Palmerton residents will soon have another leisure activity at their disposal.

Borough council on a 5-0 vote Thursday approved the addition of pickleball lines on the basketball court next to Elmer Valo Baseball Field on South Third Street.

Before the vote, Councilman Richard Nothstein asked whether there was availability for the addition of pickleball courts somewhere else in the borough.

Councilman Andrew Hollywood told Nothstein it was something that could be considered.

Councilwoman Holly Hausman Sell asked if the lines will be distinct, different colors for pickleball and basketball to make it more user-friendly.

Hausman Sell then questioned if a net is associated with pickleball, to which is was noted people can bring their own portable nets to play.

After the meeting, borough Manager Autumn Canfield said the borough will work with a local company for the painting.

“This will add another recreation option in the borough,” Canfield said. “Pickleball is a popular sport, and painting lines on the basketball court is a low cost option to provide for the additional use.”

In October, council on a 6-0 vote agreed to rescind a prior decision to apply for a Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau grant to fund a new pickleball court.

Before that vote, Hollywood said that after council had previously agreed to apply for the grant, details about issues started to come out of the woodwork.

Hollywood mentioned drainage issues; potential plans for the borough to use the area to store materials; and the borough fire chief, who may want to use the area for fire drills.

Chief among the issues, Hollywood said, was the noise complaints. He was concerned about the noise that would be generated from the activity.

In February 2024, council on a 6-0 vote agreed to apply for the grant to fund a new pickleball court by the Elmer Valo Baseball Field on South Third Street.

Councilmen Kris Hoffner and Randy Gursky were absent from the meeting.

Pickleball is a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton. The game is played on a court with a net. The surface is smaller than a tennis court.

In April 2022, borough council applied for a grant to the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau in the amount of $10,854 to improve the basketball court next to Elmer Valo Baseball Field on South Third Street.

Former borough Manager Donna McGarry said that was the total grant application, for which the borough’s share would be 50%, or $5,427.

McGarry said the work to be done included repairing the existing fencing along the east side, increasing the fence height on the north side, sealing of existing cracks, asphalt coating of the entire court area, lining of the court and installation of new backboards.

Several surrounding municipalities, including Lehighton and Walnutport, offer pickleball in their respective communities.