The Norwich Common Council is facing a conundrum between local tennis players and pickleball players as to if they should paint pickleball lines on the newly resurfaced tennis courts at Weiler Park. (Photo by Catherine Sasso)

NORWICH – In May, the City of Norwich approved funds to have the tennis courts at Weiler Park resurfaced. While discussing the work to be done, DPW Superintendent Edward Pepe mentioned that pickleball lines could be added to the courts during the re-painting. The common council decided to pass at the time, not realizing it would cause an uproar from the local pickleball and tennis community.

Since the mention of pickleball lines, residents representing the pickleball community and the tennis community have attended multiple common council open forums to dispute why or why not pickleball lines should be added to the courts.

"We're looking for a permanent place for Norwich residents within the city and outside the city to play pickleball in regulation circumstances, just as the tennis court is set up for regulation," said pickleball advocate Mike Fradenburg at Tuesday nights common council meeting.

The common council was supposed to vote on the addition of pickleball lines at last night’s meeting, but pickleball advocates asked them to table the vote until they could meet with the the parks department.

"We contacted Chris Sprague, and submitted some plans we already had and then we wanted to meet with the parks department but they don't meet in August. So, we’re hear just to ask for a delay in your vote for pickleball at Weiler Park until we're able to meet with the parks department," requested Fradenburg.