The tennis courts in Red Bank’s Eastside Park will be remade into a hybrid of tennis and pickleball surfaces under plans that advanced last week. 

Parks and rec Director Oscar Salinas, seated, and engineer Michael Reiser outlined plans for the park, which include a new surface for the basketball court, below. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

The plans call for a “total reconstruction” of the two existing tennis courts at Eastside Park on Marion Street, consulting engineer Michael Reiser of CME Associates told attendees at a hearing last week.

The $200,000 project, with half provided by a Monmouth County Open Spaces matching grant, includes a new court surface and court markings in different colors to provide two tennis courts, as at present, overlaid with four pickleball courts, he said.

Portable nets would allow for one tennis match at the same time two pickleball games are underway.

A scheduling system will be maintained by the parks and rec department to minimize conflicts over court usage, said Director Oscar Salinas.

“Pickleball can be a noisy sport,” and so time limitations will also be considered, Councilmember John Jackson said at last Wednesday’s council meeting.

The existing basketball court will also be milled and resurfaced, to address an unlevel surface that produces ponding after a rain, Reiser said.

Several residents expressed concerns about dog waste at the tennis courts.

“It seems like it’s become a makeshift dog run,” said interim Administrator Darren McConnell. New signage will be installed to clarify that dog walking on the courts is not permitted, he said.

McConnell said the plans are ready to go out to bid, with project completion expected in time for Memorial Day.

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