Following a successful town meeting, a portion of Clinton’s American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding will be used to build pickleball courts.

At a town meeting on Aug. 3, residents approved the next round of projects using the town’s ARPA money. One of the approved projects is using $209,122 for building pickleball courts at Indian River Recreation Complex (IRRC).

The lack of available pickleball courts has become a major talking point in Clinton over the last year. To alleviate that concern, the town is proposing building three pickleball courts at a spot of undeveloped land off the right field of the baseball field located at the complex.

However, even with the money approved, several steps will need to be completed before the courts become a reality. The town will need approval from the Inland Wetlands Commission since there is a river in the area. Town Manager Karl Kilduff said that geotechnical work would likely need to be done to ensure building the courts is possible at the proposed site.

Additionally, the area’s service road and sundial would need to be moved. The cost of constructing a pedestrian walk or lighting in the area was not included in the cost estimate.

Pickleball is a racket sport that has exploded in interest over the last five or so years in Clinton as well as the surrounding shoreline towns. It’s become popular among all ages, but it’s become particularly a hit with older people who wish to stay active with a fun game that is easy to pick up and learn. Because pickleball courts are half the size of a standard tennis court, they’re often overlaid on existing tennis courts or, in Clinton’s case, painted on the basketball court at the IRRC.

Other shoreline towns have built their own dedicated pickleball courts that do not need to share space with other courts, but Clinton has not yet done so.

In May, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended that the town use a portion of the ARPA money to fully replace the basketball court at IRRC with pickleball courts.

While in favor of adding more pickleball courts to town, the public was largely against that idea.

At a public hearing on June 21, a crowd turned out to speak against the idea of taking away the basketball court, which speakers said was often used by kids in favor of a use primarily geared toward adults. Immediately following the public hearing, the Town Council opted to cancel a town meeting originally scheduled for July 5, where residents were set to formally approve the next round of projects so that the pickleball proposal could be tweaked to the current proposal.

At the town meeting on Aug. 3, about a dozen people turned out to formally approve the ARPA projects. The vote was done via a show of hands, with everyone in the room voting to approve the proposed projects.

In addition to the pickleball courts, residents approved funding for replacing the artificial turf at IRRC, replacement bleachers at the Peters Complex, work at the beach bathhouse, continued nonprofit assistance, the public safety radio project, paving, and small public works projects.