Stratford parks staff reports Lyric Park playground complete; committee weighs repainting tennis courts to add pickleball lines

Acting chairman Bill O'Brien presided over the April 4 meeting of the Town of Stratford Parks and Recreation Committee, where parks staff briefed members on field preparation and playground work and committee members discussed a proposal to reconfigure tennis courts to add dedicated pickleball lines.

Chad, speaking for parks operations, said Lyric Park’s new playground is "complete and online," with a new swing set, play structures and rubber infill surfacing. He described the product as a manufactured playground rubber (about 12 inches of infill) and said it can shift under swings and slides and will require periodic top‑ups rather than full replacement. Chad said age signage from the manufacturer lists Lyric Park as appropriate for ages 5–12.

Chad outlined spring sports preparations: staff have been coordinating with Sterling House and athletic directors to clear and prepare fields (including work at Second Hill and Flood) and to paint lacrosse lines and, later, football hash marks at Hendersfield. He also reported that the municipal golf course opened March 29 and handled roughly 55 rounds over the Easter weekend but has seen very little play since because of weather.

The committee spent substantial time on a proposal to repaint the post‑tensioned concrete at Flood tennis courts and change line layout so portable nets could be placed perpendicular to the tennis net, creating up to eight pickleball courts on four tennis courts. Chad described the repainting as a sizable capital project—"close to a hundred thousand dollars," he said—and estimated about $4,000 per court under the proposed layout. He added that newer coating technology is expected to last 10–12 years.

Committee members raised practical questions about equipment and operations. Members noted portable nets have become compact and easy to transport; Amy proposed installing a lockbox with a code for renters to access nets and offered to trial purchasing a few portable nets for a pilot. One member suggested partnering with the library to lend nets; another urged staff to seek pricing for both perpendicular and traditional line layouts before presenting a recommendation to Town Council.

On site selection, members debated Flood versus Short Beach. Short Beach already has pickleball lines but is windier, potentially shortening the playing season; Flood is less exposed and used more by high‑school teams. Chad said the department has not received meaningful noise complaints about existing courts and that most courts are not adjacent to residences.

Chad also updated the committee on other projects: concrete pours and resurfacing work at George Forest Park scheduled to begin April 8, the completion and functioning of the Lucas scoreboard, and planned pour‑in‑place rubber work at Chapel School over the summer.

Votes at a glance: the committee unanimously approved the minutes of March 7 at the start of the meeting and later approved a motion to adjourn. No formal vote was taken on the Flood repaint/pickleball configuration; staff will return with cost comparisons and a recommendation to the Town Council.

The committee set its next meeting for May 2 at 5:30 p.m.