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Narragansett Parks budget keeps services steady; pickleball courts eyed for $800K–$1.5M rebuild
Summary
The town's Parks and Recreation operating funds are largely level-funded in the FY budget, while capital asks include an expansion and full reconstruction of the Clark Road pickleball courts, playground work at Dominic Cristoforo Park and fencing and roof repairs at other facilities.
Michelle, the town's Parks and Recreation director, told the council the department's operating lines are mostly level-funded, with a small dip in parks maintenance and a modest increase in recreation driven by higher costs for uniforms, field trips and supplies.
The department is proposing several capital projects for the coming years. The most notable is a reconstruction and modest expansion of the Clark Road pickleball courts: the plan would keep the same overall footprint, extend the court area about 17 feet on the east side to add two courts and replace the playing surface with post-tension concrete. "It's the exact same footprint with a little bit of an extension towards the...east side," Michelle said. She estimated the town's in-house demolition and the full build-out, including fencing and painting, could be "probably going to be upwards of $800,000 when all is said and done," and cautioned final costs will depend on competitive bids that could be higher.
Other Parks capital items described include: - A new roof for the Parks and Recreation office, budgeted at about $50,000. - Replacement of the North Community Center event-space floor and removal of damaged tiles. - Completion of a black vinyl fence at George C. Park; Michelle said the quote received for that fencing appeared reasonable given the length of fence required. - Phase 1 renovations at Dominic Cristoforo Park, already approved by council; Michelle said phase 1 should be completed by fall, weather permitting, and will replace three play structures.
Councilors asked about operations and logistics tied to the pickleball work. On parking, Michelle said overflow parking is designated at the top of the property around 170 Clark Road and that the town posts signs, but users sometimes do not drive to the designated overflow area. On materials she explained the town prefers post-tension concrete for longevity: "That way we can get a 35 to 50 year lifespan." She also noted that while the project will be designed in-house and then go out to bid, the final contract award will follow standard procurement and take the low qualified bidder.
Councillors and staff also discussed program-level details: the town runs a seven-week summer camp (ages 5 to 12) at Clark Road that draws about 60–75 participants and generates roughly $83,000 in revenue in 2024 (so far $33,000 in the current fiscal year). Michelle said the camp fee structure is kept low and that the summer program uses seasonal staff and paid coaches for tennis and other activities. She reported Narragansett has four dedicated pickleball courts and additional courts that are tennis courts lined for pickleball use ("4 in total...and a total of 14 in total pickleball courts, again, but those are lined on other courts").
The council also heard that some previously planned projects (Park #5) were deferred in the current budget and left as placeholders for later phases. Michelle stressed weather and seasonality affect start dates: "Phase 1, I would say by fall of this year. The only thing that really holds us back is the weather."
