Tennis enthusiasts should start stringing up their racquets.

The Austin City Council voted 6-1 at a public hearing Monday evening to allow the construction of six new tennis courts in a green space near Neveln Elementary School.

All council members were present for the vote, with Marian Clennon voting against the installation. The decision followed a public hearing where Austin residents voiced strong opinions on each side, and controversy began over the suggestion that Neveln’s existing 40 parking spaces would not be enough to accommodate everyone.

“People do not want to park in parking lots that are a block away,” said Council Member Judy Enright. “Everyone’s going to be parked in front of the residents’ homes.” She asked for on-street parking next to the school to help prevent congestion in front of houses.

“By changing that, children might dart out between parked cars,” City Engineer Jon Erichson said, adding that it might block visibility for drivers as children leave the school yard.

Austin resident Melanie Troster, who lived across from the proposed site, expressed concerns about a 12-foot fence replacing the green space across from her home, and worried it would impact her home’s value.

“I feel that it will devalue my property,” Troster said. She also echoed concerns about the safety of children.

Proponents of the courts included one of the current captains of the boys tennis team, Bob Sherman.

“If this is just for an approval of the courts … matters about things around the courts could be decided at a later date,” Sherman said.

Other supporters had a similar take on the parking and traffic issues.

“We can do our best to direct the traffic,” said Janet Anderson, council member-at-large, adding building the courts were the best choice for the school district.

“We know we need this,” she said.

Council members Brian McAlister and Roger Boughton agreed, saying the courts were useful for the general public too and “badly needed.”

The courts would be used for about a dozen games in the spring and a dozen more in the fall, according to citizens in attendance familiar with the boys and girls tennis teams. About 30 people were in attendance.

The hearing came in light of an April 23 decision by the Austin Public School board to accept bids for six new tennis courts to the west of Neveln Elementary School and preliminary site construction work to the east and south of Ellis Middle School Monday. The council must decide whether each project can go forward after Austin residents Kimberly and Mark Steene filed an appeal on the tennis court project. The council has yet to vacate Sixth Avenue SE within school property.

“In terms of the tennis courts, we did have planning commission approval,” Mark Stotts, director of finance and operations at Austin Public Schools, told board members on April 23. The city’s planning commission also allots time for people to appeal its decisions, and the Steenes filed an appeal.