A plan for a nine-acre community park on the north side of Ridgefield received approval from the city council last week, though a proposed pickleball court isn’t part of the amenities the park will offer.
The Ridgefield City Council voted 6-1 during its June 8 meeting to approve the Boyse Park master plan. The park will be constructed off of the northern end of North 32nd Avenue.
The property was identified as priority park land in the city’s 2020 parks plan, Galina Burley, the city parks, trails and recreation manager, told the council.
The master plan includes trails that will connect with existing systems, an open recreation space, covered picnic areas and restrooms. It will also feature a “pump track” and a jump track, two courses cyclists can use.
The potential amenities were sourced from the city’s parks board and a community survey, Burley said. In April, the council received its first look at the master plan. Following that meeting, the parks department solicited feedback from residents who live by the property.
The master plan initially included a pickleball court, but after feedback from residents, the revised plan moved the court to the west, farther away from the existing neighborhood, according to Burley’s presentation.
A pickleball court was identified in the parks plan, but did not include a specific location in the city, Burley said. Concerns over the noise the court would generate led much of the council to drop it from the plan entirely.
Councilor Judy Chipman said the council should heed the concerns of neighbors about the addition of the court.
“I think that we really need to pay attention to the public here, and to these people that live there, and really reconsider whether we should even have a pickleball court in this park,” Chipman said.
Councilor Matt Cole said another site in the city might be a better fit for the court. Cole mentioned Refuge Park off of Hillhurst Road, which is more isolated from nearby neighborhoods.
“They’re the ones that have to live with it and it sounds like it’s going to be very noisy,” Cole said.
The project has $250,000 in this year’s capital budget, Burley said, with $220,000 currently available. With every amenity, including the pickleball court, the grand total for the improvements came in at about $1.25 million, according to Burley’s presentation.
Since the project doesn’t have all the needed funds, the city will take a phased approach to its development. Ridgefield Mayor Pro-tem Rob Aichele said that approach could complicate things with contracted work.
“I think that we should rethink this and get more money so that we don’t have to piecemeal it so much and cut it up into a whole bunch of phases,” Aichele said.
Cole said the possibility of a pump track is exciting, given he has two sons who would likely use it.
Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart cautioned that pursuing the track first could cause parking problems, given the community interest in the amenity and the lack of current parking near the property.
Aichele noted even just the construction of parking spots will require nearly all of the funds currently available for the project this year.
“The first thing you’re going to need is parking,” Aichele said.
Councilor Ron Onslow didn’t believe the parking lot is the first improvement that is needed. Onslow said kids who would likely use the pump track would come to the park on their bicycles anyway.
“I think we ought to go for a pump track or a jump track and start the ball rolling,” Onslow said.
