Brentwood's Pickleball Is Heading for Elkins Way, and the Parking Lot Is Only the First Stop

"This is not easy for us," Vice Mayor Pa'Tanisha Pierson said at the October 19 special council meeting, as Contra Costa News reported. "It is a tough decision to have to try to do what you think is best for all of the residents."

That vote cleared the way for the City to close the Creekside Park pickleball courts beginning Monday, November 2, and to open temporary courts at the Sunset Sports Complex on Elkins Way on Tuesday, November 3, at 7:00 a.m. The City has said there will be six temporary courts. The council's record shows a lasting move. Brentwood is moving public pickleball out of a residential park and toward a stretch of city land on Elkins Way, chosen because it sits away from homes. The asphalt lot is where the game waits while that permanent site gets designed and built.

If you live at Vineyards at Marsh Creek, this matters even though you have courts inside the gates. It changes where you'd meet friends from outside the community for a game, and it shows where Brentwood plans to put the sport for years to come.

How a Basketball Court Became a Two-Year Debate

The Creekside courts weren't old. The city's push to find them a new home came fast.

1. August 2024. Four dedicated pickleball courts opened at Creekside Park, converted from an existing basketball court.
2. March 2025. After concerns about noise and evening activity, the council set hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., locked the gates, and told staff to look at other locations.
3. September 21, 2026. The council unanimously supported closing Creekside once temporary courts were ready elsewhere.
4. October 8, 2026. The City announced it was preparing six temporary courts in the Elkins Way parking lot at Sunset Park and aimed for an October 26 switch.
5. October 19, 2026. After hearing from dozens of residents, the council confirmed the closure. Staff also recommended sending notices to residents within 1,000 feet of Creekside Park about a feasibility study on the courts' future use.
6. November 2 and 3, 2026. Creekside was scheduled to close on Monday, with the Sunset courts set to open Tuesday morning.

People on both sides spoke at those meetings. At the September session, as Contra Costa News reported, nearby homeowners asked for relief from noise and parking problems. Players said 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. was a reasonable schedule for a public park. In October, speakers described Creekside as a place where residents of different ages exercise and build friendships. Some suggested quieter paddles, adjusted hours, and sound-reducing equipment as other options.

What the City Has Built on Elkins Way

The temporary courts are in the back parking lot of the Sunset complex. The City lists the Sunset Park Athletic Complex at 655 Sunset Road, a 37.9-acre sports complex with lighted softball, baseball and soccer fields and two restrooms. The City's October 8 notice described the setup for the six courts:

• Court striping and nets
• Perimeter fencing between the courts and the parking area
• Divider fencing to mark off each court

So far, the City's updates give the opening time but no daily hours, lighting plans, fees or court rules. The City of Brentwood Parks & Recreation news page is the place to watch for those details.

The surface is the biggest change from Creekside. Contra Costa News reported that the temporary courts sit on the existing asphalt of the lot, not on a dedicated playing surface. Speakers raised concerns about uneven pavement, falls, joint strain, summer heat, and access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and spectator space. The heat concern carries less weight in November than it will next July. That's one reason the timeline for the permanent site matters.

The Lot Is a Placeholder for the Land Next Door

At the September meeting, Parks and Recreation Director E. Harith Aleem, Jr. presented a site at 2251 Elkins Way, north of the Sunset Athletic Complex and east of the wastewater treatment plant. The land is city-owned, vacant and undeveloped, and it's separated from residential neighborhoods. Staff described that as what makes it suitable for a multi-court facility.

Staff gave the council two versions of a six-court design:

In September the council backed setting aside $1.7 million, the enhanced-level figure, funded by projected General Fund savings from vacant positions. For October 19, staff recommended reserving $1,726,871 for future capital projects. Staff estimated 18 to 24 months for design, bidding and construction once funding was approved, which suggests the Sunset lot could host Brentwood's public games through at least one more summer.

Another detail from that meeting backs up the shift. Asked whether the sports complex at Sand Creek would have pickleball, staff said courts were in the original design but were taken out, and food trucks will use that space instead. A later "Phase 1B" will have multi-use courts that could be adapted for pickleball. Pierson also raised the idea of access cards like other cities use. Berkeley charges $7 for residents and $8 for non-residents, and Concord offers free play or $8 to $11 for reserved times. That was a suggestion for the council to consider, not an adopted policy for Brentwood.

Put together, Brentwood's dedicated public pickleball is heading to one non-residential corridor on Elkins Way, and the temporary courts sit right beside where the permanent ones are planned.

Where Vineyards at Marsh Creek Fits in the New Map

Residents of the community start from a different place than most Brentwood players. Trilogy's lifestyle page for Club Los Meganos describes the Los Olivos Pavilion as having three tennis courts and four pickleball courts, plus a Pickleball Club that offers drop-in play four days a week, events, and beginner and intermediate clinics. That page is from 2021, so the current club schedule is best confirmed at the clubhouse. The page also presents these as amenities for members and guests, not public courts. We've written more about the clubhouse in our guide to the Vineyards at Marsh Creek lifestyle.

The city change matters most for games that bring in people from outside the gates, like a neighbor's grown children visiting from Pleasanton or friends from a league elsewhere in East County. Here's how the options compare this month:

A few notes on the table. The Town of Discovery Bay's booking portal lists twelve separately numbered Community Center courts, while The Press describes six. The portal shows court availability of 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends. Its October calendar listed supervised drills and play on Wednesdays and a ladder league on Thursdays. The Town says reservation applications can be submitted at the Community Center or by email. In Oakley, The Press reports Studio 55 hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with annual memberships of $25 for residents and $35 for non-residents.

For a mixed group this winter, the simplest choices are Los Olivos for guests of members and the Sunset lot for open public play once the City posts its hours. Discovery Bay works if you're willing to drive farther for an organized weekday session. The next development to watch is the 2251 Elkins Way design going out to bid. Its 18-to-24-month estimate will decide how long the Sunset lot stays Brentwood's main public option.

Amenities like the Los Olivos courts often come up when families talk through a move to Vineyards at Marsh Creek, along with questions about what's inside the community and what's nearby. If you or a parent are weighing that kind of change, Luisi & Associates is glad to sit down and talk it through at whatever pace feels right. Request your free home valuation & consultation whenever you're ready.