Pickleball players await decision on courts, funds
By Brandon Davis
Published in News on September 13, 2016 9:57 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/BRANDON DAVIS
USA Pickleball Association Ambassador of Wayne County Susan Moneypenny looks at the cracks and weeds on the surface of three tennis courts at the Goldsboro Event Center. Pickleball players want the courts to be replaced with eight durable pickleball courts.
Full Size
News-Argus/BRANDON DAVIS
Susan Moneypenny talks about her plan to turn the three tennis courts at the Goldsboro Event Center into eight pickleball courts.
Local pickleball players are waiting for the tennis courts at the Goldsboro Event Center to be replaced with long-lasting pickleball courts.
USA Pickleball Association Ambassador of Wayne County Susan Moneypenny said North State Resurfacing Co. of Wilmington estimated the cost of eight pickleball courts at $37,593 based on Goldsboro Parks and Recreation director Scott Barnard's evaluation of the project. But Mrs. Moneypenny said North State guarantees the courts will start deteriorating in one year after completion based on the estimation.
The three hard tennis courts at the Goldsboro Events Center, located at 1501 Slocumb St., show cracks and weeds on the surface. Mrs. Moneypenny said the courts are an eyesore and will need renovating to turn them into Pickleball Association regulated courts.
The $37,593 estimate includes weed removal and filling in the cracks, said Barnard.
He said the top of the court would be covered twice with a resurfacing coating and additional paint would be added for crisp and clear lines.
Mrs. Moneypenny said the City of Goldsboro and Parks and Recreation set aside a $20,000 budget last summer for the project, but the city asked pickleball players to match the budget for the courts to open this October.
Pickleball players contacted Mt. Olive Pickle Company, which has supported the sport because of its popularity and its name, and asked the company for a $20,000 donation. Mrs. Moneypenny said the company donated $5,000 and will give another $5,000 in 2017.
With $10,000 more to go, Mrs. Moneypenny said she and other pickleball players are slowly raising the money, but they are hesitant to continue for a project that may not ensure lasting, quality pickleball courts.
She said durable courts will allow the association to gain more older and younger pickleball players in Wayne County.
"I love pickleball," she said. "And right now in the Raleigh area alone, they have more than 100 courts in Raleigh. They have places they can play every day, some places three times a day on different courts.
"We have very limited play. We will never grow this sport until we have enough courts to be able to serve the population who want to play."
Pickleball players have resorted to play weekly around scheduled events for students at the Goldsboro Family YMCA, the Herman Park Center, the W.A. Foster Center and the Carver Cultural Center Gym. They put painter's tape down for the required pickleball lines if a gym allows it to match the pickleball dimensions.
But outdoor play remains closed until the city makes a decision.
Mayor Chuck Allen, City Manager Scott Stevens, Assistant City Manager Randy Guthrie, city councilman Gene Aycock, Goldsboro businessman and city councilman David Ham and Barnard met last Tuesday to discuss the possibility of raising the budget.
Barnard said replacing the tennis courts with brand new pickleball courts could cost between $70,000 to $100,000.
"I think a couple of a pickleball players, Mrs. Moneypenny included, would rather add some of those additional services that they had bid out," Barnard said. "One additional service, which was significant in cost, was a different crack treatment than the one in the original bid."
Aycock said he understands the concerns about the pickleball courts showing cracks in the future based on North State's information. He said whether the budget raises or remains, the renovation will not take place until March because cold weather after October could damage the courts and halt the building process.
The council will meet with North State and Mrs. Moneypenny before they make any changes to the budget. No meeting has been scheduled at this time, Aycock said.
"We want to make sure we do the best we can with the money we are spending," he said. "It may be that it costs more, then again, we have to decide where that money would come from if it does. We don't want to spend our money to have something in a year or two that needs to be redone again.
"Right now, there is nothing written in stone about what's going to be done except that it is going to be done."