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Residents urge preservation of Oak Street pickleball courts as council advances Finch Park expansion
Summary
A resident told the Ramsey mayor and council the informal Oak Street pickleball courts are a longstanding community gathering spot and urged the borough to preserve and extend hours; council members described mitigation work at Oak Street and plans to add up to six courts at Finch Park, with no formal vote taken.
Amy Ricefield, speaking for Crescent Hollow Court, told the borough council she hopes the informal Oak Street pickleball courts remain available for residents and urged an extension of hours so neighbors can continue casual play. “The Oak Street courts have become a wonderful community spot where neighbors and friends gather for casual pickle ball games,” she said.
The council said it is treating Oak Street and the Finch Park expansion as complementary facilities. Council members reported that new plantings have been added around the Oak Street courts as a sound‑mitigation measure and that updated signage reflects usage guidelines. The borough said it has met with representatives from USA Pickleball and with recreation staff to discuss improvements and quieter equipment options.
Council members described preliminary design adjustments at Finch Park that would add pickleball courts by repurposing out‑of‑bounds areas of the basketball court and adjacent soil pile, increasing the planned number to as many as six courts while maintaining the basketball surface. Officials emphasized that the tennis/basketball courts will remain and that no single group will have exclusive use: both casual and competitive players are expected to share the facilities.
Why this matters: Oak Street serves primarily casual neighborhood play, while Finch Park is being planned as a larger, potentially more competitive facility. Residents who prefer informal play said they want the borough to preserve access and consider extending operating hours. The council’s discussion focused on mitigation (plantings, signage, barriers) and layout options rather than a formal policy decision.
Council next steps and timeline: Councilwoman Cusk, who chairs the council’s pickleball committee, was noted as the council contact and said she would provide additional comments at future meetings. No vote or ordinance affecting the courts was taken this evening; staff will continue design and mitigation planning with the recreation director and outside experts.
Quotes attributed in this report come from the meeting transcript and are sourced to the speakers listed in the meeting record.
