AMHERST — Three municipal pickleball courts will likely be constructed at Kiwanis Field, a park along the Fort River that is mostly used for youth soccer, ultimate, softball and baseball.
With $120,000 in Community Preservation Act money available, town officials are looking at the Stanley Street location to build Amherst’s first pickleball courts, though the original funding proposal came from residents interested in having the pickleball courts at the Mill River Recreation Area in North Amherst.
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., the Conservation Commission holds a hearing on the project, due to the work taking place within the buffer zone to bordering vegetated wetlands. The project will include removal of two trees, grading and fences, along with the paving of the courts.
Recreation Director Rey Harp told the Recreation Commission at a recent meeting that Kiwanis Park is an appropriate site for the pickleball courts, being consistent with the existing recreational activities and the on-site parking.
“This isn’t a major change,” Harp said.
Harp referenced the concerns neighbors raised when Amherst College proposed a long-term lease of nearby land to the town for construction of a new Department of Public Works headquarters, noting this use is compatible with what is already in the neighborhood.
There are no plan for lights right now, so there would not be night crowds.
The courts would be situated near an existing parking lot and wouldn’t impact any other sports, being distant enough from any fly balls hit by softball and baseball players.
In May, Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek told the Recreation Commission the trees being removed are quite old and in decayed state, including one that is covered in ivy. Tree Warden Alan Snow has no problem with cutting them down, Ziomek said.
Ziomek said he didn’t know how far $120,000 could carry the project, but the work could be folded into other paving contracts so it could be done at the least expense to the town.
