By VINCENT CORSO
[email protected]
STATE COLLEGE — After months of debate and public comment, Patton Township has reached a decision about the noise and traffic concerns surrounding pickleball courts at Green Hollow Park in Park Forest.
During a special meeting on July 15, township supervisors moved to implement both short-term and long-term solutions to address the complaints made by some nearby residents concerning the noise and traffic issues caused at the courts.
In the short term, the township will again reduce the hours of allowable play.
Starting Aug. 1, court usage will be limited from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
No play is allowed on Monday.
Township manager Doug Erickson said the township will survey residents and players over the next few weeks about these hours and adjust them if needed during the Aug. 18 regular scheduled supervisors’ meeting.
In the long term, the board also directed staff to start the process of converting one existing tennis court at Bernal Road Park into four pickleball courts.
Erickson said once that work is completed, Green Hollow Park courts will be converted back to tennis.
Pickleball, often described as a mix of ping-pong and tennis, is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and it experienced a boom in Centre County during the pandemic when people were looking for the outdoors for entertainment.
During that time, the four courts that opened in 2019 at Green Hollow Park began to be an issue for neighbors, who said they could hear constant pickleball sounds inside their home.
Also, the community park does not have a parking area, and some said the pickleball players were causing a traffic issue by parking on the street, limiting visibility.
To address the concerns, the township had already limited hours of play on the court and formed a community group of pickleball players and local residents to work on a solution.
Recently, five dedicated pickleball courts opened at the YMCA, alleviating some of the issues at Green Hollow Park, but residents nearby still hoped for a more concrete solution.
While delving into the pickleball courts issue, the township was also made aware that Americans with Disabilities Act issues needed to be addressed at Green Hollow Park. Supervisors agreed on a bid from EBY Paving and Construction to complete the installation of an assessable path and parking space for the park at a cost of $43,050.
