In about a month, Phoenix will join other cities in the Rogue Valley in offering a place to play pickleball.

The city of Talent, meanwhile, is asking residents to take a survey to determine where new pickleball courts should be built in Chuck Roberts Park.

Phoenix’s Parks and Recreation Committee has approved striping on a paved area used for basketball at Colver Road Park to accommodate two pickleball courts that would use portable nets.

“The whole committee is on board and ready to go for it,” said Mark Peterson, the committee chair. Committee member Rosa Van Gordon is a dedicated player, and two others have said they want to learn.

Southern Oregon Pickleball Association reports 2,309 individuals from Medford to Ashland registered to use a pickleball scheduling app, Peterson told the committee. SOPA’s website lists 21 playing sites from Ashland, to Grants Pass, to Eagle Point.

Before games can begin in Phoenix, cracks in the court will need to be repaired and a seal coat applied. Depending on weather, the work probably won’t happen until late March or early April, said Chris Stephenson, Phoenix’s public works superintendent.

SOPA volunteers have offered to assist with painting the court stripes once the surface is ready. The group has also offered to host an open house on pickleball when the courts are ready to use.

Because it is an existing facility and park, the committee didn’t need to get City Council approval to make the change.

The committee has approved an expenditure of $1,200 to cover two nets, a lock box for storing them and paint for the lines. The city will cover the estimated $3,500 for court surface work.

Signs will be posted explaining that pickleball and basketball players must share the courts, Peterson said. Play time won’t start until 8 a.m. to reduce the noise impact on neighborhood residences. The park closes at dusk.

Peterson began to play pickleball last fall. He became aware that there are several two-court pickleball setups in the valley and suggested to the committee that one could be accommodated at Colver Road Park.

An influx of out-of-town players is unlikely with just two courts on hand, Peterson said. Groups of players would likely go to Lithia Park in Ashland or Fichtner-Mainwaring Park in Medford where more courts are available.

“I’m hoping this will become more of a local community gathering spot,” Peterson said. “I don’t see a lot of people coming.”

Talent’s courts in Chuck Roberts Park are closed due to large cracks in the surface — a result of a high water table — that have made it unsafe to play there. The city cannot get insurance on the courts due to their conditions, Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Ted Hilton-Walker said. Attempts at repairs have been unsuccessful.

Talent’s setup began as two tennis courts, then striping was put in that allowed for the use of temporary nets to create pickleball courts while still accommodating tennis. A parks master plan calls for relocating the courts elsewhere in the park.

A survey about pickleball participation on the city’s website includes questions on demographics, court use, challenges and how many courts are needed for pickleball and tennis. The survey also asks if permanent pickleball courts should be established.

“The parks commission is kind of a megaphone for the community. We are gathering input and will make a recommendation as far as location and sound-blocking measures,” Hilton-Walker said.

The commission will hold a study session and meet with city staff to look at locations for the courts and other proposed features in Chuck Roberts Park.

Neighbors on the east side of the park have voiced concerns about noise, Hilton-Walker said. Sound-reduction methods that have worked elsewhere in the county will be used, including fencing with sound-absorbing panels and avoiding open spaces between courts and houses.

After only a week, the survey had garnered more than 150 responses, Hilton-Walker said. It will stay up until late March, then the commission will present the findings to City Council in April.

Hilton-Walker has received emails from people who say they plan to come to council sessions to learn about the courts.

Talent officials had set aside $385,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for new courts this fiscal year. That funding may be in jeopardy due to problems with the city’s water meter reading system, although a decision to divert the money has not been made.

A recent city goal-setting session for the coming budget year prioritized the courts’ relocation, Hilton-Walker said.