NEWBERG, Ore. — Four resurfaced tennis courts at Jaquith Park reopened Thursday, July 30, Chehalem Parks and Recreation District (CPRD) announced.
“As an avid tennis player and user of Jaquith Park, I am happy we were able to work with both the pickleball and tennis communities to find a solution that allows both user groups to be served,” said CPRD director Matt Smith in a CPRD press release.
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Pickleball is not allowed at the courts until CPRD installs a sound barrier, a process the district now expects to finish in late August. The park’s six new pickleball courts remain closed until sound mitigation measures are complete.
The pickleball court opening has been held up by a city-mandated noise mitigation requirement attached to the project’s 2025 design review approval. CPRD sought a waiver from the requirement earlier this year; the City of Newberg denied it in April, citing the courts’ proximity to nearby homes, and CPRD did not appeal.
CPRD has since ordered clear sound-reduction panels — Sport Surfaces’ Sonic Guard SonicShield Vision line, rated for up to 14 decibels of noise reduction — and received city approval to install them. As of early June, the district had estimated the panels would arrive by mid-July with installation following within a week. CPRD now points to late August, about a month later than previously projected.
The tennis and pickleball work is part of a single $785,879 construction contract CPRD awarded to Lee Contractors in July 2025. When finished, Jaquith Park will have two dedicated tennis courts, six dedicated pickleball courts, and two dual-purpose courts, allowing for up to four tennis courts and six pickleball courts, or two tennis courts and 12 pickleball courts, depending on demand. A second phase, still unscheduled, would add covering, lighting, and seating for year-round play.
The project traces to a recommendation from the CPRD Newberg Pickleball Citizens’ Advisory Committee, formed in 2021. Board liaison Nick Konen said the group’s goal has been consistent from the start.
“From the beginning, our goal and hope were for covered, well-lit, dedicated pickleball courts,” Konen said. “Our goal was to recommend a project that will ultimately allow pickleball to be played year-round.”
