STATE COLLEGE — The great pickleball debate in Patton Township appears to be over. On Aug. 1, newly constructed courts opened at Bernel Road Park, replacing the controversial Green Hollow Park courts that are no longer open for play and will be converted to tennis courts.
The Green Hollow Park courts became a nuisance for residence who lived near the court, especially when pickleball play peaked during the pandemic.
Park Forest resident Stephen Garcia was one of the initial residents who brought the issue to township officials. His house is located less than 150 feet from Green Hollow Park, and he said he could hear people playing on the four pickleball courts from inside his house.
“For all of you that don’t know, the sound of pickleball is kind of like listening to ping-pong going on in the room next door to you. We hear that with our windows and doors closed 10 to 12 hours a day, depending on the weather,” Garcia said in May 2021.
The large number of players parking on the streets in the residential neighborhood in Park Forest also caused traffic concerns.
The township worked to find a solution at Bernel Road Park, which is not in a residential neighborhood and has a parking lot. Contractors finished converting tennis courts at the park into dedicated pickleball courts on July 28. The new courts opened on Aug. 1 at 9 a.m. after the acrylic surface dried.
That same day, the nets at Green Hollow Park were taken down and signs were placed letting people know that pickleball play would no longer be permitted. Weather permitting, contractors will begin converting the pickleball courts back to tennis courts the week of Aug. 8.
