Flower Mound residents could soon see new pickleball courts being served up near the River Walk shopping area.
The Flower Mound Planning and Zoning Commission on July 24 approved a specific-use permit for the creation of the pickleball courts at the top level of the parking garage with the property located near First Avenue and River Walk Drive. The approved application will now go to the council for its review.
Players must bring their own equipment and pay a minimal fee to play, the commission learned from a presentation at the meeting from Randi Rivera, the Lewisville-based land planner for McAdams. McAdams is a firm that provides engineering, design and other services.
The details
River Walk restaurant owners Greg Retz and Michael Beaty said they want to increase traffic at the restaurant venue while also providing a place for people to play the game at the parking lot, Rivera said.
“I will say that one of the biggest battles that we fight day in day out at River Walk right now is the community does not know that we are there,” Retz said.
No one spoke at the public hearing at the meeting, but seven people filled out cards and said they were in favor of the application.
Zooming in
The applicant, McAdams, is asking for 12 pickleball courts on the upper level of the podium parking structure. McAdams stated in the letter of intent that the courts will not be open to the general public, instead requiring membership to a club or league managed by the restaurants located within the Restaurant Row, according to a council agenda memo.
The upper level of the podium parking will be gated and closed during the hours indicated in the letter of intent and will continue to be used as a parking lot when the space is not used for playing the sport. The restaurants would operate the courts, Rivera said.
Apart from the installation of gates and painting of the courts, there are no other improvements proposed, the memo stated, adding the applicant provided a parking analysis to demonstrate there is adequate parking for restaurants with the upper level of podium parking closed for the sport.
“Town staff has expressed concerns regarding lack of fencing around the courts and how this may impact vehicular traffic and the use of the sidewalk along River Walk Drive,” the memo states. “The applicant has indicated that due to the design of the pickleball equipment which has less bounce than that of tennis balls, the existing 42-inch wall along the perimeter of the podium parking adjacent to River Walk Drive should be sufficient to contain the ball within the confines of the court.”
As a part of granting the specific-use permit, town staff recommended certain conditions with concerns centering on fencing around the courts and “any possible concerns regarding noise and lack of parking for the businesses once the courts were operational,” the memo stated.
McAdams has said it does not favor this condition, but town Principal Planner Poornima Kashyap said the applicant can request alternative standards, or the commission or council may propose additions or new standards depending on what they find appropriate.
Also of note
Staff recommended several conditions for the specific-use permit, including but not limited to no more than 12 pickleball courts painted on the upper level of the podium parking, the closing of the entire upper level of the podium parking during court use and arranging certain scheduled hours of play.
Rivera showed a video in which people hit a pickleball, showing the ball to be lightweight in its design. She tried to allay concerns about fencing because the ball is lightweight and airy; its impact and travel effect are minimal; and that courts will be used during certain times of the day.
“We don’t think there’s a safety need to have to put fencing there,” she said.
