The new sports court at Sunset Beach was completed the last week in November. The Friends of Lake Panorama board of directors had discussed a basketball half-court at Sunset Beach for several years. The LPA board approved the project in June 2021.
The idea of expanding the basketball court to include pickleball was raised at a Friends informational meeting at Sunset Beach last summer. Adding an extra 10-feet to the original plan made it possible to accommodate both basketball and pickleball.
A total of $17,500 from the Friends of Lake Panorama’s 2022 Beach Ball was earmarked for this project. Mark and Karen Einck donated $25,000 for the court, with another $5,500 received from other donors.
The 40-foot by 60-foot concrete pad was poured Oct. 26. Sport Construction Midwest employees installed a Goalsetter MVP hoop, placed sports court tile on the concrete, and painted lines for both basketball and pickleball. An eight-foot fence with one gate surrounds the court.
Black paint shows the basketball free throw line, lane and three-point arc. The basketball lane is green tile. The regulation-sized pickleball court also is green tile, painted with white lines. The rest of the court is covered in blue tile.
A portable pickleball net on wheels has been purchased that can be stored along the fence when not in use, and rolled into place when desired. It will be added to the court in the spring.
Also in the spring, the ground around the court that was disturbed during construction will be seeded to grass, and white gravel will be added around the perimeter of the fence to act as a weed barrier and fill in the small gap between the fence and the court.
Two signs will be added to the fence in spring 2023. One will recognize donors who gave $500 or more to the sports court project. The other will state dogs are not allowed on the court.