Plan Seeks To Shift Cherry Lawn Park Tennis Court to Pickleball

DARIEN, CT — A plan for the town to accept outside funding to convert the sole tennis court at Cherry Lawn Park to four smaller pickleball courts will be considered by the Darien Board of Selectmen next week.

Under the plan, the court would be renovated to pickleball courts by fixing surface cracks, re-striping and bringing in new nets, among other improvements. The cost of the project could potentially reach as high as $29,000, based on preliminary bids for the work.

Pickleball is a scaled down racquet sport that combines elements of tennis, platform tennis and table tennis. It has gained in popularity in recent years, partly because it can be played in a smaller space than traditional tennis, therefore players do not have to move as much on the court.

The sport is already played at the Cherry Lawn Park court, but the plan would make it permanent and repair the surface and make other improvements. There is no plan to add lights for the court, and parking at the park is not expected to be impacted by the change.

"The proposed four pickleball courts will also accommodate many more players than a single tennis court can, while providing a significant improvement to the park at no cost to the taxpayers," wrote Darien Parks and Recreation Director Pamela Gery in a message to the Board of Selectmen.

Gery is seeking approval from the board to accept a gift of up to $20,000; Darien resident Sean Shay is spearheading the fundraising effort for the project.