Twelve lighted pickleball courts could come to Conejo Creek West Park in Thousand Oaks if the Conejo Recreation and Park District board approves a draft concept plan on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The vote is the latest step in a years-long debate that has pitted pickleball enthusiasts against equestrian groups and community gardeners who share the 40.75-acre park off Janss Road.

The five-member board will meet at 6 p.m. at the Hillcrest Center, 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. The meeting will also be livestreamed via Zoom at crpd.org.

What the plan includes

The draft concept plan, dated Sept. 29, calls for 12 lighted pickleball courts, covered and lighted equestrian arenas, an enhanced perimeter multi-use trail, a group picnic area, an outdoor wellness area and restroom upgrades. Andrew Mooney, CRPD director of parks and planning, submitted the board report.

The courts would occupy about one acre of what the district describes as underutilized space. The plan uses roughly three acres total for new features out of the park's 40.75 acres.

Landscape berms would separate the courts from other areas, placing them more than 300 feet from the nearest equestrian arena, more than 450 feet from the community garden and more than 600 feet from the closest home. According to the board report, the revised plan results in no net loss of existing park amenities.

A radio-controlled car area included in an earlier April 2026 version was dropped.

If the board approves or modifies the plan, staff recommends authorizing an environmental review at an estimated cost of $30,000, to be absorbed into the operating budget. No construction could proceed until the environmental document, an updated master plan and a staff report come back before the board at future public meetings.

Opposition from garden and equestrian groups

The plan has drawn organized pushback. Elizabeth Zernik of Thousand Oaks, writing on behalf of the Las Flores Community Garden, published a letter in the Thousand Oaks Acorn on Thursday, Oct. 8, opposing the courts.

"We believe that pickleball is an incompatible use for the park, considering the existing therapeutic nature of the community garden and surrounding open spaces," Zernik wrote.

The garden, a nonprofit that has operated at Conejo Creek West for more than two decades, cited concerns about noise, traffic, light pollution and increased pavement.

Equestrian advocates have also pushed back. In a May 21 letter to the board, Laura Shultz, state president of the California State Horsemen's Association (CSHA), wrote that ETI Corral 37 has managed the equestrian center for more than 50 years and serves as the district's only equestrian evacuation site during wildfires. The CSHA letter noted more than 35 public, private and indoor pickleball courts already existed across eight area locations as of May 2026.

Lisa Baca, CSHA Region 7 president, stated in a May 7 public comment that the equestrian park provides equine-assisted learning for foster youth, women recovering from domestic violence and veterans with PTSD.

How the plan got here

The CRPD board has been weighing pickleball court locations since 2021. In May 2024, the board authorized public outreach about future uses at Conejo Creek West.

A district-wide survey in late 2024 showed pickleball generated the most interest among proposed new uses by a wide margin. Four on-site meetings in September 2025 produced similar results.

Two public meetings in April 2026 at the Hillcrest Center drew mixed reactions, with existing park users raising concerns about traffic, noise and safety. Staff then met with representatives from ETI Corral 37, Las Flores Community Garden and the Ventura County Pickleball Club to refine the plan.

How to weigh in

Residents can attend the Oct. 15 meeting in person or submit written comments by email to [email protected] before 2 p.m. that day, with the agenda item number in the subject line. The board can approve, modify or reject the draft plan.

Upcoming community dates

  • Thursday, Oct. 15: CRPD board meeting and vote on Conejo Creek West concept plan, 6 p.m., Hillcrest Center, 403 W. Hillcrest Drive
  • Saturday, Oct. 17: Day of the Horse event at Conejo Creek West Park