Hampton hopes to renovate tennis courts in August

Tennis lovers in Hampton should plan to break out their racquets after the township renovates its courts this summer.

Hampton Township Council approved a motion at its April 26 meeting to advertise for bids for a tennis-pickleball courts rehabilitation project at Hampton Community Park. Christopher Lochner, municipal manager, said officials want to convert one of the six tennis courts into three pickleball courts.

He said the township is pursuing the project to fix cracking on the courts, explaining that the type of asphalt used on the court — which “was part of the standard paving projects that PennDOT authorized” — was too dry, causing the cracking.

“What we’re going to do is cut out all the cracks, utilize the appropriate material and then put the new surface down,” Lochner said. He also said additional fencing will be installed along with a wall on a court so residents can play solo.

At a meeting earlier this month, Lochner said the project has a $200,000 budget and that he’d like construction to start and finish in August so it’s completed before the Hampton High School boys tennis team season starts.

Council also awarded a $492,000 contract to Independent Enterprises Inc., a general contractor based in Oakdale, for another project at Hampton Community Park. In the contract, about $427,000 will go toward installing a trail and about $64,000 for a chain-link fence.

The park project’s second phase calls for construction of 2,825 feet of trail to loop around the back of Hampton Community Center, according to the township’s website. The initial phase involved nearly 3,900 feet, connecting the Rachel Carson Trail at the northernmost end of the park with the playground at the center.

This contract doesn’t include installing new light fixtures, which would have upped the price considerably. Last month, former community services department director Kevin Flannery reported that the township received four bids for the project — the lowest was $655,000, while the highest was $1.1 million.

Those bids were much higher than the original $480,000 to $500,000 estimate for the project. Lochner recommended eliminating the light fixtures to save money.

On May 10, council will host a public hearing regarding its proposed Comprehensive Recreation, Park and Open Space Plan. The plan, which spans 10 years, seeks to protect Hampton’s natural resources, upgrade accessible restrooms, educate residents and businesses on conservation efforts, and more.