RIVER VALE —Township Council approved a base bid for four new pickleball courts at the Mark Lane Athletic Complex on June 27, one that was nearly $60,000 above the open space grant funding awarded for the courts, said the borough’s business administrator.
Earlier this year, the borough received a county Open Space grant for $77,340 to build the courts. The winning bid was awarded to Green Valley Group, Inc., Nanuet, N.Y., for $137,400. The contractor’s base bid was $121,161 and the alternate No. 1 was $16,240, which added up to a total of $137,400.
Administrator Gennaro Rotella told Pascack Press that previous bids were rejected because they were much higher than estimated project amounts. The resolution awarding the contract notes funds will come from the capital account and public and private programs account.
While it appeared some funding might come from the municipal Open Space account, officials previously said that was not the case. No construction timetable was provided.
Pickleball, invented in 1965 by two men in Washington State, combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong on a 20-foot-wide by 44-foot-long court. The court size matches a badminton court dimensions. Players use paddles made of wood, plastic or composite material to hit a Wiffle ball-sized plastic ball across a net. Games can be played by two players or four players.
Many Bergen County towns offer pickleball courts, some drawing new lines on existing tennis courts and others with standalone pickleball courts.
Today, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, nearly 5 million U.S. citizens play pickleball recreationally, which has doubled in the last five years.
Rotella said previously because pickleball can be a noisy sport, with the ping-ping-ping of plastic balls against paddles, the township plans to add noise barriers “to try to reduce the noise.” He said that pickleballers will only have access to courts during specific hours for “quality of life” of nearby residents.
He said the Mark Lane Athletic Complex already offers basketball, baseball, softball and a multi-functional recreational field, a kids’ playground and a snack hut. He said the park may be noisy during normal operation as it is a park where recreational activities and public use occurs.
He said future plans include a fence and gate with access card, with access free to residents and a small charge for out-of-town players.
The township must submit all vouchers, invoices, proofs of payment, and other required documents before the county will provide the funding.
The township was one of six Pascack Valley towns receiving a total of nearly $500,000 in Open Space matching grants late last year.
In Pascack Valley, Park Ridge was awarded $92,500 to acquire 1.366 acres for open space; Emerson received $77,340 for Benkovic field lighting and cameras to broadcast sports events; Hillsdale received $56,250 for Beechwood Park improvements; Montvale received $77,340 for Huff Park playground improvements; and Woodcliff Lake received $110,157 for design, a gazebo, and lighting for a new Galaxy Gardens Passive Park.