Local pickleball players will play on cracked courts for the immediate future.
Galesburg aldermen on Monday unanimously rejected a proposal to bring a new modular athletic surfacing system to the pickleball courts at Bateman Park, site of the former fire station at Maple Avenue and Losey Street.
The decision to halt the resurfacing comes after many local pickleball enthusiasts voiced concerns over the plan. Some questioned whether or not the surface would produce a true bounce, while others claim the modular system is slippery and does not provide traction.
City administration originally asked the City Council to approve a bid of $93,857 for resurfacing of six outside pickleball courts at Bateman Park.
Many of those opposed to plan recently tested prototypes of the proposed tile playing surface that were set up at Lakeside Recreation Center.
Galesburg City Manager Eric Hanson told Council members if they rejected the modular athletic surfacing system, city administration would pursue other options, but they likely would not be implemented this year.
Hanson did say the city would explore temporary fixes to the cracked playing surface at Bateman Park.
The city manager said removal and rebuilding the deteriorating six courts at Bateman with concrete would come “at a substantially higher” price tag than the two bids for the tile surfaces — $93,857 and $119,660.
“Despite some acrimony, this is not a complex issue to solve,” Hanson said. “It’s just matter of identifying the pathway.”
Hanson said he appreciated the public feedback, adding, “This is the way it’s supposed to work.
“Now, we can put the tiles behind us for now.”
Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman said the city could explore locations other than Bateman Park for a new pickleball complex.
