Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke says he’s surprised that two City Council members have submitted an ordinance to stop the installation of pickleball courts in Wesselman Park. WNIN’s John Gibson has details:
Democrat Missy Mosby and Republican Jonathan Weaver authored the measure.
They say the council supports the development of pickleball courts in Evansville but the planned location in an open meadow next to the Wesselman tennis courts has raised “significant and substantial concerns.”
The ordinance says installing the courts there might destroy the quiet of the meadow and “disturb people and wildlife in the park, Wesselman Woods, and nearby residential areas.”
A number of residents have expressed concerns about the $1.5 million public-private project and initiated a “Save Our Park” campaign.
In a statement, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke says he was surprised by the ordinance because the City Council approved funding for the pickleball project in the 2023 budget and again with the Parks Bond in November.
Winnecke says his administration remains committed to putting the pickleball courts adjacent to the existing tennis courts in Wesselman Park.