Lewes panel: Tennis, pickleball to share Canalfront courts

Lewes parks officials have recommended no change to existing tennis and pickleball courts at Canalfront Park. 

The parks and recreation commission rejected a proposal Jan. 27 to eliminate one of the two tennis courts and replace it with four permanent pickleball courts. The proposal also sought two additional pickleball courts to be lined on the remaining tennis court. Instead, commissioners recommended the courts be striped with the same or a similar layout as exists now. The final decision on the $160,000 project to resurface the tennis, pickleball and basketball courts will be made by mayor and city council. 

“The process of redoing the surface was not intended to favor one particular group,” said Parks and Rec Chair Alison Kirk. “It was not intended to pit residents against visitors. It wasn’t intended to bring out the firestorm of comments to the media and mass email blasts.”

The plan to replace one tennis court with pickleball courts proved to be a lightning rod in the community, inspiring the tennis and pickleball communities to write letters and pack into city meeting rooms in an effort to sway officials.

“Making this decision is not a numbers game,” said Commissioner Barry Dunkin. “It’s not who has the loudest voice or who’s the most vocal.”

Ultimately, commissioners determined the fair and equitable solution was to leave the courts as they are today.

Commissioner Warren Golde was the lone vote against the motion.

“No matter what we decide, I feel we need more pickleball courts,” he said.

Many commissioners agreed, but they did not think Canalfront Park was the right fit.

“Proponents point out that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country and in Sussex,” said Commissioner Rodney Robinson. “Clearly there is a significant demand for pickleball. I am not persuaded Canalfront Park is appropriate place to accommodate that demand. It is the passive nature of the park that makes it so enjoyable.”

Dunkin said pickleball courts are planned at Rehoboth Elementary. Brian Bassett, director of capital projects at Cape Henlopen School District, said Rehoboth Elementary will have four pickleball courts, two tennis courts and one basketball court. They should be finished this spring or early summer, he said. They will be open to the public during school hours, but the school will have top priority, Bassett said. Pickleball courts at H.O. Brittingham Elementary in Milton are under consideration, he said, but will not be built until after the 2021-22 school year at the earliest. The new Richard Shields Elementary School in Lewes will not have pickleball facilities, he said. 

Indoor pickleball facilities are also available nearby.

Some commissioners also recommended the pickleball community reach out to Cape Henlopen State Park or Sussex County to construct a new facility.

“They were looking into building pickleball courts at Cape Henlopen State Park, but it fell by the wayside because they didn’t feel there was a lot of need,” said Commissioner Harry Keyser. “Obviously there is a lot of need. A county or state recreational area would be fertile for this kind of situation.”

Kirk also researched the feasibility of adding a new pickleball court adjacent to the Canalfront Park courts. She found it would cost about $50,000, with much of the cost related to relocating existing infrastructure.

Also a factor in the decision is a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Tennis Association to help pay for the project. The city has only $146,000 budgeted for the $160,000 project.

Kelly Rasero, a USTA Delaware District representative, could not say with certainty that eliminating a court would affect the grant application, but she said the city’s design would have to meet certain standards to qualify for funding.

She said USTA encourages blended lines, so children learning tennis can play on a smaller court. If the city moved forward with that idea, it would likely eliminate most of the existing pickleball courts. Pickleball players at the Jan. 27 groaned at the suggestion.

In recent weeks, Kirk said, she’s learned that First State Pickleball Club organizes play at Canalfront Park. According to First State’s website, advanced and high intermediate players play on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while intermediate and less experienced players are welcome Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Kirk said the Canalfront courts are not intended for league, tournament or organized play, and they are to be used on a first-come, first-served basis. While the organization may technically abide by the first-come, first-served rule, how they are using the courts is questionable.

“That is skirting the rules and skirting the intention of the park and court facilities,” she said.

“The original focus of the park facility was and is for family recreation and was not intended for organized activity or active recreation activities, as the city does not have the resources to create an active recreation program,” she added.

Despite claims from pickleball players who say they yield to tennis players after an appropriate time, Commissioner Candace Vessella said she’s heard differently from tennis players.

“We received a significant quantity of input from tennis players who said they’ve attempted to go there to play tennis and have been rebuffed,” she said.

While the pickleball community did not prevail before parks and rec, they will have another chance at mayor and city council in the near future.