Leesburg commission hears public concerns at Veterans Park groundbreaking; discusses playground, courts, pool hours and land offer

The Leesburg Parks and Recreation Commission on May 8 reviewed public input from the recent Veterans Park groundbreaking and received staff updates on multiple ongoing and planned parks projects, including a preschool playground replacement, construction of outdoor courts at Freedom Park, a proposed community pickleball tournament, a change to outdoor pool hours tied to staffing, an unsolicited 20–23 acre land interest, and a tennis‑ball recycling initiative.

Commission members told staff they attended a well‑attended Veterans Park groundbreaking and heard neighborhood concerns during separate public-input meetings about traffic, parking, noise and construction staging. Staff reported the Veterans Park construction is advancing and that some underground work is expected to be complete around June; neighbors remain focused on traffic, parking and potential commercial‑scale use of the site’s access points.

Why it matters: Veterans Park is a high‑visibility project that will change traffic and parking patterns near nearby neighborhoods; commissioners said staff should continue to track concerns raised by residents so the town can respond during construction and programming.

Commission remarks and public input Commission members said the ceremonial groundbreaking drew “lots of people” but that a separate public‑input session drew about 50 attendees who expressed concerns about traffic, parking, noise and whether commercial users would stage large equipment there. One commissioner said concerns focused on the age of the traffic studies and on whether residents had access to the most recent data. Staff acknowledged the concerns and said they expected to address issues as construction and programming progress.

Playground, courts and other projects Staff reported the preschool playground behind Ivy League (name used in staff remarks) will be replaced this year. Installation of the new playground structure is scheduled to begin the week of June 23; because the accessible path work is on a separate schedule the playground’s reopening is anticipated in July or August.

At Freedom Park, staff said the contract for outdoor courts is expected to be awarded in early July, with construction beginning in August and an anticipated completion in October. Commissioners discussed programming the facility and suggested hosting a fall tournament as a kickoff event. The commission approved an allocation of roughly $2,500 in the FY26 budget for promotional items or equipment related to a planned pickleball event and discussed using a program guide placeholder and QR code for registration.

Pickleball tournament planning Commissioners encouraged staff to secure a date soon so the event can be placed in print and online program guides. They discussed tournament formats (coed, age categories, two‑day vs. three‑day) and volunteer support for draw and scoring. Staff cautioned that scheduling must account for existing regional championships and daylight‑saving considerations; commissioners asked staff to coordinate dates and staffing before finalizing a recommendation to council.

Outdoor pool hours and aquatics staffing Staff announced a change to the seasonal outdoor pool schedule intended to reduce operating costs and address staffing shortages. Staff said weekday closing times will move earlier (staff reported a weekday close at 7 p.m.), and that weekend hours were adjusted as well; precise weekend start/close times were described by staff but not fully specified in the transcript. Staff attributed the change to continuing difficulties hiring seasonal lifeguards and to cost‑saving measures recommended by the finance department and town manager’s office. The commission was told the aquatics supervisor resigned in April; an internal hire has begun training to fill that role.

Tennis recycling and other programming notes Staff said a tennis‑ball recycling or reuse effort recently collected more than 3,000 used tennis balls and noted the program’s environmental benefits. The commission praised recent community events (a veterans park groundbreaking and a local festival) and discussed continuing outreach such as pop‑up classes and birding groups using the Merlin app.

Potential land offer and other capital updates Staff showed a map of a roughly 20–23 acre parcel near a retail node and said the town is watching an apparent interest by the landowner; staff said more details will appear on the community development webpage within about a week. Commissioners discussed the parcel as a potential site for future parks programming but noted it is currently in private hands and that any acquisition or lease would require separate council action and funding. Other project updates included construction work at Blass Park (kayak launch, trail work and pond restoration) and the Dover Heritage Trail alignment and bridge elements, which are phasing forward but remain dependent on design and permitting.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes: The commission approved the March 19 minutes by voice vote. (Motion details not specified in the transcript.)

What’s next Commissioners asked staff to continue coordinating on traffic and parking outreach tied to Veterans Park construction, to firm a date for the pickleball event and to provide final weekend pool‑hour times and staffing plans before the next meeting. Staff said some items (including the land information and additional construction schedules) will be posted to the community development page and returned to the commission in a future meeting.

Ending Commissioners recessed after a full agenda of updates and asked staff to return refined schedules and proposed dates to enable calendar placement and public notice.