Pickleball changes come to Franklin Park, McCandless

With the popularity of pickleball, changes are coming to Franklin Park and McCandless.

Officials in Franklin Park are trying to cut down on pickleball noise from the court at Old Orchard Park.

This year, changes are being made to the type of ball used for the sport for the Old Orchard Park. A pickleball has a notable noise each time it’s hit.

Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong using a paddle and plastic ball with holes. It’s played on a badminton-sized court with a modified net, with teams of singles or doubles, according to the USA Pickleball Association. It can be played indoors or out.

Zachary Brower, recreation and parks director for the Borough of Franklin Park, said Franklin Park council voted to require players to use only Gamma quiet pickleballs at Old Orchard Park, which is within earshot of quite a few borough homes.

“Last year and continuing into this year, we have had sound studies and public meetings concerning the pickleball noise in Old Orchard Park,” Brower said.

Signs about on the new requirement will be posted prior to opening day on April 1, he said.

Franklin Park’s pickleball courts at Old Orchard Park and at Blueberry Hill Park are both available for online reservations for residents.

Blueberry Hill Park is located off Nicholson Road and Old Orchard is located off Rochester Road. The courts are to be used only by residents and their friends, no clubs or associations can rent out the spaces. A link to reserve a court can be accessed via www.franklinparkborough.us.

In McCandless Township, dedicated pickleball courts will be added at Devlin Memorial Park, according to Jeff Schoeneman, superintendent of Public Works.

The township is doing an overhaul of sports facilities at the park, located off Grubbs Road, and bids are due for the pickleball courts April 1. The township is reconstructing the tennis/basketball courts there. When done, the park will have one full-sized basketball court, two tennis courts, and four pickleball courts, according to township spokesman John Bojarski.

The project is to start early June and will take about five weeks. The current pickleball courts are painted atop the existing tennis courts.

“Hopefully, it pulls a little traffic in (and) folks want to play pickleball. That was what was requested,” said Schoeneman, at a March 14 McCandless council meeting.

McCandless Council member Kimberly Zachary said several residents have been advocating for the addition.

“They are very enthusiastic,” she said.

Dana Kantz, a McCandless resident and avid pickleball player, said there are pickleball courts in North Park off of Pearce Mill Road, but they are asphalt and not with a finished coating for a softer playing ground. She said this wears on shoes, balls, and people, especially when many players tend to be over 50. She hopes Allegheny County will change those courts from an asphalt base.

She helped spearhead the request for dedicated pickleball courts in McCandless.

Kantz, who is also an ambassador for the USA PA Pickleball Association, has been playing for five years, but the sport really took off during Covid.

Currently, the North Park courts are “busting at the seams,” she said.

“Now that place is hopping,” Kantz said. So, township players are excited to have courts in McCandless.