ABOVE: The skate park in Fairmont, while currently on Margaret Street, is potentially moving to near the aquatic park, as the Fairmont City Council discussed the possibility on Monday. Sentinel file photo.

FAIRMONT – The projects to change the location of Fairmont’s pickleball courts and skate park, which were included in the 2026 Capital Improvement Plan, had their task order with engineering firm Bolton and Menk approved at Monday’s Fairmont City Council meeting.

This order includes a field survey and project site analysis of all potential areas, the findings of which will be shared with the Park Board and/or City Council, and development of concept layouts for the potential pickleball and skate park locations. Some time will also be spent finding and reporting on other potential future improvements as well.

Public Utilities Director Matthew York said this would cost $35,000 total. He said these projects have been brought before boards before, such as the park board in August of last year, with the current skate park and a location adjacent to the aquatic park as considered locations.

“There’s overwhelming research regarding pickleball courts and noise abatement, especially when you’re talking about playing four or eight or more courts at a given time in a residential area,” he said. “One of the thoughts was to remove the pickleball from the residential area and put it in a spot where the volume of noise would be less impactful to other people. That is why we looked at moving it to the skate park.”

By locating the skate park near the aquatic park, York said it would increase visibility and facilitate better law enforcement monitoring.

“It’s also a nice meeting ground for our younger clientele,” he said. “Having the aquatic park there, the bike trail, the Cardinal Park across the street, the baseball fields across the street from the high school and the kids that just want to have fun on bicycles also there.”

During the preceding public comment portion of the meeting, resident Dawn Becker, who was joined by multiple pickleball players, said they do not want the pickleball courts to be at the current skate park location.

“None of the members present this evening were consulted by the park board,” she said. “The only person who reached out to our group was Councilor [Britney] Kawecki. As a group, we feel locating the courts at the soccer complex would be the most ideal choice. It is a more central location, far less remote, with more activity around. The infrastructure is there, and there is room for growth. I think they would be used more and less likely to suffer from vandalism and misuse.”

ABOVE: The pickleball courts at Veterans Park in Fairmont could soon be moving to either be where the skate park currently is, or near the soccer fields, as the Fairmont City Council discussed on Monday. Sentinel file photo.

Council Member Wayne Hasek asked if the soccer fields had been looked at for this before. When York said they hadn’t, Hasek asked if there is room to put pickleball courts there.

“There’s spatial room in certain places,” York said. “We have to make sure we put it in the right spot. It would also be contingent upon what other development is going to go on in that area.”

Kawecki said she received a note with 16 signatures on it that asked for the soccer fields to be used, and that she had been informed the northeast corner of the soccer fields would be available.

“The citizens of Fairmont and the surrounding community who come to play pickleball, who buy groceries, buy gas here have voiced their concerns, voiced their feelings,” she said. “They have said that they do not want it on Margaret Street. I don’t know how much more apparent it can become. The council is here to listen to the citizens of Fairmont.”

Council Member James Kotewa then motioned to continue with the task order, but that the soccer fields be considered for pickleball instead, and the aquatic park be considered for the skate park.

Before this motion could be voted on, Council Member Randy Lubenow voiced his concerns about Veterans Park getting passed over for consideration.

“I have yet to hear any state person come down and say we can’t put a pickleball court over top of the old school. I hear how Veterans Park is settling, I guess I don’t see that. It seems like we make everything difficult so we can avoid doing something. We’ve had money in the budget several times for Veterans Park, and yet we do nothing.”

York said that they plan to put a shelter house at Veterans Park, which is being developed as part of the 2026 CIP and is currently scheduled for construction within the 2027 CIP.

Back on the motion, while it is within the council’s ability to establish the locations in their motion, York recommended they instead approve the task order as-is, since it would allow them to assess all the potential locations.

“I just don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves in doing an evaluation task order to a location that may or may not bring up consternation with other people and on the council,” he said.

Kotewa’s motion was then amended to approve the task order with Bolton and Menk so they can do the potential project site analyses, concept development and cost estimate looking over all potential locations. Council Member Jay Maynard seconded the motion and it passed a vote, with all but Lubenow voting yes.

In other business:

— A request for statements of qualifications for engineering and planning services at the Fairmont Municipal Airport was approved. York said this is something they’re required to do every five years, they will review the submissions and make a decision at a city council meeting after the airport board vets applicants.

— Fairmont Economic Development Authority Executive Director Ned Koppen brought forward a demolition program application, filled out by Smith’s Greenhouse to help with demolishing a wooden building and greenhouse frame unused for over two years. The application was approved by council.