Corte Madera expands budget for new pickleball courts

Corte Madera is enlarging its budget for pickleball courts at Town Park to solicit more bids on the project.

The Town Council unanimously approved the budget increase from $190,000 to $350,000 during a meeting on June 18.

The move authorized Public Works Director R.J. Suokko to release a request for bids to construction companies to build the court. The project is tentatively scheduled to begin this summer.

The original bid was advertised on May 17. The town only received one bid — from Bauman Landscape & Construction Inc. of San Francisco – in the amount of $351,629.25. Because the bid exceeded the allocated budget for the project, it was deemed that it did not satisfy formal bidding requirements and was rejected.

The town has allocated $230,000 from the town capital projects fund and $100,000 from the Measure A parks fund for the project. The new bid limit of $350,000 includes a 10% contingency.

Town Park, located at 498 Tamalpais Drive, already has two pickleball courts. The outdoor hard courts have permanent lines and lights. Players must bring their own nets.

Mayor Eli Beckman said a plan to install noise barriers was one of the reasons that led to the higher estimate. He said the project is a community priority.

“Corte Madera residents have identified more pickleball courts as their top recreational priority, and I’m proud to see us deliver for them,” Beckman said. “Starting the top priority project less than a year after completing our parks and rec master plan feels like the definition of responsive government.”

The courts will be on a 63-foot-by-63-foot square southeast of the skatepark. The pickleball courts will have standard dimensions, 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, and lanes in between and surrounding the courts. A concrete ball wall at the site will be removed to accommodate the court area and rebuilt nearby.

The council approved a Town Park renovation project at its meeting on April 16.

“Pickleball was high on the list of our parks and rec master plan survey, and that was before it became as popular as it is now,” said Vice Mayor Pat Ravasio. “Pickleball is a very social game, and bringing community members together is a key mission for us in Corte Madera.”

At its April 16 meeting, the council also approved a $300,000 skatepark renovation funded by the Scotty Lapp Foundation, an organization dedicated to fulfilling the vision of a teen who died in a skiing accident in 2022.

The town will contribute $30,000 to demolish and remove the skate park ramps. The project will add 1,700 square feet to the skate park.

For the last several years, the town has used a broad range of consultants and community outreach to develop a new vision for Town Park. A survey indicated that new pickleball courts was a popular plan and would boost the usage of town facilities, a staff report said.

The Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan, which is guiding the project, was approved by the council in October 2023.