Contractor briefs Lewes council on resurfaced athletic courts

October 31, 2023 45

The company that resurfaced recreational courts at Lewes Canalfront Park told mayor and city council that no surface is perfect and the city was told before installation that it would not please everyone.

Quinn Burgess from ATC Corp. addressed city officials at a public workshop Oct. 27.

The meeting was the latest development in a controversy over the surface that pickleball players despise, but tennis and basketball players love.

“You’re going to get blowback from the pickleball community,” Burgess told mayor and city council. “The premier court is a cushioned court. The ball is not going to bounce as high as an asphalt court.”

Lewes Parks and Marina Manager Janet Reeves said the city signed a $151,000 contract in 2022 to have the courts changed from the old, cracked asphalt surface to the premier, floating surfacing. ATC Corp. returned in July to resurface and restripe the courts under warranty.

The city chose the premier surface to save money, because it requires less maintenance.

Burgess said the new surface was installed correctly.

“I sympathize with the pickleball players’ concerns,” said Councilman Tim Ritzert. “I was sitting on council when the decision was made. We were never advised, never told we would have to consider the level of play of the pickleballers when trying to use these courts.”

A group of pickelball players attended the meeting to lobby for a change. They said the courts have too many dead spots that make it hard for balls to bounce consistently.

“I was one of the ones who notified mayor and council that the surface has been proven to be unplayable for pickleball,” said Lewes resident Ann Reed. “We were getting 60 players there every week. Now, you can’t find three other people to play pickleball with you. They will not play on those courts.”

Lewes pickleballers said they have to rely on invitations to courts in private communities or travel to facilities in Dagsboro or Georgetown.

Burgess said it is possible to have an asphalt court side-by-side with a premier surface court.

“There’s a community here that has three premier courts that were installed 15 years ago, prior to the popularity of pickleball. Now, they want to take one out and designate it [for pickleball] because the ball isn’t bouncing sufficiently,” Burgess said.

Mayor Andrew Williams showed Burgess photos of what he said were cracks already showing up in the new surface. But Burgess insisted they are not structural cracks, only superficial cracks in the paint.

“To ask our city to spend even more to make the courts ‘perfect’ for the few that refuse to adjust seems selfish,” said Dave Shook, assistant Cape Henlopen High School girls’ tennis coach and former Lehigh University coach.

Shook has said pickleball players, like tennis players, need to adjust to the surface they’re using, not the other way around.

“The bottom line is that pickleball is a great sport for many people, and as such should have their own regulation facilities,” Shook said.

No tennis or basketball players spoke at the public workshop.

“We’re not just making noise here. If we could play on those courts, we would play,” Reed said.

Mayor and city council said they will consider the options and address the issue at a future meeting.

The ball, as they say, is in their court.