At the upcoming annual town meeting Uxbridge residents will have the opportunity to give the go-ahead to an exciting recreational opportunity: the construction of six new pickleball courts.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14 at Valley Chapel, 14 Hunter Road.

A dedicated group of local pickleball enthusiasts has developed a proposal to build the new  courts. Speaking for the ad hoc committee, Douglas Stark noted that the popularity of pickleball is exploding. Its appeal is in its simplicity, affordability and health benefits. The sport also attracts players of all ages and abilities. The sport also offers a sense of community and opportunities for social interaction, a nice benefit in a town where adult recreational activities are scarce.

“The people in our town are traveling to about six or seven other place in other towns to play pickleball,” said Stark. And the growing popularity of the sports means that Uxbridge residents are getting shut out of some of the courts that are farther afield. 

Since the ad hoc committee that included Lisa Bernard of the Uxbridge Senior Center, they decided to formalize the process and organize their efforts.

“We’ve all been hitting up the town manager Steve Sette repeatedly, not knowing the others were too,” he said. “He was a little overwhelmed with the calls.”

Once the committee organized, they met with Sette and he was very enthusiastic about it. Besides Stark and Bernard,  committee members include Orlando Corona, Lisa Bernard, Gail Epstein, Chris Prohel, Leon Droby and  David Tapscott.

They also met with the Recreation Committee and got approval for $170,000 from the Capital Planning  Committee. 

Both the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee have voted favorably on the warrant article seeking the funding, which now only needs a ‘yes’ vote from town meeting voters to get the project underway.

The pickleball committee hasn’t recommended a particular spot for new courts or whether old tennis courts will be repurposed. 

“We’ve been trying to stay away from that because there are issues no matter where you put a pickleball court, particularly with sound,” Stark said. 

When the hard pickleball racquet connect with the game’s ball (looks like a wiffle ball except hard), it makes a distinctive, loud popping sound that many people find annoying. So, building a pickleball facility on an existing tennis court may require the installation of sound barriers, especially if near homes or schools.

Also, access for construction vehicles at existing tennis courts could be a little dicey, Stark said. 

 “We’ve got three locations that are really possible, but we’re trying not to make that decision for the town. We just want the voters’ blessing and you guys work out where you want to put it,” he said, suggesting places like behind the McCloskey School or the area known as the 100 Acre Lot or by Pout Pond.    

“We don’t want this to become an issue at the town meeting. We’re not at that point yet; we just want voter approval to pursue it,” Stark said. 

The funding they’re looking for is not very much compared to what some towns are spending. He estimated that Northborough spent about $350,000 for their pickleball facility and Linwood put in two basketball courts and two pickleball courts for $750,000, but the pickleball players are willing to raise funds.

They are pursuing every grant they can and looking for pledges from corporate and business sponsors, said Stark. 

“We’re working on doing two or three pickleball fundraiser tournaments” he said.

“We’re really hoping to raise significant money to help with it, but our main goal is to get people who want to play pickleball in town to go to that meeting and vote in favor of it.”

Residents who wish to learn more or contribute to the fundraising initiative can contact the committee via email at [email protected], visit their Facebook page at “Uxbridge Pickleball,” or check out their website at www.uxbridgepickleball.net.