Government

Pickleball court could be coming to Cochran Park in Peconic

Pat Kazlauskas of Riverhead playing Pickleball at Riley Avenue School last year. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch, file)

Pickleball could be the next big thing coming to Southold Town.

The sport — a mix of tennis, ping pong and badminton — could soon be played in the town’s Jean Cochran Park in Peconic.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Town Board was in favor of spending $1,700 to purchase a net and paint lines on the court.

Supervisor Scott Russell said residents have been asking for a chance to play.

“From the emails and phone calls I’m getting, this is going to be huge,” he said.

The new pickleball court will overlay the existing basketball courts, said public works director Jeff Standish. The net is portable and doesn’t need to be broken apart to be moved, he said, meaning the courts can quickly be adapted for either sport.

The portable net is also a much more economical option than building a dedicated pickle ball court, which would cost about $30,000, Mr. Russell said.

Town Board members said it’s unlikely the pickleball court will conflict with basketball games, since the courts are used mostly at night for basketball and remain empty during much of the day.

The Town Board is expected to vote on a resolution to approve the pickleball court’s costs, plus an additional $1,000 to repair a town tennis court, at an upcoming meeting.

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Caption: Pat Kazlauskas of Riverhead playing Pickleball at Riley Avenue School last year. (Barbaraellen Koch, file)