Dear Supporters,

I wanted to share an update following our recent conversation with Chairman McKay’s office. I want to say Chairman’s McKay’s office was understanding and listened during our conversation. The Chairman's office has clarified that while they do not agree with the removal of the pickleball courts at Kendale Woods Park, they also do not believe that Ms. Cole overstepped her boundaries or acted unethically in making this decision.

If you’ve been following this story, this stance may come as a surprise. The core of the issue is that the established policies and procedures were not followed. The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) has clear guidelines for handling complaints about courts located closer than 250 feet from a residence. These guidelines were ignored.

There have been numerous actions throughout this process that many would argue were unethical and an overreach of authority. Starting with the decision to remove these courts was made solely by Ms. Cole with no board or community input.  Ms. Cole's decision to remove the courts, based on a single complaint spanning from 2020-2024, is particularly questionable.  Cole’s position on pickleball noise itself is shaky at best.  She is unable to say why pickleball noise is an issue other than ‘it’s a thing.’   Ms. Cole’s opinions align very closely with that of a known anti-pickleball group pickleball noise relief- this group was active in getting these courts closed despite not living locally.  Some would argue leaving FCPA’s office unattended to avoid being served legal papers is unethical as well.   The community was never given a chance to right a wrong in this situation because Ms. Cole overstepped boundaries and acted unethically in her handling of these courts. 

Given these concerns, we are making a reasonable request to Chairman McKay to halt the conversion of these courts on ethical grounds. We encourage you to voice your concerns and call Chairman McKay at 703-324-2321.

Thank you for your continued support!