Canton Halts Pequitside Farm Pickleball Courts: Members of the Canton, Massachusetts, town meeting voted on Monday to delay the plan to build pickleball courts indefinitely. The delay follows concerns about the chosen site at Pequitside Farm on Pleasant Street and worries about the project’s cost. This vote means the project is now on hold with no clear timeline to resume.
Concerns About Location and Decision-Making
The meeting was initially planned to reconsider building courts at Pequitside Farm. However, the chairman of the select board removed this site from the proposal.
Many voters supported having pickleball courts but opposed the idea that the select board alone would pick a new location. Because of this, the town meeting members voted to postpone the project without a new date.
“I think tabling it for now is a wonderful decision. I don’t think there’s enough information out there. I think the concern about where it is and how much money it’s going to cost, I think all of those need to be reconsidered.” – (Michaela Mancusso)
Opposition From Nearby Residents
Residents, including Marv Feldman, Gary Kaplan, and Jim Mancuso, who live close to Pequitside Farm, raised strong objections. They worried the courts would cause noise and disturb people who use the farm for walking, bird watching, and gardening.
“When we first got concerned about this a week ago, we’re concerned as abutters about noise. The more we spend talking to people that actually use (the area) to stroll, take their kids, go look at the birds, do their gardening and other things like that, we’ve come to realize this is bigger than just abutters.” – (Feldman)
Gary Kaplan also criticized the project’s $650,000 price tag. He said it would take up most of the town’s budget, leaving little money for roads, schools, and other services.
“It completely depletes the town budget for everything else — for roads, for schools. It virtually leaves nothing in the town budget.” – (Gary Kaplan)
Community Action and What’s Next
Before the vote, opponents of the plan spread flyers to encourage people to attend the meeting and voice their concerns. They support pickleball courts but want them built somewhere else. After the vote, Feldman, Kaplan, and Mancuso began pushing for another vote to find a better location.
“There are good people that want a pickleball court. That’s fine. But not on conservation land where there’s kids and wildlife and gardens, and the whole thing is supposed to be protected to begin with.” – (Gary Kaplan)
The select board chair noted the project has been discussed since 2020. Though the original plan passed by 11 votes, the strong community concerns led to postponing the project. The town now needs to find a new site and gather more information before moving forward.
News in Brief: Canton Halts Pequitside Farm Pickleball Courts
Canton’s town meeting delayed the pickleball court project after opposition to the Pequitside Farm location and worries about the $650,000 cost. Nearby residents raised concerns about noise and budget impacts. The project is paused as the town looks for a better site and more details.
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