Keep Frank Liske Park's Lighted Pickleball Courts Open Until 9 p.m. This Winter
Keep Frank Liske Park's Lighted Pickleball Courts Open Until 9 p.m. This Winter
The Issue
To the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners and Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks Department, with support requested from Concord City Council and Concord Parks and Recreation:
We, the undersigned, ask Cabarrus County to extend access to the lighted pickleball courts at Frank Liske Park until 9 p.m. during November through February, rather than ending access at the scheduled 5 p.m. park closing beginning November 1.
A 5 p.m. closing shuts out many working residents during the very hours they are available to play. Taxpaying residents help support these public facilities, yet a winter schedule that ends at the close of the workday leaves many unable to use them on weekdays. Cooler weather should be an opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation, not the start of four months without meaningful after-work access.
Frank Liske Park already has lighted pickleball courts and stays open until 9 p.m. during much of the year. Evening use is not a new concept here. We ask the County to build on that existing investment and find a practical way to preserve winter evening play.
This does not have to mean keeping every part of the park open. Please evaluate designated evening access to the courts, nearby parking, and necessary facilities, with other areas closed off using appropriate barriers and signage. Any plan should address staffing, safety, lighting, and the park's role as a nature preserve.
We ask that public access remain free if possible. If added operating costs are a barrier, some players have expressed willingness to consider a small evening-entry fee, such as $2. That option deserves discussion, with safeguards to keep access affordable.
Please consider a November-February pilot program, track attendance and costs, and use the results to guide a lasting winter-hours policy. We ask for a timely public response identifying what is needed to make evening access possible.
Our request is simple: let working residents use the lighted courts after work. Please keep this community investment available when the community can actually enjoy it.
154
The Issue
To the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners and Cabarrus County Active Living and Parks Department, with support requested from Concord City Council and Concord Parks and Recreation:
We, the undersigned, ask Cabarrus County to extend access to the lighted pickleball courts at Frank Liske Park until 9 p.m. during November through February, rather than ending access at the scheduled 5 p.m. park closing beginning November 1.
A 5 p.m. closing shuts out many working residents during the very hours they are available to play. Taxpaying residents help support these public facilities, yet a winter schedule that ends at the close of the workday leaves many unable to use them on weekdays. Cooler weather should be an opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation, not the start of four months without meaningful after-work access.
Frank Liske Park already has lighted pickleball courts and stays open until 9 p.m. during much of the year. Evening use is not a new concept here. We ask the County to build on that existing investment and find a practical way to preserve winter evening play.
This does not have to mean keeping every part of the park open. Please evaluate designated evening access to the courts, nearby parking, and necessary facilities, with other areas closed off using appropriate barriers and signage. Any plan should address staffing, safety, lighting, and the park's role as a nature preserve.
We ask that public access remain free if possible. If added operating costs are a barrier, some players have expressed willingness to consider a small evening-entry fee, such as $2. That option deserves discussion, with safeguards to keep access affordable.
Please consider a November-February pilot program, track attendance and costs, and use the results to guide a lasting winter-hours policy. We ask for a timely public response identifying what is needed to make evening access possible.
Our request is simple: let working residents use the lighted courts after work. Please keep this community investment available when the community can actually enjoy it.
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Petition created on October 15, 2026