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Date: 10/18/2022
NORTHAMPTON – Northampton, in collaboration with Berkshire Design Group, is currently in the process of conducting a feasibility study for pickleball courts throughout the city.
Pickleball, one of the fastest growing sports in the country, is essentially a mashup of ping pong and tennis played with paddles and a perforated polymer ball that looks similar to a wiffle ball. The dimensions of a pickleball court typically measure at 20 by 44 feet with a net around 36 feet high. Much like the other paddle sports, pickleball can be played as singles or doubles.
The city’s Community Preservation Committee has provided funding for this project so far, and currently the Parks and Recreation Department is in the early stages of finding feasible locations for possible courts.
“It is a very exciting project for sure,” said Parks and Recreation Director Ann-Marie Moggio, in a statement to Reminder Publishing. “We have had a great response, and people are very interested in the courts.”
A public meeting was conducted by Berkshire Design on Oct. 6 to present possible locations for pickleball courts in Northampton. During the presentation, Carlos Nieto, the principal landscape designer for Berkshire Design Group, presented four potential court locations to the Parks and Recreation Department and public.
Those potential locations included Arcanum Field, Sheldon Field, Ray Ellerbrook Field and Veterans Field. Nieto also presented a myriad of pros and cons for each location based on their findings, which can be found on the Northampton website: https://northamptonma.gov/2481/40886/.
No matter the location, Nieto emphasized that having six courts is an “ideal” amount, which he based on other examples in the area. “Being able to have six courts with the center aisle is ideal, because you are not crossing across other people’s courts as they’re playing,” said Nieto.
According to Nieto, a six-court site could cost a total of over $588,000 including design and construction costs, but not including parking or any additional amenities surrounding the courts, like walkways. The price of the project could fluctuate, however, based on where the location is.
Residents who have input on what they think the location should be, or if they have other ideas about what amenities should be included in the court area, should contact the city Parks and Recreation department at recreation@NorthamptonMA.gov.