Payson Officials Hope To Bring Pickleball and Basketball Courts To Memorial Park

Pickleball may soon replace the tennis courts located on the southeast corner of Memorial Park (pictured above). A new basketball court, say leaders, is also planned for this section of the public park in central Payson.

Pickleball is all the rage, say Payson City officials, and courts accommodating its play, along with a few for basketball, could be constructed on Memorial Park’s southeast corner, where a tennis court and adjoining parking lot exist today. The new amenities were proposed as possible options for improving Memorial Park during the October 18, 2017, city council meeting in Payson.

According to Dave Tuckett, Payson City Manager, the proposal offers a combination of four to six pickleball courts, basketball courts, and parking. While there are other amenities in the park that could also be improved--the old bath house, for instance--replacing the tennis courts is being considered due to their poor condition, according to Mr Tuckett.

“We kind of feel like this might be the way to go,” he said.  “Pickleball’s pretty popular right now. [City staff] feel like something active is better at the park than non-active, just putting a pavilion or adding grass, [to] get people to use that.”

The courts at local junior and senior high schools are accessible by city residents already, he added.  “We have plenty of tennis courts around the community,” Mr Tuckett said.

“We have tennis courts down that really are in sad shape,” Councilman Mike Hardy agreed.

“I’m for anything that will get people to come down and use them,” Councilman Hardy added.  “So if we feel comfortable that we have enough parking, I’m happy with that.”

But Councilman Hardy did cite some concern over a loss of parking in the area with the project’s construction.  He said that he has been in the park at times when the pavilion has been in use and parking has been an issue.  

However, “You lose very little of it on the south end,” replied Mr Tuckett.  

Memorial Park benefits from its proximity to a school and church, according to Tracy Zobell, City Golf Pro and Groundskeeper.  “The citizens usually don’t park there, outside the pavilion use," Mr Zobell said. "It’s usually for the carnival workers or people that are doing functions in the park.  I don’t think it will affect the general public.”

Mr Zobell noted that a drop-off area could be considered in order to assist with pavilion parking problems.  Still, “We do have a lot of parking around that park,” he said.

As for the cost?  “To do this with the proper flooring and the proper structure, it’s $300,000,” City Manager Tuckett told the mayor and council.  

According to Karl Teemant, Community Services Director, lighting would cost an additional $50,000.

The total cost could be ameliorated with the City’s help in the project’s construction, added Mr Tuckett.

“We just wanted to get some direction,” Mr Tuckett told the council.  “This is kind of the way we’d like to see it go. I know we did adopt the PARC tax.  This is a project that we could apply for some PARC funds, but I don’t know if we could use total PARC funds here, because the estimate of what we bring in each year from the PARC fund is about $183,000, so that would take two years of this to get this done.  So maybe a combination of applying for some PARC tax money through the committee and coming back to the council then and trying to find some other revenues to finish up this park project. This was just a suggestion.”

PARC (Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture) funds are obtained from “local sales and use tax of 1/10 of 1% (1 cent for every $10.00 spent) to help fund recreational amenities and cultural arts facilities and organizations in Payson City,” according to the 2016 Voter Information Packet issued by the City prior to last year’s general election, an election that resulted in the tax’s approval by voters.

Councilman Mike Hardy remarked that there are other projects in the community that could use PARC funds as well and cautioned staff not to drain them for the proposed Memorial Park improvements.

Councilman Scott Phillips questioned whether pickleball had staying power in terms of its popularity, or if it is a fad due to fade away.  Councilman Doug Welton, a teacher, assured him from his experience traveling to college campuses with students that it is not a fad- that pickleball is popular at universities.

The sport originated in Washington State in 1965. Its courts are similar to those upon which doubles badminton is played. “They’re like mini-tennis courts,” Mr Zobell explained.

The game itself is a combination of badminton, tennis, and table tennis, and may involve two, three, or four players hitting a perforated polymer ball back and forth over the net using solid paddles made specifically for the sport.  Rather than the asphalt base on the current Memorial Park tennis courts, which have experienced cracking, a post-tension concrete will be used on pickleball courts, which city staff noted will last longer.

Councilwoman Linda Carter remarked, “I’ve played pickleball, and it is fun.”

“It’s been around forty years now,” Councilman Brian Hulet said.  He added that older people from local retirement communities will use it and he believes it is a good plan.

Having received direction from the council, Mr Tuckett remarked that city staff would look further into funding options for the project, then return with their findings.

Mr Tuckett noted also that the council has allocated funding for a new pavilion on the northwest side of the park, “to help with the Salmon Supper and things like that.  We’re going to try to get this done during this budget year.”