Pickleball courts become highlight of improved Renton Park in Plum

On a recent morning in Plum, the pop-pop-pop of pickleball paddles could be heard emanating from Renton Park.

The 2.5-acre park tucked away in the borough’s Renton neighborhood has become a destination for residents since the borough invested about $750,000 in improvements, including three courts for the popular game.

Barbara Addison, who lives about 10 minutes away in the Holiday Park neighborhood, said her pickleball group often plays at the YMCA.

“On nice days, we come here,” she said. “People like to play in the morning because it’s cooler.”

With all the courts full that Thursday morning, Addison was waiting her turn to play.

“They did a beautiful job,” she said. “I think it’s lovely. They did a terrific job. I was very impressed.”

Improvements to Renton Park were done in three phases, with grants paying for about 40%, or $294,000, of the cost, borough Manager David Soboslay said.

Improvements included a new children’s playground, walkway and parking lots on both sides of the basketball court. Before the project, there were no defined parking areas, parking spots or handicapped parking spaces, Soboslay said.

A small walking trail was constructed along with a bocce court and permanent cornhole boards. Grading and stormwater improvements were done throughout the site.

The basketball court surface was milled and rebuilt, and the fence around the court was repaired.

The last phase was in 2023 and started with grading improvements, Soboslay said.

The borough’s public works department built a retaining wall and prepared an area for the pickleball courts. Those crews also added electric service to the park’s pavilion.

The last thing to go in was a precast restroom, which was installed next to the pickleball courts this spring.

Costing close to $100,000, the restroom is so durable that “that will probably outlast this park,” Councilman Skip Taylor said. “We’ll never have to mess with it.”

While the pickleball courts were completed in the fall, and some people snuck in games while the nets were up, this year is their first season, said Taylor, chair of parks and recreation on borough council.

Although always open to anyone, Renton Park, like other small neighborhood parks, had previously been used primarily by those who lived nearby. All it had before was a basketball court and a pavilion, Taylor said.

People have been using the new pickleball courts all the time, he said.

“I’m so glad when I drive by here and I see it full and people using it,” Taylor said. “It was worth the tax dollars paid.”

Having the borough’s public works crews build the retaining wall saved about $100,000, Taylor said.

With the variety of activities now available in the park, “We really tried to accommodate all ages,” he said.

“We’re proud of it. We really are,” he said.

On the same day Addison was playing, Colleen Prokopik of Plum said there were quite a few retired Plum teachers playing pickleball.

All of the activity that morning was focused around the pickleball courts. Later, two boys were seen riding their bikes down the hill into the park before getting on the swings.

“It’s just wonderful to see people outside,” Prokopik said.

Rodger O’Toole of the Briarwood neighborhood said he has been playing pickleball for less than a year after a friend encouraged him to give it a try.

“I think it’s beautiful. They are very nice courts,” he said, then addressing Taylor. “This is a success. I’m very proud of what you guys did here.”

While work in Renton Park is now complete, the borough isn’t done, Taylor said.

“I don’t foresee this being the end of our growth for parks,” Taylor said, noting that more development brings more kids. “There’s more to come, I hope.”

Taylor said the borough’s biggest recreation concern is the flooding that impacts the baseball fields at Plum Creek Park.

“It’s all we have. We have to maintain it,” he said. “We have to work around Mother Nature as much as we can.”

With pickleball still growing in popularity, Taylor said there is green space in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood where more courts could be built.

“I don’t see that going away,” he said. “All ages can play it.”