(4/13) The Thurmont Board of Commissioners approved awarding a $28,650 bid proposal for a new basketball court at the Ice Plant Park, and to reserve additional funds for cost overrun or project-related expenditures, Commissioner Marty Burns abstaining.

James Humerick, chief administrative officer, presented the proposal to the commissioners, at their April 7 meeting, to construct a 50-foot by 50-foot, half basketball court to be constructed at the Ice Plant Park. Humerick said Playground Specialists, Inc., Thurmont, had placed a bid of $28,650 to construct the court.

The administrative officer noted that the proposed court "is a few feet larger than the ones we (previously) installed in Woodland Park and Pleasant Acres Park, and that's (the creation of the court) to better accommodate our ever-growing pickleball needs here in town.

Pickleball is a "paddleball sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis," according to Wikipedia.

Humerick said funding for this project "comes from Program Open Space grant, and that was approved for $30,000," adding, "Unfortunately, since the county was not able to achieve their acquisition numbers last year, the funding split is 75-percent by the grant, which comes to $22,500, and then our part of the funding for this project will be 25-percent, or $7,500 (from the town's unrestricted fund balance)."

He further suggested that the unused balance of the $30,000 be used "for any unforeseen construction costs that we don't anticipate that could that come up during the project," and that if there is any additional unused balance, that it be used "for ancillary items such as benches or trashcans or other amenities that we could use near the basketball court."

The Ice Plant Park is one of the oldest parks in town, Humerick noted, stating, "Consequently (that park) still has the (older) play equipment that was there, so we have taken out the oldest section of play equipment that was in the park, and we're putting the basketball court in place where the equipment was."

He said, "There is still one set of play equipment there, which is newer than the ones we've removed, and then we'll have this half basketball court too."

Regarding justification for the new court, Humerick told the commissioners, "We've found that (regarding) the demographics in the center of town, the kids are getting older and looking for things to do."

In response to that perceived need, he said, after consulting with the Fuse Teen Center staff "and some other folks we spoke with, we thought this was something that would be more accommodating to that age demographic that we've kind of moved into, in that area."