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North Castle board weighs dedicated pickleball courts at Lombardi Park
Summary
At a May 27 work session the town board discussed adding four dedicated pickleball courts at Lombardi Park, a proposed maintenance building and phased construction. Engineers estimated about $300,000 for four courts and cited options to phase work and use cooperative procurement; neighbors raised noise and parking concerns.
The Town Board held a work session May 27 to review conceptual plans for four dedicated pickleball courts at Lombardi Park and related park improvements. The presentation, drawn from a 2023 concept plan and updated by town engineering staff, would remove five on‑site storage containers, add courts west of the tennis courts and provide a small maintenance building with ADA restrooms if the board so chooses.
Why it matters: Board members said the project could be paid from an existing subdivision‑dedicated recreation fund (roughly $600,000 available), supplemented by grant applications or a cooperative (co‑op) procurement that staff said can reduce costs and contractor risk. Supporters told the board dedicated courts would meet rising demand; neighbors warned of noise and urged outreach and acoustic studies before moving forward.
Town engineer Joe Chamelli (engineering office) described the site plan and trade‑offs, saying the plan would “remove those containers, utilize that similar area, and then construct 4 pickleball courts adjacent to the tennis court,” and that the conceptual cost for the four courts was “about $300,000” using co‑op pricing. He explained the plan envisions grading, limited retaining walls and a perimeter fence to minimize tree removal and to connect to existing parking and sidewalks.
Board members asked about alternatives, including redesigning Winkler Park or using other town parcels, and whether the highway department could build lower‑cost courts in blacktop. One board member said the specialized court surfacing and coatings are “pretty unique and specialized,” and that simple blacktop would not provide the same playing surface.
Several residents and users urged a phased approach. Steve Rossi of North White Plains told the board staged work and aggressive grant pursuit could extend the recreation fund’s purchasing power. Parks & Recreation Advisory Board chair Carl Henricks said the advisory board is “100% in favor of pickleball” while acknowledging neighborhood concerns.
Neighbors voiced two recurring concerns: sound and parking. Patrice Wendling, who said she lives on Anthony Court, asked whether the town would “do anything for the sound?” Supervisor/Moderator (speaker 2) noted acoustic consultants can measure current sound levels using simulated play and recommended mitigation such as plantings, fencing or engineered sound barriers if needed. Staff also advised reaching out directly to the roughly seven houses on Anthony Court with targeted notices and follow‑up meetings.
Next steps: Staff and consultants will produce more refined cost estimates and preliminary design options for phasing, container relocation and parking changes; the board directed staff to return with pricing and expected to hold a follow‑up work session or place the item on a future agenda for next decisions.
