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Board updates Sports Court Project; pickleball fencing draws liability, cost questions
Summary
The Shrewsbury Parks Board discussed progress on the Sports Court Project — tennis courts to be poured before pickleball courts, with completion expected in early June — and weighed liability and cost trade-offs for proposed 4-foot versus taller pickleball fencing.
The Shrewsbury Parks Board on April 16 received an update on the Sports Court Project, where staff said soil had been amended following failed testing and that tennis courts will be poured first, followed by pickleball courts, with completion expected in early June.
The issue of fencing for the planned pickleball courts drew detailed discussion. Board members and staff noted plans for two enclosures with two gates each and said that 4-foot fencing is commonly used in the absence of a national standard. However, board members raised liability concerns about the lower fencing and noted that raising fence height would substantially increase project costs. The minutes do not record a formal vote on fencing standards.
Public commenters weighed in: resident Mike G’Sell expressed support for installing pickleball courts during the citizen comment period, and Parks Board member Chris Buck later connected program budgeting to personnel costs when discussing aquatic offerings. The minutes indicate the court sequence and a tentative early-June completion date, but do not list a contractor or a final budget for higher fencing options.
Next steps: the board will continue implementation under the current project plan; no final fencing decision or vote was recorded in the minutes.
