The town has set side $190,000 for the pickleball part of the project, while a foundation has raised $300,000 for the skate park.
New pickleball courts and an expanded and renovated skate park are on tap for Corte Madera Town Park.
The Town Council unanimously approved the addition of the courts, complete with soundproof fencing, at an estimated cost of $190,000.
Upgrades to the skate park, also approved on April 16, will be funded through approximately $300,000 raised by the Scotty Lapp Foundation, an organization dedicated to fulfilling the vision of a teen who died in a skiing accident in 2022.
“I think both seem really well thought out,” said Mayor Eli Beckman.
Town Park, located at 498 Tamalpais Drive, already has two pickleball courts. The outdoor hard courts have permanent lines and lights. Players must bring their own nets.
The pickleball courts, fencing and nets are estimated at $150,000. A new ball wall will be $15,000. The additional funds are added as a contingency.
Parks and Recreation Director Tim Barry said the courts will be a welcome addition because of how popular the game is. He said the Parks and Recreation Commission will be responsible for setting rules and regulations for the additional courts.
“There are always people there waiting to play, no matter what time it is,” Barry said.
The courts will be on a 63-foot-by-63-foot area southeast of the skatepark. Each of the courts will have standard pickleball court dimensions — 20 feet wide by 44 feet long — with lanes in between and surrounding the courts. The concrete ball wall at the site also will be removed to accommodate the court area, but rebuilt nearby.
The project will be put out to bid. The town staff is proposing it conclude before the end of this fiscal year as a part of the 2023-24 budget. Work is expected to begin this summer.
Amy Lapp, who heads the foundation that bears her son’s name, said the focus of the renovation will be to give the 6-and-under age group a place to skate while providing ramps and obstacles for others.
“It will make a park that all users can have space to practice in,” she said. “Right now it’s pretty small and it’s hard to transition between features.”
The town has reserved $30,000 to pay for demolishing and removing the skate park ramps. The project will add 1,700 square feet to the skate park.
The foundation is working with California Skateparks, the contractors behind the Tokyo Olympic skate park, and collaborating with the Skatepark Project, formerly known as the Tony Hawk Foundation, on the project.
“We feel this is prime real estate for the expansion,” said Nick Cartagena, a civil engineer for the town. “It really enhances the skate park and gives it the space it needs to breathe.”
