Eagle County Drops Pickleball Plan for Geothermal Site

Aspen —Will the geothermal site next to Eagle Town Park become a pickleball court?

No. Not anymore.

On Thursday, Eagle County Government, the Town of Eagle, and Mountain Recreation announced they are dropping the concept for pickleball facilities at the geothermal remediation site. The decision ends a months-long debate that started when the county approached the Eagle Town Council in May with a partnership proposal. The site, located just east of Eagle Town Park, was previously a turf lawn until it was removed for the geothermal installation that powers the Eagle County building.

The original pitch was specific: six or eight pickleball courts, surrounded by shade structures, outdoor workspaces, seating, and low-water landscaping. It was a clean plan on paper. In practice, it hit a wall of noise — both literal and political.

The opposition was immediate. One resident, living just 50 feet from the site, cited personal research claiming that over 40 municipalities have closed their public pickleball courts due to noise complaints. For folks in the valley, that is a significant data point. Pickleball is loud. The "pock" of the ball hitting the paddle carries further than most people expect, especially in a residential buffer zone. Other concerns centered on cost: how much would residents have to pay for the courts to be built and maintained? Those in favor saw a chance to expand active recreation options, but the volume of opposition turned the tide.

To get past the gridlock, local lawmakers took their time. In late August, the Town of Eagle hosted an open house to gather community feedback on what should replace the turf. There was no official vote, but it gave officials a chance to present concepts ranging from zero to eight courts. The Town also ran a survey on its website, and the Board of County Commissioners took public comment.

Regina O’Brien, deputy county manager, issued a statement acknowledging the shift in direction. “We appreciate the community members who took the time to share their perspectives and help inform the conversation,” she said. “While pickleball will not be part of this particular site, all three organizations remain committed to working together to understand and respond to the community’s recreational needs.”

The open house also produced alternative ideas. Local resident Arthur Wessel proposed a plan focused on amenities that serve multiple user types, including a gathering space, a fire pit, and gardens. Others suggested a compromise: if the community wants pickleball courts, they should be built near the Eagle County Fairgrounds, not in a residential buffer.

For context, this isn’t just about a sport. It’s about land use in a tight urban core. The geothermal site is county-owned, and the turf removal was non-negotiable due to the infrastructure. The question now is what replaces it. The governing trio says they will look into other functions, including possible resiliency projects. That is bureaucratic speak for “we don’t know yet.”

Let’s do the math on what this means for your property taxes and daily life. The pickleball plan is off the table, so you won’t be paying for shade structures and court fencing on that specific parcel. But the land still needs a purpose. If it becomes a resiliency project — think stormwater management, green space, or infrastructure upgrades, the cost will likely be absorbed into general fund operations or specific capital improvement projects. If it becomes a multi-use gathering space with gardens and fire pits, the maintenance costs will be lower than eight courts, but the utility to active residents is different.

The decision swayed toward the opposing side because the noise factor was too high for neighbors to ignore. The compromise of moving courts to the Fairgrounds is now a live idea, but it hasn’t been approved. Until then, the site remains a blank slate with a geothermal plant underneath it.

The practical impact is simple: no new pickleball courts next to your house. The debate over what does go there - gardens, resiliency infrastructure, or something else; is just beginning.