Local Planning Agency approves grass parking allowance for Lake June Park; pickleball design not under review

The Lake Placid Local Planning Agency voted to approve a conceptual allowance for reinforced grass (stabilized) parking for Lake June Park, 501 Jackson Road, after staff clarified the agency’s limited role in the broader park project.

Town planner Dana Riddell told the agency, “We are not approving the pickleball courts. That is not for this board to decide. We are not approving the number of parking spaces, the number [of] pickleball courts, the lighting on the pickleball courts, the funding for the pickleball courts—none of that is up for discussion.” Her presentation said the item before the LPA was whether portions of the park could be designated for grass‑surface parking (stabilized, light‑duty use) to support park users including boaters, ball‑field spectators and the proposed pickleball facility.

Riddell and staff described the approval as a conceptual “go” for grass parking within an area shown on the plan, subject to later engineering for drainage and stormwater. Staff emphasized that final design, stormwater modeling and any requirement to pave in the future would be determined during subsequent commercial/site‑plan review and engineering by the town’s project manager and consultants. “It is the elevation, drainage and everything that changes when it’s paved,” a staff member said, explaining that future paving would trigger further engineering and permitting.

During public comment, several residents said the park is heavily used, with boats, trailers and vehicles frequently occupying the space. One resident said portions of the site flood after rain. Agency members asked about how “infrequent” or “light‑duty” use is defined; staff replied the code does not contain a quantitative definition and that the grass parking would be stabilized and designed to account for drainage.

The motion on the floor was approved in a roll‑call vote with three yes votes and one no vote recorded. The minutes record Gary Freeman and Chris Duncan among those voting yes; one member (identified in the roll call as Alex Ramos) recorded a no. The approval allows staff and engineers to proceed with design work within the council‑approved area depicted on the conceptual plan; final construction details, including number of courts, lighting, exact parking quantities and funding, remain subject to later approvals and engineering work.

Why this matters: the decision clears a step toward using parts of Lake June Park for reinforced grass parking to support multiple park activities, but it does not constitute approval of the pickleball courts, their lighting, or funding decisions.