New courts, restrooms, and parking slated for completion in early 2026
PASO ROBLES — A new pickleball court complex is coming to Sherwood Park after Paso Robles City Council approved the complex with a 4-1 vote during the Tuesday, Nov. 19, City Council meeting. The court initially began design back in 2021 and during the June 4 City Council meeting, staff was approved to bid the project with an estimated $3.4 million budget.
The final design of the complex includes seven lighted courts, a new restroom and storage building, barbeque and picnic tables, two large shade structures, a new Sherwood Park parking lot, and multiple mandated landscaped stormwater detention basins.
Due to a raise in labor and material costs, along with design changes, the project went from its originally estimated $1.2 million cost to now an estimated $3.4 million.
The current design allows for the future construction of the baseball complex and lighted soccer fields depicted in the Sherwood Park Area Master Plan. Construction is scheduled for 15 months with completion in the first quarter of 2026.
According to staff, they received five bids from different constriction companies:
- JJ Fisher Construction, Inc. $3,279,897
- Newton Construction & Management, Inc. $3,643,000
- MD Construction $3,699,435.63
- Edwards Construction Group $3,940,635.95
- Aventus NV Inc. $4,950,490.20
JJ Fisher Contstruction Inc. was chosen as the bid winner for the project. Funding for the project will come from the following: $833,500 of ARPA funds, and $354,500 of Park Development Impact Fees, for a total of $1,188,000 — leaving an additional $2,903,411 to pay for. The additional funds will be redirected from the South Vine Street Bridge Project to the pickleball complex at Sherwood Park.
Councilman Chris Bausch had some disagreements with using funds from another project to pay for the pickleball courts.
“I’m not so sure that taking money from another project, the South Vine Street project, is the wisest thing that we can do,” he said. “We are, in essence, asking taxpayers to fund the pickleball courts and the other improvements that are needed at Sherwood Park … no dispute that improvements are needed at Sherwood Park.”
Ultimately, the pickleball court for Sherwood Park was approved with a 4-1 vote, with Bausch dissenting.
Earlier in the meeting, council approved moving forward with the 2025 Community Development Block Grant Program and the Draft Annual Action Plan. The grant will support local initiatives, including a $132,022 crosswalk project at Parkview/Airport Road and public service programs totaling $47,583, with $30,467 allocated for funding.
Funding requests submitted include:
- El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO): $15,233
- CAPSLO: $15,234
- 5 Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC): $17,150
However, council only approved funding for ECHO and CAPSLO. The plan also allocated $14,218 to administration, with public hearings scheduled for March 2025. The plan will be brought forward to City Council again for approval at a future date.
The council also unanimously approved the acceptance of a Ford Transit 350 van for the Paso Robles City Library donated by the Paso Robles Library Foundation, with the assistance of the Friends of the Paso Robles Library. The van will be used for the purposes of supporting the library’s outreach services programming as a bookmobile.
Also, moving forward, the council unanimously approved changing their regular meeting start time from 6:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The new start time will be implemented for the first meeting in January 2025.
The council approved adjustments to landfill tipping fees, set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The changes include higher rates for compacted refuse and tire disposal, while the transfer ton rate will decrease to stay competitive. According to a staff report, these adjustments are needed to cover operational costs, infrastructure upgrades, and regulatory compliance for the city’s landfill, which operates as a standalone enterprise fund. The measure passed 4-1, with Bausch dissenting.
Additionally, the council approved initiating the Proposition 218 process for a proposed solid waste rate adjustment from Paso Robles Waste & Recycle, the city’s waste hauler since 1957.
The proposed rate changes include an 11.96 percent increase in residential and commercial service rates and a 33.9 percent hike for roll-off services in the first year, with annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index from 2026 to 2029. These changes are designed to address rising operational costs, including labor, equipment, fuel, and disposal expenses.
The motion passed unanimously, and the new rates are set to take effect in 2025 after a public notification period, protest process, and hearing.
The next Paso Robles City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m.
