By Cathy Blood
Editor-in-Chief, GreenwichPickleball.com
Greenwich, CT
April 24, 2022 (Updated May 20, 2022)
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UPDATE - After the Budget Decision Day meeting, the RTM cut the funding for Pickleball in their budget approval meeting in May, 2022.

At the May 9, 2022 RTM budget meeting, Lucia Jansen (an RTM member at the time, now a BET member), made the motion at the full RTM meeting in favor of the cut. The RTM budget Overview Committee had already voted cut this item on April 28, 2022. The final deletion from the budget required a full RTM vote.)

Jansen, a self-described ‘avid pickleball player’ said the proposal lacked two things, an appropriate location and accurate construction cost information.

This vote took place after the failed attempt by Parks and Recreation to use the Bible Street basketball court for three “dual use” new pickleball courts. The neighbors staunchly defended their community’s need for basketball - and the pickleball option was dead on arrival.

Despite the conditions that the BET placed upon the release of the $116K, the RTM still decided to vote the funding out of the budget. On May 9, 2022, the RTM voted to remove the $116,000 allocation for pickleball in a vote of 142-44.

Parks and Rec was told to return to the RTM for interim funding once an appropriate location was found and cost was more informed.

You can read the conditions the BET placed on the $116K in funding outlined by Fred Camillo in his Community ‘connections’ update from April 29,2022. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GU5OhRw7hnmS1TuWKUa9vGs66g5ZWiCdWPuC3-uBxNU/edit?usp=sharing

After the cut, Blaze Levitan (Parks and Rec staffer) said that Parks and Rec planned ‘to regroup with pickleball community leaders’ and also planned over the next few weeks ‘to assemble a broader court committee with representatives from tennis and basketball.’

Immediately after the RTM officially cut the $116K funding for pickleball courts from the 2022-2023 capital budget, Eastern Greenwich Civic Center began to be discussed as a possible location for the new dedicated pickleball courts. Funding for those courts would not be allocated until the 2023-2024 budget cycle.

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The public outcry began almost the minute the gavel fell at the March 28, 2022 Public Budget Hearing before the Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET).

At that meeting, four community Pickleball players spoke in support of keeping the $116K allocated for Pickleball courts in the town capital budget. All were members of the official Greenwich Parks and Recreation Pickleball Committee.

The money was in danger of being cut by the 12 members of the town BET on April 19.

The funding passed, but only with some heavy conditions imposed by the BET.

Back Story: The $116K was originally earmarked for the development of Pickleball courts at the neighborhood park on Bible Street. One of the two basketball courts in that park would have been converted to three Pickleball courts.

Due to public outcry and passionate lobbying from concerned Bible Street area residents and their elected Representative Town Meeting (RTM) District 8 members, the BET changed their minds about earmarking the funds for Bible Street development.

Conditions to create a more transparent approach were imposed on the release of funds. And that is a very good thing.

This means that Parks and Rec is now free to consider other locations and other solutions to the lack of Pickleball courts in Greenwich. And the process will be monitored.

Conditional Funding is Good News!

On April 19 the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) voted 12-0 to set ‘conditions’ on the release of the $116K in funds for new Pickleball courts.

1. Parks and Rec must identify a specific site or sites for courts.

2. Parks and Rec must hold at least one public hearing to gain community input.

3. Parks and Rec must then present the final chosen site and supporting budgetary information to the BET for final approval.

Let’s back up. Why did Greenwich Parks and Rec Choose the Bible Street Location for Pickleball to begin with?

This was the town-selected under-utilized location that would best meet resident demand for more Pickleball facilities. In short, the Parks & Rec data showed it was an under-used tennis court.

FYI, Pickleball players did not choose this location.

The Parks and Recreation document (link below) dated April 8, is definitely worth a read. In it, Parks and Rec explains ‘why Bible Street’ and suggests possible alternative solutions.

Remember, Bible street is pretty much off the table and conditions have been imposed on the release of the funding. Alternative locations are being researched.

Read the April 8 Parks and Recreation FY23 Capital Budget Bible Street Pickleball Courts Fact Sheet

Bible Street Community Taken Off Guard

The Bible Street Neighborhood and District 8 RTM Representatives had no idea - until the March 28, 2022 public budget hearing - that one of their beloved and much used basketball courts was at risk.

Pickleball Players Taken by Surprise

Pickleball players were unaware that the tennis facility that Greenwich Parks and Recreation had identified as perfect for Pickleball conversion due to low use, was actually heavily used - and near and dear to the community.

Are the two groups at loggerheads, or…

…or are we both pitted against the Greenwich ‘budget’ mantra?

As usual, it’s all about the money…

Pickleball has been growing nationwide by leaps and bounds.

COVID gave the sport a real boost as well. Nearly a thousand residents are avid Pickleball players in Greenwich and town programs and facilities just can’t keep up with demand.

Other communities are facing a similar problem. While existing facilities can easily be converted to Pickleball (like tennis courts and basketball courts) this means that two sports must either SHARE use of a facility, or one group GIVE UPS something they had.

If major improvements to a park or facility are made as part of a shared conversion - and accommodations are made for each sport - this can be a win win for both sports.

Shared use facilities is a budget-friendly solution, but they have drawbacks.

If not managed well, one sport can end up being favored over another, and shared-use becomes a win/lose situation.

Building a new facility of dedicated outdoor Pickleball courts - while the best solution for all residents - isn’t a popular one in budget conscious Greenwich.

These budget trade-offs often result in pitting one community against another.

Let’s be clear. ‘Robbing Peter to Pay Paul’ to solve to the lack of Pickleball courts doesn’t sit well with Pickleball players OR with the Bible Street neighborhood.

We are all hoping that Parks and Recreation comes up with a plan that respectfully meets the needs of all Greenwich residents.

Luckily we now have the BET watching over the process.

Bible Street Neighborhood

Bible Street is a tight neighborhood. They have a spacious park with a great playground, two baseball fields, a preschool, and two basketball courts (one which used to be a tennis court.) The park adjoins Pomerance Park, with a trailhead at the northern end.

Unfortunately neither court is in great condition, but they are playable.

Bible Street also has Bocce - the only courts in town. And live music at the St. Lawrence Society around the corner. Come check it out sometime and experience some really unique features of this Cos Cob neighborhood.

It’s not just a foodie hub!

Saving their Park

As soon as the Bible Street Neighborhood got wind of Parks and Recreation plans to take away one of their basketball courts and replace it with Pickleball, they got to work.

They began to share their concerns with the BET, with their RTM representatives and on Greenwich Connections.

Started by Stephanie Lacoff in 2017, Greenwich Connections is a private Facebook group with 6.5K members. The purpose of the group is to:

“Connect Greenwich residents to each other and to local resources. Share your business or someone else's that you love, share info, news, events, resources and connect with your neighbors. Help each other out!”

You must ask to join the group, (or be invited), and be approved. This oversight keeps the conversations in this group, for the most part, respectful and thoughtful.

On April 5, 2022, Janet Lee McMahon created a poll, hoping to get feedback on the Town’s basketball to Pickleball conversion plan.

The ensuing comments showed how passionate the neighborhood is about their basketball courts.

Members of the Greenwich Connections FB group can read the comments on Janet’s post at the link below. Non-members can request to join the group.

Take a moment to read the 135 comments the post generated. Here is where neighbors can be heard, perspectives understood and even solutions found.

So What Comes Next?

The next big moment for Pickleball funding comes with the RTM budget vote on Monday, May 9 at 7PM.

If there is to be an effort at a line item cut of Pickleball funding, the proposed budget amendment must be in place prior to the May 9 meeting, in the budget review documents.

The RTM made four line item cuts to the capital budget last year. Cuts must receive a majority vote.

You can tune in here using the Zoom link, or attend in person at Central Middle School.

Prior to the full meeting there are RTM Budget Committee Meetings, the week of April 25, followed by individual District Meetings, week of May 2. All RTM meeting info can be found here.

The Bible Street Neighborhood and its RTM District 8 representatives are understandably concerned, even though the Pickleball dollars are no longer earmarked for Bible Street and have protective conditions attached to the release of the funding.

Trust is at an all-time low within the Bible Street neighborhood.

Pickleball players were also taken by surprise. Pickleballers assumed that due diligence was done, procedures followed, and that a new sport and improved facility would be welcome.

Players call Pickle ‘their happy place’.

No community-oriented Pickleball player wants to take away a unique town facility that another community values highly and uses heavily. (How are there only three outdoor basketball courts in Greenwich anyway?)

As Parks and Rec seeks solutions and makes decisions for our residents, we all need to be part of the discussion.

We all need a seat at the table.

We also probably need codified procedures to guide these types of decisions in the future.

How will the RTM Vote on May 9?

District 8 RTM members, not trusting the process, will likely lobby other district’s members to approve a line item cut the Pickleball funding. This is one of the few budget powers that the RTM holds in Greenwich and requires a majority vote.

Who can blame them?

Pickleballers will likely fight to keep the funding and reach out to their own RTM representatives, trusting the BET to do the right thing and protect all residents’ interests.

Next Steps

Picklers can contact their own RTM District representatives to voice their support for Pickleball. Suggestions and emails below.

The NEW conditions placed on Pickleball funding are designed to protect the interests of our Bible Street neighbors and other communities.

The funding conditions are a positive step in finding the right location for additional Pickleball access.

To be sure you’re ‘in the loop’ on how to support Pickleball in Greenwich, and to ensure we are NOT robbing Peter to pay Paul, subscribe to ‘Opa!’ the GreenwichPickleball.com email newsletter.

Local News Coverage of Pickleball:

Greenwich Free Press on the Budget Hearing | By Leslie Yager, Founder & Editor.
Pickleball appears in a brief paragraph below bump outs, under its own heading. If you’ve never attended a Greenwich public budget hearing, this article gives you a great idea of all the competing interests / passionate residents in our town.

Greenwich Patch on Pickleball in the Budget Hearing | By Richard Kaufman, Patch Staff reporter.
This is a great summary of the Pickleball discussion at the 3/28 budget hearing, and Patch provides a link to GreenwichPickleball.com at the bottom of the article (thanks Patch!)

You can also watch the entire 4 hour video of the March 28, 2022 BET public budget hearing meeting on Youtube.

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Cathy Blood is the Editor-in-Chief of GreenwichPickleball.com (a passion project) and is a recent Pickleball convert. She’s the Partner in charge of Marketing at Speritas Capital Partners, and she owns NEST New Media, a digital content strategy business where she helps businesses tell their story and write about their industry with an engaging, authoritative and ‘converting’ voice.