Hampden Survey Shows Big Appetite for Outdoor Pickleball Courts

HAMPDEN --

TOWN -- The town's Open Space and Recreation Plan committee met Oct. 7 to go over mapping work and the results of a community survey on recreation needs. Committee members said response numbers had grown since an earlier round of outreach collected over the summer. Survey respondents most frequently cited walking, hiking, dog walking and bicycling as activities their households pursue, with many calling for more sidewalks on busy roads, including Stony Hill Road, which one committee member described as narrow and heavily traveled. Pickleball came up repeatedly among both adult and youth activity requests. The town currently has an indoor pickleball court; committee members noted there is no outdoor court. Survey data also showed Memorial Park as by far the most heavily used recreation site in town, with committee members saying other available open spaces are not well known to residents and need more publicity.

COMMUNITY -- Committee members discussed recurring complaints about all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes riding on town conservation land, an issue members said has been a persistent problem. The committee also noted it already offers art and craft programming that some survey respondents said they wanted to see more of, suggesting the offerings simply need better visibility.

Compiled from team and league reports, reader submissions, and local coverage.