Proposed pickleball fees draw objections in Sea Isle

Sea Isle City residents Cathy O’Brien, Maureen Renzi and Cheryl Borysowski are all avid pickleball players.

They are excited that Sea Isle’s $21 million community recreation center will have three indoor pickleball courts when the building opens soon.

However, they object to the city’s plan to charge pickleball players a fee to use the courts. All three appeared at a City Council meeting on Tuesday to complain.

O’Brien told city officials that neighboring towns don’t impose a fee to play on their pickleball courts. She believes it would be wrong for Sea Isle to have one.

“Why would Sea Isle charge for indoor pickleball when no one else does? It doesn’t make sense,” O’Brien said.

The proposed pickleball fee is $5 per day, $100 per year for year-round Sea Isle residents or property owners and $150 per year, per person, for non-residents and non-property owners. The fees would give players access to both the city’s indoor and outdoor pickleball courts.

The fees have been proposed in an ordinance that was introduced by City Council on Dec. 23. They will not become official unless they are adopted by Council during the ordinance’s public hearing and final vote scheduled for Jan. 27.

Mayor Leonard Desiderio explained that additional language will be added to the ordinance by Sea Isle’s solicitor to resolve any possible confusion about the fees.

Desiderio noted that Sea Isle residents and property owners will not have to pay a fee for the “general use” of the community center.

But fees will be required for non-property owners and non-year-round residents for the general use of the building. They will be $5 per day, $40 per month and $120 per year, per person, if the fee ordinance is approved by Council.

Access to the community center for general use will include any open sessions in the gymnasium, scheduled basketball and volleyball games, use of the walking/running track, use of the exercise equipment next to the track and any free community activities, Desiderio said.

    Construction on the $21 million community center is nearing completion. A grand opening date will soon be announced by the city.
  

The city has released a list of fees that will be charged for using some of the community center’s facilities, including a golf simulator, pickleball courts and some of the programs and activities.

Borysowski said she was confused over why there would be fees for pickleball in the gym, but there would no charge for playing basketball or volleyball on the same floor.

“It doesn’t seem fair,” she said.

The city has issued a detailed document on its website that explains everything that is planned for the community center, the hours the building will be open, the proposed fees and how to obtain a membership card.

Council President Mary Tighe indicated that further thought might be given by Council about the possibly of adjusting the proposed pickleball fees, but she made no promises.

“We don’t want to gouge the residents,” Tighe said in an interview after the Council meeting. “We’re not in the business of making money off our taxpayers. We want everybody to enjoy our facilities.”

At the same time, Tighe noted that some Sea Isle residents have told her that they support the idea of charging fees to prevent some of the pickleball players from monopolizing the courts.

During her remarks, Renzi told Council that she is worried that fees would discourage pickleball players from using the courts during the slow offseason months. She said it is usually a struggle for pickleball players to find enough partners in the winter.

“I want it to be a strong community center. We’re going to have a big, beautiful building, but I fear that it’s going to be empty,” Renzi said in an interview.

Meanwhile, Desiderio gave the latest update on the community center’s construction. He has expressed hope that work on the interior and exterior would be completed by January or February.

“The building is very close to completion, and we’re looking forward to announcing a grand opening date very soon,” he said.

    The gym floor inside the building is in place. (Photo courtesy of Sea Isle City)