Indoor pickleball proposal takes a step forward in Penn Hills

Penn Hills pickleball enthusiasts could soon have year-round access to courts just a short drive away.

Opposition from several neighbors wasn’t enough to stop the Penn Hills Planning Commission from advancing plans for an indoor pickleball facility near the intersection of Colorado Street and Hunter Road.

The facility marks developer Dino Folino’s second attempt at converting this 36-acre lot into recreation space. A proposed soccer complex with two fields, a concession stand and more than 100 parking spots petered out, despite approval from the municipality in January 2021.

The new proposal is pared back substantially in terms of space, including just nine pickleball courts and 55 parking spots, according to Tysen Miller, a KU Resources agent representing Folino. Unlike the soccer fields, the pickleball facility won’t impact a nearby stream. Courts will be accessible by appointment only.

Complaints from residents ranged from traffic and noise concerns to skepticism about the longevity of pickleball.

Tina Ward, who lives above the site, questioned whether a high-traffic entry point on Hunter Road could be made safe. The entrance presented at the meeting is close to a tight turn that motorists often take too fast, she said.

“My heart is in my mouth … when I hear cars screeching down Hunter Road because they’re driving too fast,” Ward said. “I just don’t think this is the right place for it.”

Jerry Chiappinelli, planning commission chair, agreed, calling the road a “race track.”

Miller said he would be amenable to moving the entrance as part of the land development plan.

Several approvals still stand between the blueprint and construction.

Next, council will vote on the conditional use recommended by the planning commission. The resolution would cut off operating hours at 9 p.m. and require Folino to hire a third-party inspector to verify the quality of fill. A municipal engineer also would periodically inspect the fill at Folino’s expense.

According to a report provided by Miller, around 100 cubic yards of fill would be needed to level the property. This could be borrowed on-site or trucked in by seven tri-axle dump trucks, each carrying 15 cubic yards of fill.

By that math, the soccer complex would have required more than 10,000 truck loads.

Folino attributed the abandonment of that project to community feedback, rather than any logistical challenges.

“What we found was that the community actually wanted to have pickleball courts and needed that,” Folino said. “We were originally going to do soccer fields, but there were some concerns with traffic and stuff from some of the residents.”

Folino couldn’t pinpoint an estimated cost for the project but said it’ll be a family-operated, “first-class” facility. It would be his first time operating a recreation facility, but he brings experience building them as vice president of Folino Construction, an Oakmont-based company founded more than 50 years ago.

As with the soccer complex, Chris Blackwell, Penn Hills planning director, expressed support for a quality facility.

“They came back for pickleball, and, again, I said fine — but it’s the same deal,” Blackwell said. “We support recreation, but it’s got to be a nice facility.”

Pickleball courts are popping up all over the region. Murrysville is mulling courts. Lower Burrell had ones in the works as of August, and Monroeville has boasted courts for years.

A report from the Association of Pickleball Professionals shows that nearly 19% of American adults played pickleball between March 2022 and March 2023, with the average player around 35 years old.

Caily Grube, who lives on an offshoot of Colorado Road, voiced concern that the project is short-sighted.

“I think what makes it such a special community is the natural elements that are there, with our natural burial ground, the multiple parks in the area and the incoming (Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum) trail connector,” Grube said. “Having a sporting facility for what I think is a fad sport … it cheapens that.”