Deerfield unanimously approves pickle ball courts, Barnes & Noble redevelopment
Board approval had figured to be a slam dunk, and it came at fast-break tempo.
During a fleet, 12-minute meeting of the Deerfield village board on Monday, trustees approved both a plan to create pickle ball courts at Shepard Park and the redevelopment of the Barnes & Noble store at the Shops at Deerfield Square by separate 6-0 votes.
Both items gained initial favor during preliminary hearings at the board's April 4 meeting.
The plan for the Barnes & Noble site, an approximately 27,000 square-foot, two-story building at 728 Waukegan Road, is to provide space for multiple dining and retail tenants on nearly 13,000 square feet of first-floor space, with a lobby and entrance.
The second story would provide office space for either a single or multiple users over more than 13,000 square feet.
In addition to aesthetic changes to the building's exterior and slight height modifications, the proposal also includes a reallocation of existing parking to enable outdoor dining space, 100 feet by 20 feet.
This plan, as well as the one for six pickle ball courts at Shepard Park, had been unanimously recommended by the Deerfield Plan Commission on March 10.
Capping the Deerfield Park District's four-year journey to find suitable space for an activity gaining fast traction by recreational players nationwide, the pickle ball courts will be constructed on the southwest section of Shepard Park, 440 Grove Place.
The base package would create a minimum of four of the 44-foot by 20-foot courts, and if funds remain after construction bids come back, to build two more. If not, then two more courts will be added within three years.
The courts will be available for students at nearby Shepard Middle School from noon to 4 p.m. on school days; they'll be available to residents the rest of the time.
To make way, construction includes switching two existing ball fields. The plan also includes expanded parking adjacent to the park, and a paved path from the parking lot to the renovated northwest ballfield.
The sole public comment presented at Monday's meeting was from a resident hoping to get the courts relocated to Brickyards Park, 375 Elm St.
Taking to the board room microphone to address the request, Deerfield Park District Executive Director Jeff Nehila explained that Brickyards amenities - including four well-used lighted soccer fields, a basketball court and the Patty Turner Center - would not provide sufficient room for pickle ball.
Plus, Nehila said, the Shepard Park location is farther away from residents, whose concerns about noise, traffic and activity had impacted the search for a good site from the start.
"We still believe Shepard Park is the best location," Nehila said, and Deerfield Mayor Dan Shapiro commended the director for years of work to see the courts come to fruition.