Convenience Big Store: The Woodlands pauses plans to build more pickleball courts as park project opposition grows

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Is The Woodlands' pickleball court frenzy over?

Around this time last year, I wrote about the pickleball craze that had taken root in The Woodlands.

The township's first pickleball-only courts opened July 22 to immediate fanfare and tournaments in the summer heat. ERA Pickleball, which had ambitions of becoming the largest pickleball facility in Texas, neared its opening date on Sawdust. And township pickleball instructor Adda Cuthbert was so busy, she was "turning people away at the door."

But another trend has also taken to The Woodlands: calls for halts to park updates. In May 2023, determined, plunger-wielding Capstone residents successfully reversed a plan to build restrooms in their park. This March, I spoke to several residents who questioned the safety, toxicity and popularity of planned artificial turf fields at Falconwing Park.

That trend won out Wednesday when the township's board of directors voted to pause plans to build new pickleball and tennis courts at three parks. Board members worried about cutting down trees, flooding, noise and parking concerns, while the parks department had their own defense for each topic. Read more on that here.

It's an interesting conflict, and I think both sides are influenced by ideas of "The Woodlands' original vision." What do you think?

Let me know at claire.partain@houstonchronicle.com.

Claire Partain, Suburban reporter producer

Claire.Partain@houstonchronicle.com

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