It's been about one year since there was real discussion about the former tennis courts area at the corner of Emery Lane and Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor, considered by the selectmen to be a “gateway” into the Boothbay Harbor area.

At the June 8 selectman’s meeting, plans finally moved forward for the project.

Danielle Betts of Knickerbocker Group brought two sketches of possible layout designs for the area. One included a changed parking area and two basketball courts, while the other left the parking lot mostly alone and added only one court.

In both sketches, part of the pavement of the existing parking lot was removed and a vegetative barrier was added. A vegetative buffer also existed on both sketches in front of the basketball court.

The selectmen discussed both sketches, and like parts of each one.

“I like the idea of a single basketball court, pushed back further from the road,” Selectman Bill Hamblen said. “The memorial will look better separated.”

Town Manager Tom Woodin agreed with setting a single court further back, as it would eliminate the need for a high fence around the court to prevent errant basketballs from going into the road.

While the selectmen likes the look of the new parking lot, Woodin mentioned that public works would have issues plowing the drop-off loop and there was some question as to who would be responsible for maintaining the vegetative island.

Selectman Tricia Warren asked if the selectman had considered a small playground for younger children.

“I have two small children, and the closest playground is Clifford Park, which is in very bad shape,” Warren said.

Selectman Russ Hoffman applauded the idea, and Hamblen suggested they set aside a specific area for the lawn to be a playground as a future step in the process.

“It could be part of a second phase of the project,” Woodin said. “We have $15,000 set aside for this currently. It is a good idea to get this started.”

The selectman asked Betts to create a sketch showing a single court, set back further from the road (approximately in the middle of where the two courts would have been on the sketch), a vegetative barrier, a space designated for a future playground, and a more detailed drop-off loop.

There was no mention at the meeting of adding a pickelball court, something the Community School District Trustees had planned to ask the selectmen about. According to the selectmen and town manager, no trustee had spoken to them yet about the issue.

Related:

What will become of the old tennis courts?

Selectmen set yearly goals for town improvement

Selectmen plan ‘gateway’ at old tennis courts location