the SC Times reads, “[$404,000] seems like an outrageous price tag to design four courts with fencing that equals a little more than… tennis courts of flat space. ”
However, most pickleball players are looking forward to another location where they can play. “I’m stoked!” junior Caden Davis said. “I love playing pickleball, but ‘San G’ is so out of the way. Steed is much more accessible for me.”
This project is pricey, but there’s no doubt that new pickleball courts get a lot of use. But while we wait, preparations to the courts at San Gorgonio should progress quickly and are expected to be finished by March of 2023.
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