A resolution may be on the horizon for Lake Bluff, where the village and Park District have squared off about pickleball play since last year.
On Aug. 21, the village’s joint Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals (PCZBA) unanimously supported the Park District’s request to amend the village’s zoning regulations to permit pickleball play at Artesian Park on Sheridan Place. Pickleball play would be prohibited at Blair Park, in the 300 block of Washington Avenue.
The issue now moves to the Lake Bluff Village Board for formal approval.
Under the plan, there will be four tennis courts and construction of four permanent pickleball courts at Artesian Park, with one tennis court removed. Currently, there are four temporary courts available for pickleball use.
Other stipulations of the agreement include: A second permanent tennis court would be constructed at Blair Park; no lighting at Artesian Park; and the hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays for pickleball.
In addition, village employees will be dissuaded from parking at the Artesian lot during busy periods, and the Park District will encourage those associated with the Lake Bluff Youth Baseball Association to park at nearby Lake Bluff Middle School when that group is active from April through July. The Park District will also add bicycle racks at Artesian.
“This will give residents a better local option,” Park District Executive Director John Bealer said. “We will promote walking and biking, so they are not adding to the traffic congestion.”
A sound consultant retained by the village testified at the PCZBA meeting the noise levels would fall within acceptable levels under the Park District’s plan. The Park District will install a 10-foot fence with sound mitigation between the tennis courts and the pickleball courts to reach that goal and limit the impact on the Artesian Park neighbors.
“I think it is a good compromise for the village and the pickleball players,” PCZBA member Elliott Miller said.
Bealer estimated the cost of construction of new Artesian courts at $120,000. Village Administrator Drew Irvin said the village has offered a grant of up to $100,000 to offset the construction costs.
If the agreement is approved, it would put an end to a public dispute, that PCZBA member George Russell characterized as “unfortunate,” between the two separate governmental bodies.
The issue can be traced back to the summer of 2023 when some Blair Park neighbors complained about the noise associated with the sport that has had a rapid rise in popularity in recent years. The village shut down pickleball play temporarily, saying the Park District did not get village authority to convert the Blair Park courts from tennis to pickleball.
Play eventually resumed at Blair as the two sides sought an agreement. However in May, the village once again prohibited play at Blair following a report from its sound consultant the noise was excessive for the area. Pickleball play has not resumed at Blair.
Irvin said at the Aug. 26 Village Board meeting he thought it would be on the agenda at one of the two September board meetings.
“It’s great to see that we have worked with the Park District and has this unanimous recommendation from the PCZBA,” he added in an interview.
Bealer was also pleased the two sides reached an agreement, adding he has met with some neighbors to address their concerns.
“I feel a sense of relief,” he said. “There is a renewed spirit of cooperation between the village and the Park District.”
The Park District has offered pickleball since 2015.
