A Parks and Recreation Commission proposal to place two pickleball courts on a small plot behind the Onion Barn appears to be dead, following a vote by two Selectmen on May 18 to withdraw an application seeking approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

P&Z had already begun considering the referral on May 1, but took no action that evening. A second meeting was scheduled to occur on May 22, an opportunity for Parks and Recreation to present a revised plan to address issues that had been raised.

That return visit became moot when the Selectmen decided on the 18th to withdraw the application, Martin Mohabeer and Amy Jenner voting in favor, First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor opposed.

The Selectmen meeting became rancorous, even by the standards of this Board, where underlying tensions, possibly heightened by the approach of municipal elections, bubble to the surface with increasing frequency. The flashpoint was whether to hear from Parks and Recreation before rendering a decision.

The Board intends to resume meeting in person in June, so the First Selectwoman stated her desire to conduct sessions in a way that better adheres to the basics of parliamentary procedure, which proscribe interrupting and talking over whoever has the floor.

Later, referring to what he described as the “tit for tat,” Mr. Mohabeer said, “I apologize if I somehow influenced that.”

Issues with the plan

At Planning and Zoning on May 1, the most substantive concerns about the pickleball plan were expressed by Weston Volunteer Fire Department chief John Pokorny.

Chief Pokorny said he had understood from initial conversations that about ten feet of his department’s parking area would be affected, but the final plan appeared to involve 25 feet. This was confirmed by the project engineer.

Mr. Pokorny said 25 feet was too much, that any change to the lot footprint would have to be strong enough to support the weight of fire trucks, and was assured it could be done. A discussion followed about changes that could be made to the precise location of the courts to minimize impact on the driveway.

A speaker suggested that a field behind the firehouse be considered (land apparently on the school campus), to which Mr. Pokorny replied, “anything closer to the firehouse is a bad idea.” Revisions to the plan to accommodate the chief’s concerns were to be presented at the follow-up meeting, which will not occur.

Objections

The major objections to the plan came from Jess DiPasquale, who owns 48 Norfield Road, the historic Georgian on the corner of Norfield and Weston Roads, which abuts the Onion Barn.

In the weeks since voting on April 3 to refer the application to Planning and Zoning, Ms. Jenner and Mr. Mohabeer said they had met privately with Mr. DiPasquale to hear his objections.

Mr. DiPasquale argued that pickleball courts are too noisy to locate near a residential property. (One speaker noted that his property is already a recreational facility, operating an after-school “youth camp,” which apparently produces enough noise at times to disturb Town Hall employees.)

Mr. DiPasquale also argued that pickleball demand could be so high that as many as eight courts would be needed, which the location could not scale to accommodate, that someone could someday propose installing lights, and that even two courts would overwhelm available parking and cause traffic snarls. He later raised the matter for discussion by the Police Commission, on which he serves as vice chair, but no action was taken.

His central point was that better locations could be found, a view echoed by others, including the two Selectmen, but an arguable point about nearly everything, and not exactly in the purview of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Options

As it was, Parks and Recreation director Dave Ungar had already described, including to the Selectmen in April, locations that had been considered and eliminated, virtually all of Weston’s current recreational facilities. One may get another look.

Parks and Recreation apparently intends to take one more shot at determining whether a little more use can be squeezed out of Bisceglie Scribner Park.

In 2017, Town Engineer John Conte examined Bisceglie to see if a decent-sized dog park could be located there. Given the park’s existing pond, ballfields, parking area and wetlands, he concluded that only about eight-tenths of an acre could conceivably be used.

The other problem was, according to Mr. Conte’s analysis, that a significant amount of grading, drainage, and wetlands protection would still be required, would cost a lot, and still might not pass regulatory muster. Thus emerged the alternative of building a dog park on less than three acres of the 36-acre town-owned Moore property, a plan being litigated to this day.

Mr. Ungar noted that Bisceglie Park is heavily used for recreation and parking is already a problem. He had attempted to make the case for the Onion Barn location: a flat area of the right size in a central location, available parking, proximity to existing ballfields and the Senior Center, a good fit with the new sidewalks network and Town Green, and financed at reasonable cost by ARPA and a Parks and Recreation fund.

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April 17, 2023:  Pickleball Plans Progress

Editor’s Note: Subsequent to initial publication, this article was revised to ensure clarity about the discussion by the Police Commission.