BURLEY — At least four of the town’s six tennis courts at Salmon Park will be redone this fall and city officials hope to raise enough money in the next month to complete the remaining two courts.
Burley has raised $224,500 so far, City Administrator Mark Mitton said. An additional $77,432 is needed to complete the remaining two courts.
The Burley City Council approved a bid for the work on the first four courts on Tuesday. The $214,152 bid included $3,025 for a five-year warranty on the project.
The asphalt has reached the end of its lifespan and has cracks measuring about 2 inches in diameter.
“I am excited to see this project moving forward,” Rob Squire wrote in an email. “The community needs this and the schools need this. I love tennis because it is inexpensive to play and it is a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. This is an investment in the health of our community that will last for decades.”
The Burley Development Authority has pledged $100,000; Oregon Trail Recreation District, $60,000; the Burley Rotary Club, $2,000; and the Burley Lions Club, $10,000 along with other donations.
Squire said the donors will be recognized at the courts with a sign.
The courts, owned by the city, were built more than 50 years ago and over the years the surface was sealed and repaired several times.
The Burley tennis team still practices on the courts but safety risks became too severe to invite other teams to play on the courts and the cracked surfaces also created unfair playing situations.
Balls would bounce in errant directions and sometimes when a ball would hit a crack just right, it would bounce back towards the person who hit it.
“Youth, adults and children are still playing on those courts,” tennis player Kirk Carpenter said. “That’s called determination.”
The project will use a post-tensioned concrete surface that is expected to last another 50 years.
Councilman Randy Hawkins suggested paying the additional money for the five-year warranty and Councilman Jon Anderson agreed, saying it is a small investment for an expensive project.
Mitton said the courts will be striped for adult and junior regulation tennis and pickleball.
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