AMHERST — Amherst’s first municipal pickleball courts could be developed at Groff Park in South Amherst by using $650,000 from the Community Preservation Act account.
The request for money for the pickleball courts is among $5.11 million in specific proposals, along with an unspecified amount that would be added to the $1.25 million the town has in hand for rebuilding the 1950s-era poolhouse at War Memorial Pool.
Under the plans for pickleball, Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek said the courts would be situated at the far northeastern corner of the 83 Mill Lane site, up from the splash pad and playground.
The courts would be located on a flat and dry area above an existing baseball and softball diamond, and next to a field once used for Little League baseball games.
The three to four courts would also be developed using $100,000 that remains from a $120,000 CPA allocation from four years ago.
Ziomek said officials have already done door-to-door outreach to residents on Mill Lane and have committed to doing a sound study that will provide information about how noise travels from the courts to the neighborhood, with the homes between 500 and 650 feet away.
The town’s previously identified site for pickleball, at Kiwanis Park off Stanley Street, ran into objections from residents who live in the Misty Meadows subdivision that includes Tramrack Drive and Willow Lane.
The application for the pickleball funding references the patience shown by the pickleball community, which has used temporarily converted tennis courts at Mill River Recreation Area:
“While waiting, town departments have dedicated valuable resources in providing and maintaining such playing options, including lining temporary courts at Mill River and then including permanent markings in the upgraded design for those courts, and also reserving Amherst Regional Public Schools gym space and running recreational play throughout the winter season. While these are popular offerings, they are not permanent solutions and place pickleball at the expense of tennis users at Mill River.”
As part of the Groff Park improvements, Ziomek said the town would like to build an internal sidewalk that would extend along the parking area to connect to a multi-use path along Mill Lane that meets up with a multi-unit path near the apartment complexes on East Hadley Road.
Eventually, a new pavilion would be installed and a switchback trail that would help people with mobility challenges get from the upper level at Groff Park to the greenspace and picnic area along the Fort River.
Meanwhile, the poolhouse at War Memorial Pool remains an important project, estimated at a cost of around $2.8 million. A Parklands Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities state grant is expected to supplement the town funds.
In addition to the poolhouse plans, a community organization known as the All-Wheels Amherst Group, is envisionming using $101,200 for the first phase of designing an all-wheels skatepark next to that at Community Field.
The proposal from Aubrey Tennant, a representative of the group, states that would be a place “where people of all ages and abilities can skateboard, scooter, bike, roll in wheelchairs, and more. Our mission is to create a safe, sustainable, and community-driven ‘skatepark’ that complements existing town recreational assets and becomes a local hub for active play, socializing and healthy movement.”
Other requests
The biggest CPA request is $1.35 million is from library officials to support historic preservation and rehabilitation measures on the 1928 historic portion of the Jones Library, where a $46.1 million project to expand and renovate the 43 Amity St. site is underway.
“These measures, primarily focused on woodwork, millwork, and windows, will be completed from July to December 2026 as part of the larger renovation and expansion project of the entire main library building,” the application states.
Another $75,000 would go toward housing the historic Civil War tablets in the expanded Jones Library. This will ensure getting those safely from the Bangs Community Center, where have been shown in the Pole Room since 2021.
The next biggest request is $1 million for restoration of the slate roof at Town Hall, a building opened in 1893.
Affordable housing is being supported by a few proposals. The Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust is asking for $575,000 that it could use toward future developments, while $450,000 is sought by the Amherst Community Land Trust for its 174 Amity St. redevelopment.
“We propose to turn a nearly 200-year old house of historic and architectural significance that needs updating, and its associated land, into attractive, affordable housing,” the land trust wrote.
Also on that front is $90,000 to maintain a part-time planner and housing coordinator in Planning Department for three years.
Historic preservation would come in the form of $275,148 to stabilize and preserve the Simeon Strong House, the Amherst Historical Society’s home located next to the Jones Library, with $48,000 for Goodwin Church restoration and preservation, including its chimney and foundation.
In North Amherst, $105,000 is sought for a study of and survey of industrial history along the Mill River in North Amherst and $85,000 to enhance passive recreation along the history trail.
Finally, $100,000 would go for preservation of headstones and monuments at the North and South cemeteries, $100,000 would go to improve trails, bridges and boardwalks at several town-owned sites, including Larch Hill, Wentworth Farm, Mill River, Amethyst Brook, Puffers Pond, Hickory Ridge and Fort River Farm Conservation Area, and another $100,000 would go to install new signs in town recreation and conservation areas.