Council approves design phase for outdoor pickleball, basketball courts

by Dan Holland

July 1 city council meeting

Members of Broadview Heights City Council approved an agreement between the city and Hejduk-Cox and Associates Inc., of Solon, for engineering design and surveying services for six lighted pickleball courts and a basketball court to be constructed in the grassy area to the south of the main city hall/recreation center parking lot.

During a June 24 council work session, Assistant City Engineer Ethan Neff said the city received three bids for the work and chose the lowest cost proposal of $33,982. Neff added that he has worked with the design firm in the past with good results.

According to Neff, the design phase will take place this summer and fall, with hopes of bidding the project in early 2025. He said he would like to see final completion of work by mid-summer 2025. A second phase of the project is to include two adjacent tennis courts.

Councilperson Jennifer Mahnic asked Neff if the pickleball courts could be striped for basketball, volleyball or other sports to maximize their use. Neff said he would coordinate with the recreation department on the inquiry.

“We have a very high need for outdoor pickleball courts to accommodate the number of people in this growing sport,” Amanda Hutcheson, director of parks & recreation, said. “Adding the basketball court is necessary due to the number of patrons playing daily at our facility, and our current tennis courts are in terrible shape. Bringing it all on campus will allow us to monitor each area better and allow us to service many age groups.”

Long-serving planning commission member honored

Mayor Sam Alai presented a resolution of appreciation to Bill Ridgeway for serving on the city’s planning commission for 11 years. He served as vice-chair through fall 2023.

“My background was in construction management, and I had that as a profession,” Ridgeway told The Broadview Journal. “I initially studied architecture, so I have a feel for that. I always enjoyed doing community planning, so when I was asked by the mayor to be considered being on the board, I thought it would be a good fit.”

“I felt that with my background, I could ask the vital questions of projects,” he continued. “When projects came before the city, I had to look at how it would fit with what our basic plans allowed us to do as a commission and how we could help steer that within the confines of what we were enabled to do. The goal was always to help make the community better in the end.”

In other business, council approved:

• Two resolutions directing the finance to certify delinquent grass cutting charges, as well as delinquent storm and sanitary sewerage service charges to the county fiscal officer for collection.
• A six-month moratorium on accepting, filing, and consideration, review and approval of all new applications for projects in the city’s C-1 Zoning District south of Edgerton Road.
• An agreement with C.P. Electric Motor Repair, Inc. for the Boston Road Pump Station repairs. ∞