The Park and Recreation Commission voted to recommend the Village Board approve an Eagle Scout project by Hayden Krause to build a 20-foot gaga ball pit at Hickory Lane Park. The commission approved the recommended option, a pressure-treated wood pit with composite decking, after Krause said he would fully fundraise the approximately $5,000 cost and donate the finished installation to the Village of Jackson.

Krause, who identified himself as a member of Troop 765, presented two build options. The lower-cost recommendation — pressure-treated wood walls and composite deck flooring — carries an estimated wall life of about 20 years and decking life of about 25 years; Krause said the total cost would be about $5,000. The higher-cost commercial option, using composite wood, metal brackets and artificial turf, was estimated at about $9,000, with a longer structural life but turf that would need replacement in roughly 10 years.

"My final request is to build a 20 foot gaga ball pit with 30 inch walls," Krause said during his presentation, outlining a project timeline that calls for final approvals by December, fundraising January through May and construction beginning in June with completion in July.

Commissioners asked who would be responsible for periodic sealing and ongoing maintenance after Krause could no longer perform upkeep. "Once the pit would be donated, the maintenance and care would be passed on to the village as well," a parks staff member said. Staff also said composite decking was chosen in part to avoid the muddy conditions and higher maintenance associated with sand or dirt pit floors.

A commissioner voiced a safety question comparing gaga ball to dodgeball; Krause described gaga ball as a play variant in which players strike the ball at others' knees rather than throwing it at faces or arms. Commissioners expressed support for a new amenity geared to youth and moved to recommend option 1 to the Village Board.

The commission’s recommendation does not itself authorize construction; the next procedural step is consideration by the Village Board. The motion to recommend the project was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.