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Committee backs plan to replace tall arborvitae after pickleball safety, disc-golf preservation debate
Summary
Marshfield’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Committee on Feb. 12 authorized staff to begin planning to replace the tall arborvitae lining the north fence of the new Brane Park pickleball courts after a lengthy discussion between pickleball players and disc-golf proponents about safety, maintenance and course character.
Marshfield’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Committee on Feb. 12 directed staff to begin planning to replace the stand of tall arborvitae that borders the north fence of the city’s new pickleball courts, following more than an hour of testimony from pickleball players, disc-golf users and landscape professionals.
Committee chair John said the item was intended as a forum for both sides to present options; after discussion the committee made a motion to begin replacement planning and to work with the city forester, local nursery representatives and the two user groups.
The dispute centers on a roughly 30-foot arborvitae hedge that runs along the north edge of the courts and also forms a corridor for Hole 3 of the Brane Park disc-golf course. Perry, speaking for pickleball players, said the new courts have “state-of-the-art” surfaces but that foliage falling onto the playing surface has been a recurring safety and maintenance problem. “We were there was a shortfall of funding… Year to date as of right now, we've had $400,000 that we have put into these courts,” Perry said, adding that debris has caused slips and would hamper tournament play.
Disc-golf representative David Tiffany (listed in the meeting as Dave Tiffany) urged preservation of the hedge as a defining feature of Hole 3, saying the arborvitae form a “tunnel shot” and provide habitat and aesthetics for the course. Tiffany said clusters of trunks along the fence “form remarkable hedge that will probably last another two decades” and argued that trimming and focused maintenance could reduce fallout.
City staff and outside consultants described possible technical responses: trimming the overhang and power-washing clippings after trimming, installing a raised or angled windscreen attached to an extended fence to divert falling fragments outside the court, or removing and replanting the hedge with a different species and temporary deer protection while young. Gordy Shallow of Shallow’s Nursery told the committee he can provide planting plans and suggested a mix of species and dwarf varieties that would meet the park’s windbreak and aesthetic needs.
After questions about maintenance, deer browse on replacement plantings and the risk to court edges during stump removal, the committee voted by voice to begin planning for removal and replacement. The motion directs staff to work with the city forester, Shallow’s Nursery (or similar landscape professionals), the pickleball group and the disc-golf community on a design and cost estimate; the committee also discussed raising fence heights and adding netting as interim safety measures. The vote was taken by voice without a recorded roll call.
Committee members emphasized balancing safety and protection of a longtime recreational amenity. John said the committee’s goal was a practical solution: “We’re not here to be popular. We’re here to do the right thing.” Staff were asked to return with a conceptual plan, cost estimates and a timeline for planting, deer protection and any required fence work.
No specific schedule for removal or planting was set; committee members asked staff to include funding sources and a proposed budget in future materials.
