More pickleball courts vs. ‘preserving wildlife:’ Gee and Ursula Show debates

Seattle Parks and Recreation is hoping to build more than two dozen lighted pickleball courts at Magnuson Park.

According to the city’s website, the budget for the project allows for the construction of 8-14 courts with lighting by the end of 2026, but officials say a park master plan will be amended to allow at least 16-18 courts with the ultimate buildout of 25 lighted courts.

However, environmentalists are discouraging the project, saying the new courts would intrude on nearby restored wetlands. Critics say the courts would disturb wildlife, especially nocturnal animals, with constant noise and traffic.

Environmentalists say courts would disturb wildlife

When faced with the question of new pickleball courts or protecting waterfowl, Angela Poe Russell, fill-in host for “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, said she would pick “waterfowl, period.”

“I love tennis,” she continued. “I want to learn pickleball. Yes, I’ve been to Magnuson Park. I do agree. I’m so critical of when for years, someone will say, ‘You can’t build on this area because it’s wetlands, it has wildlife’ and all of a sudden, someone has the right proposal or the right amount of money, and they can go build it.”

Gee Scott,  host of “Gee and Ursula,” said he sides with the wildlife experts.

“I don’t know enough about wildlife, but I do know this: I do know that every single time that we try to do stuff, and we thinking about ourselves and thinking about making things better, we humans mess things up,” Gee said.

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Pickleball courts could deter crime

But Andrew Lanier, producer for “Gee and Ursula,” made a different point.

“Part of the concern was ‘It could impact neighborhood noise quality,’ and let’s see, I believe it was ‘The peace and quiet of those who love to patronize the area,’ right? So what you’re hearing is, ‘I don’t want it. I’ll say I want to save it for the birds,’ he said.

“It’s this whole thing that we do, ‘Oh, we need to do an environmental review.’ Look, restored wetlands versus nature preserve is an entirely different thing. Magnuson Park is probably one of the most underutilized public resources in Seattle. It is huge. The vast majority of it is paved over,” he continued.

Andrew believes the lit courts would benefit the area because they would hopefully deter crime and “There’s already not enough recreation opportunities for people that love to play pickleball,” he added.

To listen to the entire discussion, click the player below:

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Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9am to 12am on KIRO Newsradio.