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Bellingham survey says: More pickleball, please

Sport one of many highlighted in Parks Department report

From left
From left (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
By Ralph Schwartz Local Government Reporter

Recreation seekers in Bellingham want greater opportunities for swimming, hockey, youth sports — and, yes, more pickleball — according to a recreation needs assessment completed last month by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

A survey conducted last winter drew more than 1,200 respondents with a diverse range of interests that also included disc golf, skateboarding, after-school activities and programs for seniors. 

“Everybody wants a little bit of everything,” city Recreation Division Manager Melissa Biaconi told the Bellingham City Council on Nov. 7.

Now, city officials need to figure out where to put it all and whether they can afford it. 

The survey showed a majority of residents are willing to pay a fee to enter a community recreation center, an indoor swimming pool, or indoor courts for volleyball, basketball, soccer and pickleball.

About 13% of those surveyed said they would pay $100 or more per month to use recreational facilities. More than 80% said they were willing to be taxed to fund recreation.

People clearly are willing to pay to play pickleball, as the $900 annual membership fee at Armory Pickleball suggests. 

The sport is so popular, an unnamed community member wants to make a “sizable donation” to get covered outdoor courts built, council member Lisa Anderson said.

“It’s really kind of taking over the community,” Anderson said of pickleball.


Parks Director Nicole Oliver told the council it’s difficult to find a suitable city-owned space for more pickleball courts. Six courts will be added to Cordata Community Park next year, Oliver said, but a major expansion of the sport is not currently in the city’s plans.

“It’s not currently in our PRO Plan,” Oliver said, using the acronym for Parks, Recreation and Open Space. “That’s the other thing that’s constraining it.”

Some of the most immediate needs in recreation are already being addressed, Biaconi told the council. 

The Sportsplex needs repairs to leaks and water damage, and improvements to its ventilation system. The proposed 2023–24 budget includes $3.5 million for upgrades to the ice rink and indoor soccer facility.

The city also has begun to assess the redevelopment potential of the Civic Athletic Complex, which includes the Sportsplex, the Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, Civic Stadium, ballfields, a bike jump park and a skatepark. 

Parks officials also revamped their scholarship program to make it more accessible. Qualifying families can receive $200 per person annually to go toward “nearly all” of the city’s recreational programs, according to the needs assessment.

The survey revealed that more than 80% of people didn’t know the Parks Department offered scholarships. 

“That was huge. That was surprising to us,” Biaconi said.

Almost 50 new families were able to participate in the city’s day camp program this year, as a result of improvements to the scholarship program.

“We saw more diversity, more socialization across income levels,” Biaconi said.

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