Pickleballers anxious for court expansion at City Park to proceed

Several pickleball enthusiasts attended Tuesday’s Rogersville Parks Board meeting seeking an update on the impending project that will add extra courts at the City Park.

In 2023 Rogersville was awarded two state grants for upgrades to the City Park.

A $630,000 Community Development Block Grant will pay for sidewalks and paving in the City Park, including conversion of a section of the tennis courts into new pickleball courts. The city’s required match for that grant is approximately $70,000.

The city was also awarded a $500,000 Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant to build two new restroom facilities, a concession stand, and install new playground equipment at the City Park. The city will match that grant with $500,000 in local funds.

Parks director Matthew Elkins told the group of pickleball enthusiasts who attended Tuesdays meeting that the pickleball courts and the playgrounds will be the first projects, with work expected to begin this winter on the new courts.

“The plan is to limit the impact (of construction) as much as possible, and the down time,” Elkins said. “We’ll probably start in late November and December taking fence down, taking the nets down, and busting the surface up. We’ve got to take the trees out and and bust up (the playing surface). We’ve got to cut the roots out that have grown under. Try to get that site ready so as soon as the weather turns early spring we can get it paved.”

Elkins added, “Once the paving is done it shouldn’t be a week or two to lay that nice acrylic surface on top, paint the lines, put the posts and nets back up, and get ready for action.”

Another concern expressed by the pickleballers was getting the tennis court lights to work, so they can continue playing after the sun sets. The upcoming “fall back” time change will cause it to get dark earlier.

Elkins noted that the lights should work, but he can double check, and if they’re not working they can request Holston Electric to fix them.

There was also extensive discussion about potentially putting the lights on a timer. Elkins noted in the past there have been issues with park patrons leaving the light on all night, especially at the ball fields, which results in an electric bill spike.

Technically the park closes at sunset unless there is an approved activity taking place. Elkins said he wouldn’t mind the pickleballers playing past dark, but the sunset rule was imposed to discourage illegal activities that have taken place there at night.

As the pickleball court project moves forward Elkins said he and the board will work with Holston Electric on a solution for the lights, such as a timer, so they can continue playing into the evening when the days get shorter.