Lehi residents are calling for modifications to the Lehi Legacy Center to accommodate growing interest in pickleball and to expand facility access. During a Lehi City Council meeting on Sept. 8, community members requested the addition of pickleball lines on basketball courts and the elimination of member-only hours.
Sarie Christiansen, a Lehi resident and part-time employee at the Legacy Center, stated that the demand for indoor pickleball courts is at an all-time high. Christiansen presented a petition containing over 250 signatures requesting that pickleball lines be added to some basketball courts to make them usable for the sport. She noted that adding these lines would require an investment of approximately $3,000 and requested 20 hours of play per week.
One resident informed the council that they travel to various locations in Utah County and to the Oquirrh Park Fitness Center near the Olympic Oval in Kearns to find available space to play, highlighting the need for indoor facilities in Lehi City.
The petition also addressed the current member-only hours at the Legacy Center. Cami Purtschert noted that the center currently restricts access twice a day, from 5 to 8 a.m. and from 9 to 11 p.m., for non-members. Purtschert stated that the Legacy Center is the only recreation center in Utah County that maintains member-only hours.
Purtschert argued that while member-only hours may have been necessary when Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain were growing, the current population boom makes the restrictions a hindrance. She suggested that the hours prevent friends and family from joining members in classes, which could otherwise help grow class participation.
Both Christiansen and Purtschert emphasized the community importance of the Legacy Center. Christiansen stated that the center provides a space for people to connect and that playing games like pickleball can be beneficial to both individuals and the community.
