West Chester Township trustees direct staff to advance East-side pickleball concept at Beckett Park

West Chester Township trustees on Feb. 16 directed staff to advance a plan to place eight pickleball courts on the east side of Beckett Park, and to refine associated trail, parking and surfacing details as designers return with contractor-level cost estimates.

The trustees heard preliminary concepts and high-level costs from landscape architect Pat Hogle and his team, who said community survey respondents listed walking trails, playground upgrades and pickleball courts among their top priorities. “We have budgeted around $3,000,000 for construction right now,” a staff member told trustees as the presentation began, adding the township must decide whether to keep the budget level or pursue a higher-cost build.

Consultants showed three East-side layouts that increase parking from the site’s existing 16 spaces to roughly 55 in those options and keep an eight-court program. Hogle said courts can be built with asphalt and a color coating, conventional concrete, or post-tensioned concrete; he noted post-tensioned concrete is the most durable option—“it’s got a 50 year life,” he said—but would raise the up-front cost by roughly $200,000 for eight courts. Trustees asked staff to retain conduit for potential future lighting while treating lights as an optional add-on because neighbors often oppose permanent court lighting.

Why it matters: placing courts on the east side reduces the chance courts would back up onto residential yards on the west side, adds parking and positions a new perimeter trail where residents asked for a walking path. Trustees emphasized accessibility, asking designers to place handicap parking closer to family restrooms and playgrounds and to include an AED at the facility.

Cost and schedule: consultants called their numbers high-level estimates. They identified an East-side package near the lower $1 million–$1.5 million range when limited to courts plus trail and parking, but warned that combined East- and West-side build-outs could push total project costs above the township’s $3 million TIFF budget; full-build scenarios ranged from the mid-$4 million to about $5 million in the team’s rough scenarios. Trustees directed staff to hire a construction manager for contractor-level pricing and to return within about a month with refined cost estimates and phased options.

Next steps: staff will proceed with engineering for the preferred East-side concept, include conduit and electrical stubs so lighting can be added later if desired, and return to trustees with revised cost numbers and staged options. A public open house or additional work session will follow once visuals and costs are better defined.