City of Pullman installing more pickleball courts
Feb. 29—The city of Pullman is planning on installing new pickleball courts at City Playfields.
If all goes according to plan, the park could have three or four courts ready for use by the end of this summer.
The Parks and Recreation Department held an open house Wednesday evening to gather racket enthusiasts' feedback. The meeting attracted a little over a dozen community members, who were ecstatic about the project. So much so, the group clapped and thanked the department for "doing something" about Pullman's courts.
Director Kurt Dahmen said the city introduced four pickleball courts to Sunnyside Park and two to Kruegel Park in 2019. A few months after establishing them, he said cracks began to form.
The six courts were constructed on existing asphalt that past tennis courts were built on. Dahmen said the last time Sunnyside tennis courts were renovated was in 1993, and it could have been longer for Kruegel.
He said cracks began to form fairly quickly with the region's temperature influxes, freezing and contracting the asphalt in the winter while thawing and expanding in the summer.
The city has had a contractor come to the locations to fill and paint cracks annually. Dahmen said there is no warranty on crack repair.
In 2023, the city budgeted in its capital improvement program to add lights to Sunnyside. Dahmen said the department felt it was more prudent to use the money to construct additional courts and expand play for the community. Around $253,000 is available for the project, he added.
Parks and Recreation staff began to look at various city properties for the new courts and found City Playfields to be the best option. The park is flat, has lighting and nearby bathrooms, as well as two softball fields that would be unaffected by the courts.
The department presented layout options for the courts, all oriented north-south toward the north end of the park. They would be placed near the old storage building, which Dahmen said will be knocked down in the coming years.
The first two options include adding four courts within the existing asphalt walking path that could be oriented to the site to reduce construction costs. Also being considered is installing three courts that are placed to allow future growth after demolition of the old building. Or four courts could be established in a way that modifies the asphalt walking path near the South Fork Palouse River.
Dahmen also presented three surface material options. The courts could be made of asphalt, which would cost $9,000 to $10,000 per court. Concrete slab-on-grade could be used, costing $12,000 to $15,000 per court. Lastly, post-tensioned concrete could be installed that costs $22,000 to $30,000 per court.
Post-tensioned concrete is the most durable, he said, creating a court that could last for years.
Dahmen said the city will soon send the project out to bid. He added the existing courts will still receive annual maintenance, though the department is looking to tear them out and replace them down the road.
Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com
