Recreation Centers of Sun City West governing board members at a workshop meeting Friday stressed the need to make a decision and end the pickleball-tennis debate that has been ongoing in the community for the last few years.

A temporary solution of converting two tennis courts at the south end of the R.H. Johnson Racquet Complex was recommended by the Properties Committee, which researched the issue. The cost to convert the two tennis courts — courts 14 and 15, which are adjacent to the pickleball area — into up to eight pickleball courts is estimated at $55,000. Those costs would come out of RCSCW funds budgeted for a pickleball facility.

The committee determined the association lacked the necessary $363,000 for a new pickleball facility at the south end of the racquet complex and proposed two other scenarios in addition to the one it recommended:

• Board approval of additional funding in the amount of about $163,000 to accompany the $200,000 already budgeted for the construction of a stand-alone pickleball facility.

• The conversion of tennis court 2 into four pickleball courts at a cost of $27,500, which would come from the budgeted funds.

The recommendations include the stipulation that the tennis courts be converted back once funding was raised for a stand-alone pickleball facility at a later date. Converting tennis courts was much more financially feasible, the committee determined, because the infrastructure is already in place.

Board members and residents discussed which two tennis courts of the 15 at the R.H. Johnson Racquet Complex would mean the least inconvenience and interruption to tennis players. Obtaining two lighted courts was sought by pickleballers, who are hoping to extend hours of play. Seven of the 15 tennis courts at Johnson are lighted.

Jack Cavanaugh, Pickleball Club vice president, said the club has doubled in size to 416 members since the debate first arose in 2005, and needs additional playing room. He urged the board to make a decision to stop the bickering.

"We’ve been waiting for a long time for somebody to help us," he said. "When you finally make a decision, that will be the beginning of the healing process between the two clubs."

But resident Mal Jacobson said she feared the tennis facility would be ruined if courts 14 and 15 were converted.

"I was just wondering if you were trying to ruin this tennis venue? This is a famous tennis venue. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the United States," she said. "Courts 14 and 15 are used daily (and tennis players) need the lights. Pickleball is a noisy sport. If you take 14 and 15 it makes it difficult to play tennis around it."

Several board members insisted action be taken to end the drama between the tennis and pickleball clubs, which have battled over the issue of court space for three years.

"It’s not fair to the entire community to languish over the situation," board President Matt Szydlowski said. "(The board) is not going to satisfy either the tennis or the pickleball people, but the people we need to satisfy are the members of our community. The tennis courts don’t belong to the Tennis Club, they belong to the community."

Other board members agreed the debate had been waged long enough and needed resolution.

"We all need to be appreciative and supportive of everyone’s enthusiasm. The pickleball club is also very enthusiastic and they would love to have a beautiful facility like the tennis facility. I hope someday we are able to do this," said board secretary Karyl Brandvold. "I don’t think this should be an issue between two clubs. I think this is an issue of money. We should only be looking at this from the standpoint of, do we have the money, and if we have the money, is there truly a need?"

If board votes to convert the tennis courts, board member Ron Gillmeister said he believes the Tennis Club could handle the situation until funds are raised for more permanent pickleball courts.

"I don’t see that this would be so detrimental to the tennis club that they couldn’t live without it for a year," he said.

The board will vote on the motion at the regular board meeting at 9 a.m. Dec. 18 in the R.H. Johnson Social Hall, 19803 R.H. Johnson Blvd.

Erin Turner may be reached at 623-876-2522 or eturner@yourwestvalley.com.