March 7, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
Following a lengthy discussion, select board on Thursday night stopped short of taking a vote on whether to support the warrant article to construct pickleball courts near Carlson Field that will be considered at the upcoming Town Meeting.
The recreation commission is seeking Community Preservation Act funding of $758,640 for the proposed 12 courts to cover part of the estimated $2.03 million price tag, including sound mitigation.
Another warrant article asks voters to approve the remaining $1.28 million portion outside of the CPA process. Select board member William Ramsey has been recusing himself from the pickleball discussions because his wife, Adrienne, sits on the commission.
“This is a sport children are starting to play all over the country, and the interest will only grow here in Hingham,” Rec Commission Chair Vicki Donlan said, in addition to interest in the sport among all age groups.
These courts would complement the Cronin Field and Plymouth River School tennis courts, which have pickleball overlays, and would have 39 parking spaces. If the proposed new Hingham Center for Active Living becomes a reality, seniors who go there would also be able to use the courts.
Large gathering on both sides of the issue
Abutter Bill Crean, a Conservatory Park resident who was one among a large gathering of Hingham residents on both sides of the issue who attended the meeting and some Weymouth and Hull residents who spoke in favor of the project, suggested holding off on presenting the article this year pending further information-gathering.
Numerous residents living in the area of the proposed project have repeatedly expressed concerns about noise, traffic, and other issues that they say will affect their quality of life.
Project advocates have also spoken, in support of the new courts, saying the town doesn’t have any dedicated courts at this time and that people of all ages enjoy playing this sport.
Wompatuck Road resident Beth O’Connor spoke in favor of the project. “To grow old gracefully, you have to be active,” she said. “Use it or lose it, so please help us keep it!
On the other hand, Hillside Terrace resident Hillary Tutko said she’s trying to understand “want” versus “need” with regard to the proposal.
In addition, she noted, abutters could be subjected to as many as “130,000 pops from the pickleballs a day, 7 days a week, for up to 8 to 12 hours a day. Is it worth gambling $2 million-plus, with possible lawsuits?”
Other concerns include that neighbors weren’t notified much earlier in the process because they were outside of the 300-foot abutter notification requirement and that a recent noise study indicates that at every location, the noise from pickleball will be audible except inside with the windows closed.
Cut-through traffic already a concern
The additional traffic would further burden the surrounding neighborhood, where cut-through traffic is a already an issue, abutters say.
High Street resident Susan Wetzel also suggested postponing Town Meeting consideration of the proposal until “all the questions are answered and issues related to maintenance are resolved. We pay enough taxes already,” she said.
Wetzel also noted that she often drives by the pickleball courts that are overlayed over the tennis courts at Plymouth River School and that even during the summer, she has noticed that they are often not being used. “They’re occasionally busy,” she said.
Prospect Street resident Mary Ann Bryan, on the other hand, says the courts are needed because “there are zero dedicated pickleball courts in town. They would be for the entire community.”
Resident Judy Kelley, speaking for fellow seniors, is concerned that the Town of Hingham “is drowning in debt” from numerous projects, including the new public safety facility and Foster School — which she considers to be necessary but costly.
When considering new projects, she said, it’s important “to consider all the costs,” not just the cost of a particular one such as the pickleball courts. “I think it’s time to limit the number of new projects. It’s time to sit back and say that we cannot continue to put this tax burden on our senior citizens.”
Another resident expressed concern about the impact on wildlife that currently frequents the area where the courts would be built. “This project would infringe on their habitat,” she said.
In closing, Crean said, “This is not about killing the project. . ., but neighbors weren’t consulted at the beginning of the process. We weren’t treated in a neighborly way. Something shouldn’t be sent to Town Meeting that hasn’t been [thoroughly] vetted. We’re scrambling right now and want to find a solution that will benefit everyone.”
‘This project isn’t ready for prime time’
Turning to the roomful of people, he asked, “How would you feel if it were you? What about, ‘Do unto others. . . .?’ This project isn’t ready for prime time, and I recommend a delay to let people try to figure it [all] out.”
While acknowledging neighbors’ concerns, resident Matt Carpenter said it’s time to move to the next step.
As the discussion wrapped up at 10 p.m., Select Board Chair Joseph Fisher and the other board members agreed that they needed more time to consider all that was shared on both sides of the issue before further discussion and an expected vote at their Tuesday, March 11, meeting.
“I believe there is a unanimous view here that pickleball is a sport that many enjoy and that it would be nice to have [dedicated pickleball courts in Hingham], but there is not a unanimous view about the location and process. That’s what the board needs to consider. We have taken this all very seriously, and our intention is to take action that’s in the best interests of the town.”
He further noted that the select board “is not a permitting board. We’re simply looking at this project from a funding perspective.”
Fisher also said it’s important “to have a process where people have been heard and understand that, and I believe we’ve gone through that process.”
Member Liz Klein noted that if the project passes at Town Meeting, there will be ample opportunity for citizen input throughout the permitting process.
The select board will deliberate on the pickleball courts next week before the vote, but no additional public comments will be considered following the robust discussion this week. In the meantime, citizens with questions, comments, or concerns are encouraged to email the select board.
Town meeting will take place on Monday, April 28, continuing the following evening if business doesn’t wrap up during the first session. Voters have the final say on all the warrant articles.
For information about the noise study, go to https://www.hinghamanchor.com/noise-study-results-related-to-proposed-pickleball-court-shared-with-abutters/.