Council focuses on pickleball playing home; many thoughts
Farragut’s pickleball community may have realized their biggest future playing location in Town, coming a few weeks after four north courts in McFee Park were removed due to noise complains from Brass Lantern subdivision residents.
“The residents of Brass Lantern (subdivision) and the pickleball players met Nov. 29,” Parks and Rec director Ron Oestreich told Town Parks and Recreation Council Council members during their meeting Tuesday, Jan. 9. “I want to say the discussion was productive. Everyone got to express their feelings.
“There was good discussion on ideas, alternate play,” he added. “I did give all of the Board a quick summary of everything that was discussed at that meeting.
“The Brass Lantern people had their eyes opened to, really, the plight of pickleball players, and the pickleball players had their eyes opened to the plight of the Brass Lantern residents, so it was educational and eye-opening for both sides, I believe.”
While those north McFee courts will remain closed — four other pickleball courts at McFee that are located well away from Brass Lantern remain open, though local pickleballers say “they are crowded” — Oestreich recommended the following:
• “We are going to ask the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to allow us to do a study on moving the pickleball courts to Mayor Bob Leonard Park. (The Town does not have pickleball or tennis courts there)
• “Based on results of the study, move the pickleball courts to Mayor Bob Leonard Park. The timeline is to get it done as soon as possible.”
The Council voted 7-1, with Council member Brian Walker the lone dissenting vote, to make those recommendations to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Council members Debbie Pinchok, Joe LaCroix, Riley Honken, Derek Wright, Randy Armstrong, Chairman Jeff Ullian and Town Alderman Drew Burnette, also a Council member, voted in favor of the recommendation.
However, “Can we study putting courts in the back of McFee?” Walker asked, with Burnette echoing Walker’s question.
“Sure,” Oestreich answered. “We can do all kinds of studies. I personally think they would be better off at Mayor Bob (Leonard Park) just because there’s no houses near there. My fear is wherever, we put pickleball in McFee there are going to be homes surrounding it.”
Adding McFee to the study was not voted upon for recommendation to BOMA.
Other feedback
“I was pleased that they’re going to consider McFee and Mayor Bob Leonard Park (for the courts),” Farragut pickleball player Carlos Reveiz said. “I’m also pleased that (Brian Walker) said ‘you need to build more’ because …”(pickleball) is not going to go away.”
“There’s space out there, near where the volleyball courts are,” he added. “It would be far away from homes.
“Hopefully, they can build at least 10 to 12 pickleball-dedicated courts because the demand is there. It’s huge. If they say they are going to build courts, it’s not going to happen overnight. You’re looking at two, three years.”
“I just wanted to remind pickleball people or Brass Lantern folks about the information that was presented last week about some alternatives … in the short term,” Pinchok said. “There are two areas that are close to Farragut that (are) pay-to-play pickleball courts — inside and outside — over at Fort Sanders West tennis courts (Pavilion of Pickleball) … and the new, expansive location, the Pickleball Playground at Ball Camp Road.”
“It only takes 15 minutes to get there, too” she added. “They’re starting to run programs … the owner is really working to work with people … they have a $35 monthly fee (if you play outside, there’s no additional fee).”
“We discussed other potential solutions with the subcommittee: alternate dates of play, keeping the north courts closed permanently, reduction of court hours and even the Town providing quiet rackets and such,” Oestrich said. “It was great to see the residents of Brass Lantern understanding some of the pickleball players can’t come for play when there’s reduced hours because they work.”
After complaints from residents living near McFee Park, the Town closed half the courts to pickleball players last fall.
“I’m disappointed,” pickleballer Wayne Jones said. “I’ve been playing for six years, and I’ve lived in Farragut for 20 years. I’ve been playing at West Hills, Fort Sanders, anywhere I could get a court.”
“There have been 20 to 30 people waiting to play pickleball,” pickleballer LaDona O’Nan said. “There was no one playing on the tennis courts.”
“I hope the Town of Farragut goes through with their idea that they need to build some dedicated pickleball courts … and the Board wasn’t just kidding about that,” pickleballer Linda Anderson said.
