Plenty of places for pickleball around North Allegheny area

The growing popularity of the racquet sport pickleball has increased demand for places to play in the North Allegheny area.

Last spring, McCandless opened pickleball courts at Devlin Park, off Grubbs Road. Former tennis courts were resurfaced and modified the previous fall for pickleball play, according to John Bojarski, Town of McCandless public information officer.

“There were multiple people that reached out to town council members to suggest adding pickleball courts over the last few years,” he said. “This coincides with the town’s 2019 comprehensive plan, which outlined the general need for additional recreation opportunities for residents.”

Two tennis courts still are adjacent to the pickleball area.

Franklin Park players can enjoy the sport at the three courts located at Blueberry Hill Park, off Nicholson Road, which are open year round.

There are pickleball courts in Allegheny County’s North Park near its tennis courts on Tennis Court Road, which is located off Walter Road. They are free and open to the public.

Even North Allegheny School District has gotten into the game, with pickleball now part of the physical education curriculum at the three middle schools and Intermediate High School, according to David Schmidt, who chairs the district’s health and physical education department.

The district has plans to have pickleball lines integrated into the tennis courts at Marshall Middle School, with expected completion by the start of the 2024-25 school year, according to the NASD communications department.

Sound concerns

Despite its popularity, the sport does come with a bit of controversy.

Pickleball is twice as loud as tennis, according to www.picklepow.com, one of many websites dedicated to the avocation. People describe the sound of the ball hitting the racquet as a loud “pop,” and it has a higher pitch and frequency of hits compared to tennis, the site states.

Franklin Park used to have pickleball courts at Old Orchard Park, off Rochester Road. But because of noise issues, they were closed last summer.

Prior to the closure, Mayor Dennis O’Keefe and other borough officials spent three years gathering information, including talking with pickleball players and residents surrounding Old Orchard Park, according to an Aug. 4 letter to the Franklin Park community.

An extensive sound study also found that the noise of the pickleball violates the level set in the borough’s ordinances, according to information presented at a May 17 council meeting.

The borough did try soft pickleballs, which are supposed to be less loud. But that seemed not to be a popular option, as players continued to use regular pickleballs.

The courts at the Blueberry Hill Park are not located as close to homes as Old Orchard Park.

Studying where to add pickleball courts in appropriate locations will be part of the update to the 2015 Comprehensive Recreation, Park and Open Space Plan, which will include community input during the process.

Franklin Park is applying for a Department Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships Program grant, also known as a C2P2 grant, to update the plan, according to borough manager Rege Ebner Jr.

“We expect that process to result in decisions being made on demand for additional pickleball courts and appropriate locations ,” he said. “That process will also lead to specific site plans for each park that identify appropriate facilities and infrastructure to be included in each park. The Orchard Park courts will be repurposed for other activities.”

Learn to play in McCandless

Pickleball play at McCandless’ Devlin Park hasn’t been much of an issue.

“The town has received only one noise complaint from a resident,” said Bojarski.

Reservations will be needed for three of the four courts at Devlin Park, available through McCandless’ new online reservation system beginning in April. McCandless residents will be able to reserve any of the three courts for an hourly fee up to 72 hours in advance.

The fourth court will continue to be available on a first-come, first-served basis, Bojarski said. A rental schedule will be available online for everyone to view, and as long as a court is not reserved it will be open for walk-in play.

McCandless is also hosting Learn to Play Pickleball lessons starting at the end of April, along other beginner/intermediate-level sessions, Bojarski said.

Marshall does not have any dedicated pickleball courts. But the tennis courts at Warrendale Park, off Mt. Pleasant Road, have pickleball lines painted on them so they can be used for both tennis and pickleball, according to Julie Bastianini, township manager.

Early in the afternoon on March 13, players had already filled up the pickleball courts in North Park.

While Renee Lee of Bellevue played with Ohio Township resident Susan Parey, Mark Seftas of Moon was patiently waiting outside of the courts when he asked if they could turn it into a foursome. Although he came by himself, he found a willing player within seconds.

Seftas has been playing for four years.

“It’s fun and I don’t hurt myself as much as I do with other sports,” he said.

However, he does understand the frustration of a homeowner living next to a court:

“If I lived within 200 yards of one, it would probably bother me.”