There's good news for families and teens who play basketball in Sheffield Park in east Charlotte — Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation says it will convert one of the park’s half-courts into a full-sized basketball court, and look into building new shade structures for players.
The announcement comes two months after the county converted the park’s old basketball court into pickleball courts, sparking outrage among residents who said the basketball court was popular, and that neighbors hadn't been consulted.
At a county commission meeting in September, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Director Lee Jones said his staff should have gathered more community input before converting the basketball court.
"Moving forward, we're changing our process to ensure that our engagement is equitable, comprehensive and inclusive," he said.
The Eastway Park/Sheffield Park neighborhood association requested the new pickleball courts. The association's president, Carolyn Millen, previously told WFAE that the basketball court sometimes attracted crime.
Park and Rec says the latest decision to convert one of the park's two half-size basketball courts into a full court was made following a community survey and a recent community meeting about possible improvements to Sheffield Park.
The county will also resurface the other half-court, install new seating around the park and plant new trees. If the budget allows, the county will also install a new shade structure near the updated basketball courts.
Work will begin in the next 30 days, the announcement said, and the county hopes to complete the work by early next spring.