Recreation director announces accessible AEDs, dedicated pickleball courts and Leonard Hall floor repairs

Mister Bivens, recreation and parks director for St. Mary's County, told the Recreation and Park Citizens Advisory Board on an October 2025 meeting night that the department has installed publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and is converting Chancellor's tennis courts into six dedicated pickleball courts.

The director said the department has partnered with emergency services to place heated AED cabinets outdoors and make AEDs accessible with a 911-delivered code so the devices can be opened whether staff are present or not. “These devices are popping up. … when you call 911, that you'll enter a code and then anyone will be at whether we're staffed or not,” Bivens said.

The announcement included plans to renovate the Dorsey Park tennis courts and to dedicate Chancellor's courts primarily to pickleball. Bivens said monitoring showed play at Chancellor's was “almost dominated by pickleball” and that the conversion will create six dedicated pickleball courts rather than dual-lined courts. He said the county is coordinating with the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) to assess county courts and pursue potential funding to support tennis and pickleball needs.

Board members asked how many tennis courts would be reduced countywide; Bivens said the Chancellor's conversion reduces the county’s tennis courts “by 2 courts” at that site and described an observed local shift toward pickleball play. Department staff also noted that Dorsey Park and Town Creek Park remain 100% tennis facilities and that the USTA assessment will guide longer-term court planning.

On Leonard Hall, Bivens described a multi-step floor warranty replacement that removed old tile and underlayment, leveled and sealed the slab, and added damp-proofing layers after staff investigated possible water intrusion. “We finished phase 1, which is all the old flooring came up … we’re getting a brand new tile replacement as part of a warranty repair, and a new underlayment will be going underneath that,” he said. Bivens said the department is also exploring HVAC and dehumidification upgrades and included stormwater work in a grant application that could fund a small splash pad outside Leonard Hall and address localized ponding.

Other operational updates included a recently installed water bottle-filling station at Chancellor’s and progress photos of Dorsey Park renovations. The director said a department golf tournament will run as a scholarship fundraiser the following day.

Board member David McDonough and others pressed staff on reopening timing for Leonard Hall; Bivens said new flooring materials were expected to be delivered in early October and that reopening was targeted shortly after installation. On reservations, the department said staff training and behind-the-scenes preparation are underway and that a resident-facing reservation system and account creation were expected to begin transitioning in early December.

The department characterized the changes as responses to usage patterns and safety concerns and said it will continue working with USTA and other partners to balance tennis and pickleball needs across county parks.