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Residents ask Danville Town parks board to extend pickleball-court lights; board postpones decision
Summary
At a Parks and Recreation meeting, residents urged extending pickleball-court lighting from 11 p.m. to midnight for safe youth recreation; the board postponed a decision and agreed to contact neighbors and consider a limited Friday–Saturday trial.
Residents urged the Danville Town Parks and Recreation board to extend lighting at the town’s pickleball courts to midnight, but the board postponed a decision and said it will contact neighbors before weighing a weekend-only trial.
At the meeting, Christina Ward of 527 Raintree Drive told the board the courts have provided “a safe, fun, social place” for youth and asked that lights be kept on until midnight. “These kids have had so much fun. They’ve not vandalized. They’ve not had to have police there,” Ward said, arguing an extra hour would let teens socialize in a supervised environment.
Two other residents, Carter Ward and Liam Harold, both identified themselves and described similar benefits and frustrations: curtailed playing time and inefficiencies when lights are cut off mid-game. Carter Ward said the courts “are a safe environment for us to come down and play,” and Harold said shortened hours “cut off time that we just go and have fun and be kids.”
Parks staff told the board two neighbor complaints about lights and noise prompted installing a timer that turns pickleball lights off at 11 p.m.; staff said the timer was put in around Aug. 14. Staff also noted receipt of a written complaint from a Parkridge neighbor and stressed the need to balance the players’ interests with nearby residents’ expectations.
The Chair noted operational constraints, saying the park “technically closes at 11:00,” and pointed to a state youth curfew that covers people under age 18. Board members and staff discussed practical impacts of changing hours, including updating entry signage, restroom access and whether a later schedule for one facility would oblige changes across the park.
After discussion, the board voted to postpone action and seek neighbor input, with the Chair framing a compromise option of extending lighting to midnight on Friday and Saturday only. Staff was asked to estimate the extra costs for later hours and to invite or otherwise notify adjacent residents so their views can be heard at the next meeting.
The board’s delay leaves the current 11 p.m. cutoff in place for now; members said they will return the issue to the agenda after outreach and a cost estimate.
