Village Centre Park Pickleball Court Project: The Village of Manlius Board of Trustees voted on July 8 to begin the process of installing six new pickleball courts in Village Centre Park. The board approved the drafting of a request for proposal (RFP), which is the first formal step in finding a contractor for the project.
Courts Planned for Soccer Field
The proposed courts will be placed along the far end of the current soccer field, with fencing around the entire area and between each court. Mayor Hank Chapman said the idea is part of a larger plan to make Village Centre Park more sports-focused.
“We’ve talked for quite some time about our intention and our hope to make the Village Centre Park more of a sports park,”.
“One of the proposals [was] to bring in a pickleball court. We have received a considerable amount of grant money to use on this park.”(Hank Chapman)
Chapman also mentioned he was initially worried about possible noise from the courts disturbing nearby peaceful areas, like the pond, but changed his mind after reviewing the proposed location.
“It is so far away from the pond and the fishing areas, I don’t think that’s a concern of mine at all,”(Hank Chapman).
Project Funding and Timeline
A company interested in the job estimated the total cost at $385,000. Mayor Hank Chapman explained that the village has about $280,000 to $285,000 in grant money available for this and another project. The Town of Manlius has also committed $40,000 toward the courts.
“I recently met with our state senator, Chris Ryan, and while he can’t promise, he has said that he is quite confident he can get us a grant for $60,000,”.
“Obviously, if that doesn’t come through, we don’t have to do the project, but we can’t do anything until we put out a RFP.”(Hank Chapman)
Once engineering plans are ready, the village attorney will prepare the formal RFP.
Temporary Help with Codes and Zoning
The village board also discussed the recent vacancy left by former codes and zoning officer Mike Decker. Chapman praised Decker’s service.
“Mike has done an amazing job for us, as we all know,”. “He is as close to irreplaceable as we could find, [but] we have to replace him; we have to figure out a plan.”(Hank Chapman)
Decker has agreed to assist by phone during the transition. The board is now considering three options for a long-term replacement: hiring a full-time officer, moving the role under the fire department, or working with the Town of Manlius.
“We’ve got so many different [projects] going on right now, and they are all hanging in the air and need somebody with expertise to work with them on [their] building permits,”(Hank Chapman).
As a short-term fix, the board approved an agreement that allows the Town of Manlius to temporarily handle codes and zoning work for up to $45 per hour. Mayor Hank Chapman will also be allowed to sign permits if needed.
New Self-Storage Facility Proposed
The board reviewed a plan for a climate-controlled self-storage building at 133 West Seneca Street. The building would be located behind the Valvoline Instant Oil Change and built on an existing parking lot.
The plan includes renovating a current warehouse and adding an 18,750-square-foot building with three stories and a maximum height of 32 feet. The building would have nine drive-up storage units and more indoor-access units. Customers could enter their units from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily using a secure code. A manager would be available on site from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The board voted to send the proposal to the village planning board for further review.
Board meetings are held at the Village Centre Board Room, 1 Arkie Albanese Avenue, on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. In June, July, and August, meetings are held only on the second Tuesday.
News in Brief: Village Centre Park Pickleball Court Project
The Village of Manlius is moving forward with plans to install six pickleball courts at Village Centre Park. Mayor Hank Chapman says the village is seeking funding to cover a $100,000 shortfall. The board also discussed filling a key zoning role and reviewed a new storage facility proposal on West Seneca Street.