Medina considers adding 2 basketball courts at Butts Park

MEDINA – Village officials are open to new basketball courts at Butts Park, even after Medina wasn’t approved for a grant that would have added new basketball courts, a pickleball court and an ice skating rink.

Melissa Valley, a member of the Parks Committee, said the committee is disheartened by the grant denial. The group waited eight months to hear the application’s fate.

Valley and the committee don’t want to give up on the basketball courts. She asked the Village Board on Monday how much village funds would be available for two new asphalt courts. That would be down from the original goal of three.

Jess Marciano, a village trustee, said she would be willing to spend $60,000 to $80,000 towards the courts, with those funds coming from Medina’s pot of federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Mayor Mike Sidari also said he would support ARPA funds towards the courts.

Trustee Tim Elliott said he would like to see the basketball courts be the priority because Medina doesn’t have any outdoor courts at its parks.

“We’re the only town without one,” he said.

A pickleball court could be set up at the tennis courts on the school property, Elliott suggested.

Mayor Sidari also said an ice skating rink is part of a long-range plan at State Street Park by the Erie Canal and that would be his preferred location rather than at Butts.

Valley said the dollar amount from the village will help the committee as seeks cost estimates from contractors.

Trustee Owen Toale said he would like to see a plan for Butts Park, which has become busier with youth sports, adult softball, and a new skate park. All of the park users have maxed out a lot of the parking, he said.

Jason Watts, the Department of Public Works superintendent, has a plan to expand parking at Butts Park, said Trustee Marguerite Sherman.

She wants to see the courts at the park because many kids are playing basketball in the streets.