In recent months, Wilton’s Parks and Recreation Commission has been working on a plan for four new pickleball courts in an effort to keep pace with the rapidly growing sport.
Demand at Wilton’s existing pickleball courts — including one indoor court in the gym at Comstock Community Center and four courts at the Middlebrook tennis courts — is outpacing availability.
“I want to get this done,” Parks & Rec Commission Chair John Macken said when commission members discussed the idea at a meeting on Nov. 8.
Steve Pierce, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, has been exploring possible sites and preliminary cost estimates.
The most likely site has been identified as Merwin Meadows, between the soccer field and the Norwalk River Valley Trail.
Pickleball courts were first envisioned at Merwin Meadows in early 2020 by the Schenck’s Island/Merwin Meadows Committee, which was tasked with developing a plan for improvements in both areas.
At the commission’s Jan. 24 meeting, Pierce pointed out an important benefit of the Merwin Meadows location: the courts can be used during the school day, unlike the four courts at Middlebrook.
Town officials cited the proximity to Wilton Center and to the new pedestrian bridge, with parking availability at the train station as well as potential power sources for lighting as advantages of the Merwin Meadows location.
Even though there are relatively few residential properties near the intended site, Pierce said that the possibility of noise concerns would have to be evaluated. Noise complaints from neighbors have been a significant issue for the Lake Club as it has tried to expand its pickleball offering, even garnering the attention of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
GOOD Morning Wilton reached out to Town officials for more information about the potential plans.
Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker responded by email, noting that plans are still at a very preliminary stage.
“This is a proposal at this point,” Knickerbocker emphasized. “Many details have yet to be filled in.”
“We will need the site to be reviewed by [the Inland Wetlands Commission],” he added, as the site is in a floodplain. (The Wilton High School tennis courts are also located in the floodplain.)
Knickerbocker confirmed that Parks & Rec is expected to request funds for the four pickleball courts as a bonded capital request, which is separate from the operating budget, but part of the upcoming FY’2025 budget process.
If the Board of Selectmen agrees to recommend the project for bonding, it could be a referendum on the ballot at the Annual Town Meeting in May.
WARF’s indoor turf would have benefited THOUSANDS of Wilton residents (especially kids, who are now at risk of losing entire teams), quickly paid for itself and brought revenue to businesses throughout Town for years to come. Pickleball courts will not come close on any of these metrics, and yet our officials want to bond THIS project out, given the other potential cuts? It’s astounding.
Honestly, if they try to bond out another controversial sports project like this, it’ll get rejected and the BOS will look like a bunch of chumps again – an alliance of environment / noise people and school budget fundamentalists will torpedo it just like we torpedoed the turf field. But Boucher is sufficiently protective of her public image that I don’t see her bringing it up to a vote unless she’s confident it’ll pass.
It’s great to see that the P&RC is working to accommodate healthy activities for Wilton citizens, but as sports facilities are evaluated in our growing town extra care should be taken regarding the impact of unwanted noise on adjoining properties. It’s time that Wilton develops effective noise control measures to mitigate not only of sporting facilities, but also property maintenance, construction, and animal noise. There’s a time for everything, but annoying, repetitive noise can seriously degrade neighbor’s peaceful enjoyment of their properties. It’s long overdue that Wilton has a specific and effective noise control ordinance.