Board debates pickleball expansion, tennis preservation and equipment theft at Bay Oaks

On Jan. 15 the Bay Oaks advisory board discussed whether to convert additional tennis courts into pickleball courts, how to balance competing uses and how to reduce damage to portable nets.

Board members said demand for pickleball has grown sharply; staff reported that temporary striping and taped lines are in use while long-term decisions are made. Players and board members described repeated damage to portable nets, often caused when people move nets to play basketball on the shared courts at night. “We’ve had approximately four, maybe five, of the nets broken because…kids are coming to play basketball at night and they’re taking the nets and just dragging them,” one board member said.

Staff said the town has some spare nets but many of the wheeled nets corroded after salt-water exposure; replacements will be ordered. The group discussed options including dedicating one tennis court solely to tennis, converting other courts to permanent pickleball layout with a physical divider fence, installing permanent nets, or limiting hours when nets are left set up. Board members also raised the idea of a modest half-court concrete pad elsewhere for basketball to reduce conflicts on multiuse surfaces.

Staff reported current recreation staffing is limited (four employees focused on youth programming), which constrains the town’s ability to set up or remove nets daily. The advisory board agreed to prioritize four pickleball courts on a temporary basis now and to evaluate whether to make additional, permanent conversions as funding and staffing permit.

Ending: Staff will order replacement nets and present a plan for court layout, permanent barriers, or scheduling options at a future meeting; the advisory board encouraged staff to explore low-cost options to reduce damage and preserve a dedicated tennis option.