Pickleball and street hockey ideas at play in Saugus

SAUGUS —Town Manager Scott Crabtree debuted plans for playground renovations, including the addition of pickleball courts and a street-hockey rink at Anna Parker Playground, at a public information session.

The plans for the renovations, utilizing previously appropriated monies, would have an estimated project cost of $1.5 to $1.6 million.

“It’s been a tough warm summer so far, and hopefully these will be some positive things we can celebrate here in Saugus,” Crabtree said at the session’s outset.

Crabtree said that there have been plans in the works for playground-renovation projects since around 2015, and acknowledged that these improvements have been slow-going due to their often-expensive nature.

“We have to figure out funding, we need to balance that, we need to get our finances in order and build a good foundation, so that we’re able to fund and move forward with these things,” Crabtree said.

Crabtree said that due to financing and capacity logistics, the town is unable to renovate all of the town’s playgrounds at once, but will start with Anna Parker Playground. Work to renovate the playground is expected to begin within the next several weeks.

“It’s going to be really fabulous for the community,” Crabtree said.

The renovations will include six regulation-sized pickleball courts, a street-hockey rink, recycled plastic picnic tables and seating, bike racks, player benches, and an area for people to fill up their water bottles.

Crabtree said that people who play pickleball and street hockey in town were consulted to provide feedback to ensure that the new spaces will be up to their standards with regard to the types of materials used and the colors and sizing of the areas.

David Warner, of Warner Larson Landscape Architects, the firm which designed the layout for the renovation, said that working to install new pickleball courts is the right way to proceed with the project, as it ensures that they will be usable for longer with fewer needs for repair in the future.

“Oftentimes, communities are retrofitting existing tennis courts,” Warner said. “We did look at that option… We explored all of the possible scenarios of a lower-cost renovation… Ultimately, you know, the thought was basically saying, ‘We need to do this right.’”

Crabtree said that the renovations will allow residents of all ages to participate in recreational activities.

The area will be lit with new hooded LED lighting fixtures from Musco Sports Lighting, which will only illuminate the playing areas, helping to alleviate light pollution.

The current baseball and soccer fields will remain as they are.

People in attendance at the session had questions regarding potential installations of bathrooms in lieu of porta-potties, handicap accessibility, and parking space. Crabtree said he would ensure that the residents’ concerns are addressed as the renovation progresses.

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