BRADY FLANIGANStaff Writer

The city of Tullahoma is taking its first steps toward potentially constructing pickleball courts at Cascade Park on North Collins Street. At the Jan. 27 Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, Parks and Recreation Director J.P. Kraft requested permission to apply for the Local Parks and Recreation Fund (LPRF) grant through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Outdoor Recreation—a long title, indeed.

The LPRF is a state-funded program that helps local governments pay for parks, greenways, and recreation facilities. Any money awarded would have to be matched by the city dollar-for-dollar. In this case, the funds would go toward several lighted outdoor courts, a new pavilion, an ADA sidewalk, parking lot improvements, an ADA pedestrian crossing to D.W. Wilson Community Center, and stormwater retention measures.

For this project, the city can request up to $750,000. Preliminary design work was done by Nashville-based Lose Design, with construction planned in two phases at an estimated total cost of $1,567,717.60. If Tullahoma secures the full grant and estimates are accurate, that would still leave the city on the hook for $817,717.60.

Figures like these didn’t reverberate through City Hall without setting off some aldermen’s personal seismometers—particularly Alderman Busch Thoma who had some apprehensions. Thoma told Kraft and the board, “I looked at these figures, and I’m not opposed to pickleball. In fact, the one time I played it I enjoyed it. But looking at this, it seems pretty extravagant in my mind. The first phase is 1.15 million dollars, and even if we got the grant, it’s a 50-50 split,” he said. “It would be my opinion that we go back to the drawing board and look at something a little more feasible. You know, we’re having issues paving streets that affect a whole lot more people than pickleball courts.” 

Standing before the podium Kraft retorted, “I’d agree. Streets and everything, drainage, that type of stuff is important. This is more of a quality of life thing for attracting people. I’ve heard UTSI is having trouble attracting people to attend because there’s nothing for their wives or kids to do.”

Thoma replied with, “I support quality of life. I just don’t agree with the price tag, and I wouldn’t want to put my signature on something until I had a better figure.”  

“So tonight you’re only voting to approve that we apply for the grant,” Kraft clarified. 

Alderman Kurt Glick took to the mic next, “I will say that those prices do seem scary, but when you’re dealing with building stuff in the public domain, prices are expensive. Pickleball, despite its unfortunate name, started out as more of a hobby and is now the fastest growing sport in the world,” he said. “I think one of the reasons for that is not only can kids play it but people in their 80s or beyond. And as we grow as a community and want to attract more growth, I think that this will be one of the types of things people will be looking for when they select a community to move to.”  

Alderman Matthew Bird was quick to note, “I just wanted to bring up the fact that this is also going to increase parking in front of D.W Wilson, but also add four to 600 feet to the greenway and the ADA crossing in front of D.W Wilson.”

Kraft clarified it would do all of those things except substantially add to the greenway, as the design would require most of this be removed for the layout. He followed by stating that even if the grant was awarded by the state, the contract is not binding. If the city followed up and decided the funding is better allocated elsewhere, the city is free to return the money to the state. With that reassurance the motion passed 7-0, and the city will be proceeding with a grant application to Tennessee’s Local Parks and Recreation Fund.