Gallagher Courts - Pickleball

[boutwellchristian]

Good afternoon TMMs,

I’m writing to provide a brief some information regarding the Recreation Committee’s decision surrounding pickleball play on the Gallagher Courts.

The Recreation and Community Programs Department and the Recreation Committee have been engaged in dialogue with residents of Parker Street since December 2021about their concerns regarding the potential impact of pickleball noise. The concerned residents have provided frequent feedback to the professional staff of the Department, to the Recreation Committee at many monthly meetings (both when the topic appears on the meeting agenda and during the public comment period when the topic is not on the agenda), and at the special community meetings that were specifically held about the Gallagher and Farias Courts reconstruction project. Importantly, the neighbor’s feedback not only helped shape design elements of the project but also led the Recreation Committee to convene a working group to further understand the issue.

The Tennis and Pickleball Working Group was convened to more deeply explore some of the challenges surrounding the explosion in popularity of pickleball, the ways in which tennis and pickleball can find compromise solutions to coexist on our already fully utilized courts facilities, and to provide suggestions to the Recreation Committee of parameters that are important to consider when siting pickleball in Lexington. The working group comprised a representative of the concerned abutting neighbors, pickle ball proponents, tennis proponents, a representative of LHS Health, Wellness, and PE, the Assistant Director of Recreation, and a Recreation Committee member.

After several months of meetings, the working group produced a substantive report documenting their findings and recommendations that was shared with the Recreation Committee (https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8580/Tennis-and-Pickleball-Working-Group-Report).

Subsequently, Recreation Committee member Claire Sheth, who was the liaison to the T&P Working Group, drew from that larger report to produce for the Recreation Committee a memo with specific focus on the question of pickle ball play at the Gallagher Courts (https://www.lexingtonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9731/Memo-on-Review-of-Siting-Criteria-for-Pickleball-Court-Construction-and-Lining).

As intended when the Recreation Committee formed the T&P Working Group, the Committee has used these findings and recommendations to inform our thinking about how to continue to expand opportunities for pickleball in Lexington in general and about the feasibility of pickleball play at the Gallagher Courts more specifically. A final decision regarding the Gallagher Courts was not necessary until the project reached the court lining stage this fall, and we have taken advantage of that extra time to allow Committee members to duly consider the issue.

Last night, as was indicated during our summer meetings, the decision about lining the reconstructed Gallagher Courts for pickleball was on the Recreation Committee agenda. In light of consistent findings nationwide regarding the noise associated with pickleball and appropriate or reasonable distances to abutting property lines, and the importance that the T&P Working Group placed on recognizing proper siting specifically with regard to noise, the Recreation Committee voted unanimously (6-0) that at this time, the Gallagher Courts will not be lined for pickleball and the Recreation Committee will not permit the Gallagher Courts for pickleball play.

I hope this provides clarifying information about the process that the Recreation and Community Programs Department and the Recreation Committee have taken with regard to pickleball at the Gallagher Courts.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at this email or to the Recreation Committee (recreat...@lexingtonma.gov).

Sincerely,

Christian Boutwell

Recreation Committee, Vice Chair

Precinct 7 TMM

[Dinesh Patel MD]

Thank you Christian for your report and the leadership you and your Comittee has shown .

Findings of facts, impact on health and  safety,  inclusiveness and final decision as below shows that working together every thing is possible for this wonderful Lexington community .

 “In light of consistent findings nationwide regarding the noise associated with pickleball and appropriate or reasonable distances to abutting property lines, and the importance that the T&P Working Group placed on recognizing proper siting specifically with regard to noise, the Recreation Committee voted unanimously (6-0) that at this time, the Gallagher Courts will not be lined for pickleball and the Recreation “

Thank you again

Dinesh Patel 

Precinct 6 tm 

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 21, 2023, at 12:41 PM, boutwellchristian <boutwell...@gmail.com> wrote:



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