“We’d like you to reconsider building the facility and lead Butler County in being the place to live and play for pickleball,” Kiebeck said. “It isn’t a ridiculous proposition, it’s one that keeps West Chester a leader in southwest Ohio and a world class facility will bring in more customers for our local businesses. I can understand if you continue to have reservations, I would suggest you consider this project in phases.”
He suggested the township could “leverage” the facilities that already exist at the park, such as the restrooms and parking, saying “it wouldn’t take a lot to get started.” He said Phase 2 could be additional courts and shade, and the final piece could be the tournament pavilion and concessions “at a time to be determined.”
He said pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country for people of all ages and statistics show 36.5 million — 14% of adults — Americans played last year, compared to 23.6 million tennis players.
Trustee Lee Wong — an avid pickleball player — has been asking his fellow trustees for years to consider adding more permanent courts because residents want them. They had a presentation last month that called for building a $4.1 million facility — not including parking, which is likely another $500,000 — that would include 14 regular courts and a tournament court with seating.
He supported the pared down plan suggested by the residents, “Fairfield could be a good template for us to start.”
“Half a million is very reasonable, 10 courts with a canopy over it is well done,” Wong said referring to Fairfield’s set-up. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel anymore. I think that is a great location and we should take a good look at it.”
Township Administrator Larry Burks told the Journal-News the current plan is to spend $40,000 improving the existing courts at Keehner Park — which is home to the township’s four permanent and two temporary pickleball courts — with “traditional pickleball” fencing, some “wind break” along the fence and a picnic shelter for shade. They have already added picnic tables with umbrellas.
“That’s about all I feel comfortable doing right now because it’s within the budget that I proposed and I think we’ll be okay there,” Burks said. “The trustees have generally supported making the improvements to the existing courts, but I don’t think I’d have majority support for a $500,000 expenditure.”
He said there also may be covenants in the agreement — regarding parking — with the baseball association that could impact putting in a new facility at Beckett Park.
Trustees Ann Becker and Mark Welch favor the improvements at Keehner Park, but both have misgivings about spending a lot of money on new pickleball facilities before their parks master plan is updated.
“We are going to wait until we have our park report in 2024, why would we jump into this and start helter-skelter putting in pickleball or really anything else,” Welch said. “Let’s find out what the community wants, what the community needs and then we can act accordingly.”
Both also mentioned not wanting to compete with the new Pickle Lodge that will be opening soon in the former Court Yard Sportsplex on Kingsgate Way off of the Tylersville Road exit.
The facility will feature 17 indoor courts, five outdoor courts, a bar, restaurant and event space. Co-Founder Mitch Dunn told the Journal-News they plan to open with the first nine courts in early March and the remainder of the courts by the end of June.
“I would like to see if the facilities at the new Pickle Lodge might serve the purpose of residents before I’d want to make a big investment in a public park project,” Becker said. “Not sure how much the Pickle Lodge will cost or what it’ll look like, so let’s give that some time and then we’ll re-evaluate.”
Kiebeck said pickleball players — there are 230 people in the group that routinely play at Keehner — don’t want to play indoors all the time. He said the township has provided walking and biking paths.
“I just wonder if this concept has been brought up to the cyclists, to ride on stationary bikes inside, or walkers to ride on a treadmill year-round,” he said. “Just like these folks we want to enjoy the outdoors in a free environment seven or eight months of the year here.”
Burks said the township will put a request for proposals out later this year for help with the parks plan revamp, a project they will tackle next year. Becker said they need that guide to make the right decisions for what is best for the township as whole.
She urged the pickleball players to be patient.
“Just to warn you government is a slow moving beast on purpose,” she said. “WE have to make sure, it’s not our money we’re using it’s everybody’s money.”
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