NEWBERG, Ore. — Chehalem Parks and Recreation District broke ground today on the Jaquith Park pickleball and tennis court resurfacing project, which will update the four existing tennis courts and add six new pickleball courts in an adjacent open lawn area. The final layout will feature two dedicated tennis courts, two mixed-use courts, and six pickleball courts.
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“It’s so exciting, I can’t even begin to tell you,” said Newberg Pickleball Club founding board member Sheryl Greiner. “We’ve been working on this for a long time. We had grand visions and brought it down to something more realistic that CPRD could do, and now it’s happening.”
At a special meeting on July 17, the CPRD board of directors voted unanimously to award the project contract to Lee Contractors for $785,879, with an estimated completion date in December 2025. On Aug. 28, Lee Contractors requested an extension to May 2026, citing the potential for weather delays, but the board denied the request to keep the original timeline.
Greiner joined about 50 other players Monday at the Jaquith Park courts, along with CPRD board members Matt Smith and Nick Konen, for one last match before construction began.
“Our club really started right when they opened the courts after the COVID-19 pandemic,” Greiner said. “The second they said we could play on the courts, we were out here. These courts are part of us and our club.”
The club launched with an email list of about 40 people in 2021 and has since grown to roughly 190, Greiner said. The Newberg Pickleball Club Facebook page has over 700 members. She added that while the sport is booming nationally, many locals discover it simply by walking past the courts and asking how to join.
“I’m 70 years old, and it’s one of the few sports I can play with almost everyone,” she said.
Sound Protection Concerns
The project received design approval from the City of Newberg in April 2025. The city required the addition of street lighting on the North College Street entrance and noise mitigation measures.
Noise has been a persistent concern for pickleball courts nationwide. The paddle striking a plastic whiffle ball creates a sharp “plink” that some neighbors find irritating.
A pickleball match can reach about 70 decibels A-weighted (dBA), while a normal conversation is around 60 to 70 dBA, according to Yale University. Experts suggest the annoyance often comes not from the volume but from the repetitive nature of the sound.
The city’s project approval documents noted five written public comments, mostly about noise and the courts’ proximity to nearby homes. One comment raised concern about the loss of lawn space.
At the July 17 board meeting, directors discussed possible noise barriers, such as a thick fabric screen around the courts. In 2023, Lake Oswego closed its George Rogers Park pickleball courts after noise complaints, despite testing sound barriers.
“I think the city is being cautious because of what happened in Lake Oswego,” Greiner said. “And so with CPRD saying we’ll put it in if necessary, but we have so many people who are walking by and stop, watch, learn, and think, ‘Hey, I can do this!’ I think it’s not as bad as people assume it is.”
Greiner said Lake Oswego’s barriers may have worsened the problem by pushing sound upward and out toward homes. She also noted the opaque coverings created security concerns by blocking visibility from the street—something Newberg-Dundee police require.
“There may be some ways to utilize landscaping and nature to provide a more natural sound barrier,” she said. “I think it’s worth looking into that.”
Konen said CPRD Superintendent Clay Downing has been monitoring play sessions and measuring decibel levels. Konen hopes the city will drop the noise-mitigation requirement if the numbers come in lower than expected.
This is phase one of the Jaquith Park pickleball project. Phase two, still in planning, would add a covering structure, lights, and seating for year-round play and larger tournaments. No timeline has been set.
Learn more at the CPRD project page.
Disclaimer: Newsberg Editor Branden Andersen has a personal friendship with CPRD Board Vice President Nick Konen.
