The installation of permanent pickleball courts at Lake Bluff’s Artesian Park appears one step closer following village board approval of a park district application.
Lake Bluff village trustees granted final approval on Feb. 10 for a Recreational Institutional and Open (RIO) Space District development plan submitted by the Park District. The plan permits the conversion of the Artesian Park recreational area into a permanent mix of tennis and pickleball play.
“It was long coming and I am happy we are here,” Village President Regis Charlot said at the Jan. 27 meeting when the ordinance was initially approved.
The village board approval represents the latest chapter in the tumultuous history inside Lake Bluff of the sport that has seen rapid growth in popularity in recent years.
The Park District allowed play at the village’s Blair Park which led to noise complaints from some neighbors in 2023. Soon a dispute emerged between the village board and the park board, which are separate units of government, and the village stopped pickleball play at Blair.
A sound study later determined pickleball exceeded noise standards at Blair Park and the Park District opted to move pickleball play at Artesian Park, located on the first block of Sheridan Place.
The Park District submitted the RIO plan to the village that was recommended by the Plan Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals last year and then went to the village board.
“We worked well and cooperatively with the village and I am glad it had the resolution that it did,” Park Board President Jennifer Beeler said after the village board meeting.
Under the plan, the tennis court area would be extended 30 feet to the west. Correspondingly, there would now be four tennis courts at Artesian instead of five, thus allowing for four permanent pickleball courts. However, another tennis court would be added at Blair Park providing a total of six tennis courts in the community and four pickleball courts, which was the count before the dispute began.
There would also be the installation of a nearly 10-foot chain link fence with acoustic materials between the tennis and the pickleball courts for sound mitigation.
Village Administrator Drew Irvin said at the Jan. 27 meeting the village was looking into the possibilities of curtailing additional traffic at the park as the pickleball play will now be combined with other activities such as youth baseball.
“We are trying to manage the volume issue which I think was the real issue,” Irvin said.
In addition, Irvin said village employees will be encouraged to park at another location and not at Artesian, which is next to the public safety building.
Park District Executive Director John Bealer said after the meeting the park district would promote walking or biking to Artesian to alleviate traffic and parking challenges.
With the village board’s approval, the park board must now approve a design of the courts including whether to sign off on the proposed arrangement as recommended by staff.
“They have yet to make a final decision on what the project will include,” Bealer said.
However, Beeler, the park board president, said the RIO plan lasts for 10 years and gives the board some flexibility in timing. She stated renovations of both the Blair Park Pool and Knollwood Park might be larger priorities right now as the park district has received state grants to pay for a portion of both makeovers.
Bealer said he previously recommended to the park board to approve a design over the next couple of months allowing for construction in late fall or early 2026, but that was before the Park District was informed of the successful application for the state grant at Knollwood Park.
Bealer stated temporary pickleball courts will be available at Artesian this summer regardless of when the board acts on the design for the permanent courts.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
