Committee postpones decision on pickleball courts, directs further study on noise and timing

The Wildwood Parks and Recreation Committee voted to postpone moving forward with construction of municipal pickleball courts and to revisit the project in the 2026 budget process, citing concerns about noise mitigation, proximity to residences and competing capital demands.

Committee members discussed three potential locations, including Community Park and a site in the town center. Several members supported putting courts in the town center to draw daytime customers and economic activity; others said Community Park residents had expressed concern about the characteristic “pop” noise from pickleball play and the effect on picnickers and nearby homes.

Parks staff said plans have been prepared and that the department had allocated roughly $500,000 in prior budget cycles for the courts, but rising other project costs (Route 100 safety improvements and State Road resurfacing) have placed pressure on the overall capital program. Staff described possible mitigation steps—lowering court elevation, adding landscaping and installing vinyl‑coated chain‑link slats—to reduce sound; staff committed to collect measured sound data and present mitigation options when the project returns to committee.

Committee members voted to delay active procurement and reexamine the issue in 2026 (the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote). The committee directed staff to compile comparative sound‑level data for differing court surfaces and to report on the likely footprint and impacts to picnic shelters and open meadow areas for any proposed location.

The vote preserves the city’s option to proceed later and asks staff for more data to inform a location decision and any required mitigation.