A large group of enthusiastic pickleball players attended both the Board of Finance meeting on October 26 and the Legislative Council on November 1 to advocate for a $100,000 appropriation towards eight pickleball courts. A smaller group of players also attended the October 16 Board of Selectmen meeting.

All three boards approved the appropriation, which will be using American Rescue Plan funding.

Bill Manfredonia, representing Newtown Pickleball Association, spoke at the council meeting, representing roughly 20 players in attendance.

Manfredonia stated that pickleball is “one of the fastest growing sports in the US,” and that the NCAA and Olympic Committee are both considering adding it as a sport. Pickleball is a sport that can be played by all ages and has some resemblance to tennis and ping-pong, and can be played indoors or outdoors.

The town’s pickleball players currently congregate in a parking lot at the Fairfield Hills campus, but that area is sloped and has many cracks in the pavement. Players have also been using courts at Treadwell Park.

Players range from teenagers to folks in their 80s and 90s. Manfredonia said he has seen a player in a wheelchair and a player with prosthetic limbs.

As many as 150 people might be playing in the morning and 60 or more at night. When there are events at the campus, however, the players must give up their lot for overflow parking.

“We need to move away from the parking lot,” said Manfredonia.

Newtown has not kept up with other area towns when it comes to pickleball, Manfredonia said. He noted that Trumbull has 20 courts, Southbury recently built four courts, and Danbury is converting tennis courts to pickleball courts.

“I don’t advocate for [converting tennis courts to pickleball courts],” said Manfredonia. “Tennis is big in Newtown, and its players need courts. I don’t want to compete with tennis players for space.”

Manfredonia said that by investing in courts, there is an opportunity for the town to make money down the line through lessons from Parks & Recreation and tournaments.

Pete DiDomizio said he has been a resident for 25 years and pickleball “has been a godsend” in meeting other members of the community.

“This community has bonded; everyone has,” said DiDomizio. “Pickleball has brought a lot of people from all ages together. From my point of view, I never would have bonded with so many people in town.”

DiDomizio said that pickleball “makes the town better.”

Howard Becker said he moved to town a year ago and the first thing he looked for was pickleball courts. When he saw the town’s players playing in a lot, he decided he’d commute an hour back to his former town in New York to play. One night he saw the Newtown group needed a substitute, however, and he has been playing there since, he said.

“I now know so many people in town, it’s incredible,” said Becker.

The courts have been added to the Capital Improvement Plan in year two, 2025-26, with $350,000 allotted for the project. There is no town money allotted for the project other than the ARP funds, and no town bonding for the project. Instead, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said local pickleball groups can fundraise for the rest of the project funding.

The current plan would build eight courts. The location of the courts is undecided, but the Fairfield Hills campus is often brought up in connection with building courts.

Rosenthal noted that a few years ago, the town put $265,000 into the CIP for pickleball courts, but it failed at referendum. He said he would not be in support of another attempt to bond money, but using ARP funds and then allowing the group to fundraise the rest was a way he could be supportive of it.

Finance Director Robert Tait noted that the town began with $7.6 million in ARP funding, and approximately $7.4 million has been appropriated. There is $231,000 left to be appropriated, not including the pickleball courts. Of the appropriated money, $4.3 million has been spent. The town has until 2024 to appropriate all the funds and until 2026 to spend all the funds.

Rosenthal said the town would stay “in contact with the pickleball aficionados” between now and 2024, because if they do not fundraise enough for the project, the money could potentially still be reallocated in that year.

With $100,000 in ARP money, Rosenthal said that was a good amount for the groups to fundraise around, as it can be difficult starting from zero. He also said that in year two of the CIP, it gives the groups enough time to fundraise but not so much that interest would not be there because the project is so far off.

He also said it would put the project ahead of a 2026 deadline to expend all the ARP funding.

Councilman Ryan Knapp said he supported pickleball when it came to the council years before and he supports it now.

“It’s amazing how many people are there playing when I drive by,” said Knapp.

Knapp said that the ARP money is best used to deal with problems that have arisen from the pandemic, and encouraging people to be healthy and active fits in with the spirit of that.

Councilman Tom Long said the town might need to continue involvement since the best way to raise the remaining $250,000 is through grants, and the town may need to steward that along, possibly by applying for a STEAP grant.

“The town still has a valuable role to play,” said Long.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.