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Gunnison council hears public comment on $250,000 CDBG request for sports court renovation
Summary
At a special April 15 meeting, Gunnison City officials presented a $900,000 plan to replace a tennis/skate facility with three pickleball courts and three half-court basketball courts and asked for $250,000 in CDBG funds; residents urged keeping a skate facility or considering a pump track.
Gunnison Mayor Michael Wanner convened a special City Council meeting and public hearing on April 15 to receive public comment on the city’s request for $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding toward a $900,000 sports court renovation.
City Administrator Dennis Marker told the council the proposal would demolish the existing tennis and skate facility and construct three pickleball courts and three half-court basketball courts. Marker said the project budget includes $440,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and additional local donations; the city intends to use city crews for demolition in the fall, put the work out to bid in winter, and break ground in spring 2027.
During the public-comment period, Carlton Jensen questioned the $900,000 estimate and suggested the cost appeared high compared with similar projects in Salina and Ephraim. Jensen urged the city to consider alternatives such as a skate park or a modular pump track to better serve youth and cited prior survey results showing support for preserving a skate facility.
A third-grade student, William Jensen, told the council that he and other students were unhappy about plans to remove skate ramps, calling the skate park a "perfect place" to ride bikes, and recommended the city consider a pump track like Salina’s.
Councilor Stella Hill asked staff about the feasibility and cost of Salina’s pump track during a brief discussion in which council members weighed whether to rely on existing pickleball and basketball courts at the high school or to build new city-owned facilities.
Councilor Kim Pickett moved to open the public hearing; Councilor Donald Childs seconded and the motion passed on a roll-call vote. At 6:21 p.m. Councilor Childs moved to close the public hearing, Councilor Rohn Peterson seconded, and the motion passed with Councilor Hill recorded as present. The council then adjourned.
No formal council vote on awarding CDBG funds or approving the construction contract took place during the meeting; the session was limited to receiving public comment and recording council direction and timeline details for the proposed project.
