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Residents press Egg Harbor Township for more pickleball courts, safety amenities
Summary
Players and USA Pickleball representatives urged the committee to budget for additional courts, better parking, AED access and water stations after heavy weekend crowding at the township's popular lighted courts.
Dozens of pickleball players and organizers told the Egg Harbor Township Committee that demand has far outpaced supply at the township's lighted courts and asked officials to include additional courts and safety amenities in future budgets.
"It's exploding — there's 20 million players in 2024," said Mia Campo, urging the township to add courts to meet rapid growth and frequent wait lists. Players described crowded weekends with dozens of advanced players competing for two advanced courts and long lines to play.
Rosemarie Horst, an ambassador for USA Pickleball and a certified referee, praised the township's courts as "the envy of every other place around here" but asked the township to install an AED accessible without entering a locked building and add bottle‑filling stations and parking improvements to reduce street parking and heat‑related risks.
Committee members acknowledged the success of the courts but said expansion depends on funding and operational decisions. One committee member raised the question of nonresident use and whether taxpayers should fully underwrite facilities used by out‑of‑town players; others noted nearby municipalities host traveling players and that metered systems in some shore towns require staffing.
Town officials said the project is on the agenda for future budget planning and that they will continue exploring options, including layout replication and phased expansion.
What happens next: the committee will consider court expansion and related amenities as part of budget planning; no funding vote was taken at the meeting.
