Parks and Recreation are not Commodities

Parks and Recreation are not commodities; they are amenities of civilized societies.

Pickleball should be treated like other parks and recreational amenities and be scaled to blend into existing neighborhoods with a maximum number of courts and players that can be served, depending upon the size of the lot and the impact on the surrounding neighborhood. Pickleball facilities planning and expansion need to be viewed as Zoning Issues.

Instead of looking at Pickleball as an amenity, the City is looking at it as a commodity, a product to make money. Instead of asking what is the maximum number of courts our existing complex can accommodate without negatively impacting the health and quality of life of the surrounding neighborhood, the City is asking how many courts can be jammed into that space to maximize profits.

If there is such a demand for Pickleball and so much money to be made selling it, the City needs to create inducements for private investors to buy land and build enclosed facilities in commercial zones where play can occur unimpeded seven days a week, twelve months a year. This will relieve pressure on our public facility and the surrounding neighborhood.

We all moved to Marco because of its climate, ambiance, and amenities, both natural and man-made. We should not view these attributes as commodities to be manipulated for maximum profits. We should view them as amenities that contribute to making Marco Island the beautiful paradise that enticed us all to move here in the first place.

It is time to stop all Pickleball expansion in our public parks until the true impacts on Marco Island neighborhoods are understood and all available sound and visual mitigation strategies are employed at all currently existing facilities. Hopefully, if the City of Marco Island leads by example in all public facilities, private and not-for-profit facilities will follow suit.