Marco Island’s racquet club will move forward with the first phase of its pickleball conversion with seven courts instead of the proposed eight, along with an 8-foot fence and sound proofing barriers.City Council members decided June 17 to change the number of courts in Phase 1 to avoid the need for one of the three variances requested for the project.The council voted in October to demolish the existing racquet court building, championship court, and two clay tennis courts at the city’s existing Racquet Center on San Marco Road, replacing them with paved pickleball courts. Four clay tennis courts will remain after the first phase. Phase 2 would replace those courts as well, for a total of 24 pickleball courts, however that phase hasn’t been funded and could change, council members and staff say.
Neighbors remain unhappy about pickleball
Councilmen Rich Blonna and some neighbors of the 1978 racquet center at 1275 San Marco Road are still opposed to converting tennis courts to pickleball courts at the city owned facility. Blonna has previously suggested that a separate pickleball center be built on property the city buys somewhere else on Marco Island.