Parks and Recreation Director Andra Bennett said the Parks Strategic Plan includes a plan for a 14-space parking lot to be constructed across Sailmaster at the entrance of Hurst Creek Greenbelt, which would take six months to complete.
Bennett said there are three pickleball courts with no parking to service them. As a result, patrons of the pickleball courts have been parking along Sailmaster within the right of way, which has caused issues for residents who live in the area.
Lakeway resident Sharon Hatch said she owns three properties near Sailmaster, and she was concerned about the safety of children as well as her property values due to the proposed parking lot for those who use the pickleball courts.
“I’m against the parking right next to my duplex,” Hatch said. “I’m concerned how it’s going to affect my property values. I’m concerned about the safety of my grandchildren.”
Lakeway resident Laura Resnick-Chavez said pickleball players are sympathetic to the homeowners who were concerned about the street parking situation. She said there is nowhere else for individuals to play pickleball in the area, and she would like there to be a solution that works for everyone.
“For many of us, this is more than just a sport,” Chavez said. “It’s a lifestyle. ... It would be devastating to us if you closed the pickleball courts during that time [for the construction of the parking lot].”
In a unanimous decision, the council amended the Parks Strategic Plan to eliminate the construction of the parking lot and to utilize those funds for alternatives, including repurposing the basketball court at Lakeway City Park and adding additional pickleball courts as well as another basketball court at Lakeway City Park.
Lakeway Mayor Pro Tem Gretchen Vance said she considered the parking situation on Sailmaster to be dangerous. She said she considered it a “lifestyle versus life” situation.
“As a council, we have an obligation to these residents to make sure where they live is safe, that fire and rescue can access them in a safe manner at all times,” Vance said.
