‘Almost have no reason not to vote for it’: Elk Grove mayor defends field light vote — and still supports pickleball

Elk Grove Village officials have doubled down on their support for soccer field lights at a neighborhood park — and indicated they may be in favor of pickleball there as well — over the objections of homeowners upset with how the approval process has unfolded.

The village board’s vote this week to formally grant the Elk Grove Park District a special use permit for soccer field lighting at Marshall Park was perfunctory, following a much lengthier meeting two weeks before when the mayor and trustees first endorsed the project.

But the tally Tuesday night was still followed by a back-and-forth between board members and local real estate agent Lori Christensen, who has led opposition to the park district’s $4 million transformation of the park at 711 Chelmsford Lane.

A new playground, splash pad, shelter, restrooms, basketball court and walking path are among the park upgrades being installed. Now following the village board’s approval, the park district will be able to put up four 60-foot tall light poles around the park’s soccer field.

But amid strong opposition from homeowners who live around the park, district officials withdrew their request for six lighted pickleball courts. Initial site plans presented to neighbors last year didn’t include pickleball, but amended site plans later submitted to village hall did.

“What we were told we were getting and what we’re getting aren’t even close,” Christensen told village trustees. “It’s like a bait and switch. You show one picture and you get something else.”

Christensen said the village board shouldn’t have taken up the field lighting proposal, especially after the advisory village plan commission issued a 6-2 recommendation against the lights and pickleball courts.

“We do have a problem with how the park district handled it, landed up here, and instead of it tossing back as it was supposed to, you voted on it, approved, got what you wanted,” she told village trustees.

Mayor Craig Johnson said the park district has its own duly elected board of commissioners, and if they bring a project to the village’s plan commission and board, “we have to rule on it under our guidelines.”

“I don’t know pickleball, never played pickleball, don’t understand pickleball, but our job is when they recommend something they want to bring in, is it safe, is it done in a way to protect the interests of people around it, but also the interests of the whole community?” Johnson said.

No park district representatives were at the village board meeting Tuesday, but at the last park board meeting in late March, Commissioner Tom Cooke said pickleball was added to the Marshall Park renovation plans after a community survey showed strong demand.

District officials say they’re evaluating other locations throughout town for pickleball, but admit their search could return to Marshall Park.

Johnson remains a proponent, arguing the district’s plan mitigates the impact to neighbors — courts would be 200 feet from the nearest house, and barriers would help deaden the sound of balls hitting paddles.

“We almost have no reason not to vote for it,” he said.

Regarding the field lighting, Johnson said the lights wouldn’t spill over to neighboring properties, and the village successfully sought the concession that they turn off at 9 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.

If and when the park district renews its proposal for pickleball, the mayor said the village will send a notice to neighbors 10 days in advance of any meeting with a link to a website to view the plans.