September 11, 2024 By Carol Britton Meyer
Following a compelling presentation by Recreation Department Director Mark Thorell and Recreation Commission Chair Vicki Donlan, the select board this week approved the submission of a preliminary application to the Community Preservation Committee for $316,000 toward the potential construction of 12 dedicated pickleball courts at the Carlson Fields Complex — including a new parking lot. The total estimated project cost is $1.6 million.
Board member William Ramsey recused himself because his wife is on the commission.
“There’s definitely a demand for pickleball courts,” Thorell said, noting that at an earlier Recreation Commission meeting, about 40 pickleball players expressed concern about the lack of dedicated pickleball courts in town and encouraged the commission to pursue such a project.
In 2023, Town Meeting approved $55,000 for the Rec Commission to spearhead a pickleball study and to create a preliminary design for future dedicated pickleball courts.
After evaluating several other potential locations, the Carlson Fields site on Bare Cove Park Drive was deemed to be the best one due in part to its central location in a popular recreation site.
In approving the submission of the preliminary application by the Rec Commission, Select Board Chair Joseph Fisher noted that the affirmative vote wasn’t about the merits of the overall project but simply to grant permission to submit the request. Board approval for the submittal is required because the board controls the land.
Several options considered
Other sites that were considered but set aside for various reasons were Cronin Field and Plymouth River School — where there are pickleball overlays on the tennis courts — the high school, the town driving range on Union Street, and Margetts Field on Ward Street.
Donlan pointed out that tennis is as popular as ever in Hingham, and that the dual Cronin Field and Plymouth River School courts were taking away from tennis lovers’ playing time. “This is a wonderful opportunity,” she said, noting that the commission supports both sports.
“This has been a long time coming,” Select Board member Liz Klein said. “I appreciate all the effort that has gone into this, with more questions to be answered” through the CPC process.
Fisher jokingly referred to Thorell and Donlan as “the dynamic duo.”
Next steps
Next steps include negotiating a $37,000 design contract using available funds that aren’t contingent on Community Preservation Act funding and addressing any potential environmental concerns at the site.
CPA funding comes from a tax surcharge approved by Town Meeting in the early 2000s and may only be used for open space, community housing, historic preservation, and some recreation projects.
The state provides a partial match for these funds, which pave the way for the realization of numerous projects that improve the quality of life for Hull residents that the town would otherwise not be able to afford.
If the pickleball courts funding application moves forward, Town Meeting would have the final say