OPINION: Say NO to $2 Million in Taxpayer Funds for 12 Pickleball Courts We Don’t Need

April 16, 2025 By Hillary Tutko

Hingham Voters: Make Your Voice Heard Monday, April 28 th at Town Meeting

Hingham is known for its outstanding schools, beautiful conservation land and parks, and thoughtful town planning – but now we’re being asked to approve a $2.036 million project for 12 new pickleball courts, paid for largely by your tax dollars. That’s more than $4,000 per player for a facility that, according to available data, may not even primarily serve Hingham residents. At a time when Hingham families are facing school budget cuts, increased education fees, and added burdens just to keep core services afloat, this proposal is out of touch with the town’s most pressing needs.

Let’s Break Down the Cost to Taxpayers:

• $758,000 from Community Preservation Committee (CPC), funded through your 1.5% property tax surcharge.
• $1.278 million from Hingham’s Unassigned Fund Balance, which should be reserved for emergencies or high priorities – not a luxury facility.
• That totals $2.036 million in public funds that would serve a fraction of the town’s residents.

Worse still, no thorough Hingham resident outreach or demand study was conducted to confirm how many Hingham residents would use the facility. At the March 6th, 2025, Select Board Meeting nearly 40% of speakers supporting the pickleball courts were from Weymouth or Hull, not Hingham. That’s not a local need – its regional overflow.

Reports and Data Don’t Support the Build
The 2020 Hingham Athletic Field and Outdoor Court Study conducted by Weston & Sampson does not recommend building any new pickleball courts in Hingham. In fact, the study mentions the word pickleball a handful of times in the 90 pages – and suggest that Hingham’s 31 existing tennis courts could easily be shared or repurposed to accommodate pickleball demand.

Page 29 of the 2020 study clearly recommends that 3 existing tennis courts at Cronin Field be designated for pickleball. That’s a zero-cost solution compared to the $2 million price tag now proposed.

The 2024 CHA Hingham Feasibility Study references the 2020 Weston & Sampson study when addressing the Town’s “need” for “dedicated” pickleball courts. There are no current supporting Hingham resident numbers or tennis court space analysis reports to identify the actual demand for these courts.

The Recreation Commission’s November 6th, 2024, presentation (slide 8) incorrectly stated that Marshfield built 10 pickleball courts in the past 5 years.

It was confirmed with the Marshfield Recreation Department on April 8th, 2025, that existing tennis courts have pickleball lines added to them just like Hingham. Marshfield has no plans to build new pickleball courts. The town is utilizing its tennis courts by designating space to accommodate the pickleball community as suggested to Hingham by the 2020 Weston & Sampson study.

A Luxury Project, Not a Community Priority
The Recreation Commission plans to build this 12-court commercial-style facility in Bare Cove Park Wildlife Sanctuary infamous for its nuisance noise abutting a sensitive residential area, 42 ft. from an Area of Critical Environment Concern, and 98 ft. from a Certified Vernal Pool.

The town has multiple tennis court facilities in desperate need of resurfacing, and the town is considering spending millions of dollars on new courts for a game without an established youth program, high school team or confirmed widespread local use?

This is not about opposing pickleball. It’s about fiscal responsibility and putting taxpayer money toward the greatest good.

We should be funding:

• The resurfacing of our courts, and care for our current recreation fields for Hingham athletes in existing and established Hingham youth programs.
• Essential school programs.
• Preservation of our conservation land and parks for all of Hingham residents to enjoy.
• Town infrastructure that benefits everyone, not a vocal niche.

This proposal is rushed, costly, and lacks data to justify the scale or spending. Before we commit over $2 million in taxpayer money, we must ask: Who truly benefits- and what are we sacrificing in return?

The Bottom Line:
Protect our town’s finances. Invest in what matters most.

Vote NO on the $2.036 million New Build of 12 Pickleball Courts Monday, April 28 at Town Meeting.

Hillary Tutko has lived in Hingham since 2015 with her husband and 2 children. Hillary served on the Board at Wilder Nursery School (2021-2024). She has a Graduate Degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology and is the Manager of Operations at an AM Law 100 firm in Boston. Hillary manages space planning analysis and how it impacts day to day operations, and the firm’s real estate.

Links:
https://hingham-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11104/2020-Hingham-Athletic-Fields-and-
Outdoor-Courts-Study
https://www.hingham-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22324/Pickleball-Presentation-11-6-
24?bidId=

https://maps.massgis.digital.mass.gov/MassMapper/MassMapper.html