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Resident urges Lowell City to preserve Shed Park tennis courts as pickleball demand rises
Summary
A resident told a Lowell City meeting that Shed Park's tennis courts are heavily used by high school teams and community players and should not be converted for pickleball; the speaker suggested siting pickleball at other parks instead.
A resident at a Lowell City meeting urged city officials not to convert the tennis courts at Shed Park into pickleball courts, saying the courts are heavily used by local players and local high school teams.
The speaker said the high school courts consist of six tennis courts and that those courts "desperately need to be repaired," noting a recent crack-fill treatment but urging more substantial repairs rather than repurposing the site. The resident argued, "I don't want to lose tennis courts at Shed. They are almost always full," and said that people who claim tennis is declining have not visited Shed Park.
At the same time, the resident acknowledged pickleball's popularity and accessibility, saying pickleball is "easier to play" and "takes a lot less space," which can allow more courts to fit into smaller, less-used parks. Rather than using Shed Park, the speaker recommended placing pickleball courts at existing or less-central sites, praising facilities at Father Maguire Courts, Pawtucketville and the Shaughnessy as "phenomenal." The resident also suggested Calorie Park as a possible location given the number of people who show up there.
No formal motion or vote on the park layouts was recorded in the transcript. The comments in this transcript reflect public comment expressing a preference that Shed Park remain dedicated to tennis and that new pickleball courts be sited in other parts of the city.
