Consider pickleball’s impact on Rideout Park neighbors

The Acton Recreation Commission is evaluating options for resurfacing the tennis courts at Rideout Park that include changing the current three tennis/six pickleball flexible-use courts to six or eight dedicated pickleball courts. 

The three tennis courts at Rideout (shared use with pickleball) are the only free public tennis courts in West Acton. 

This change is being considered even though Maple Street neighbors’ yards are 40-60 feet away. There is no noise mitigation funding included in the proposed project budget, nor had the town asked the project consultant to research it. The project’s $950,000 funding proposal does, however, include a line item for installation of a lighting conduit for possible future court lighting. 

No sound mitigation plus possible future lighting equals a process that is not in any way considering the impact on neighbors. 

The town’s study also included assessing conversion of Rideout’s basketball courts into dedicated pickleball courts … Could that be next? Resurfacing of Emerson Park’s tennis courts was also studied — without pickleball striping. Why not?

Acton’s Recreation Facilities Strategic Plan, published in June 2024, recommends that the town add six dedicated pickleball courts; it specifically recommends they be “separate from Rideout Park.” The plan also recommends Peabody as a possible location for pickleball. These recommendations, in a taxpayer-funded study completed just last year, are not being followed. 

Upcoming meetings of the Recreation Commission’s Rideout Subcommittee and the Recreation Commission to make final recommendations on this project are scheduled for December 1 and December 11, respectively. 

Incredibly, the commission has indicated that public comments on the proposed Rideout project will not be permitted at those meetings. 

Please send your thoughts to the recreation director at [email protected].

Ann Sgarzi

Maple Street