DiPrete Engineering worked with Needham Platform Tennis Club on the design and permitting of its facility in Needham, MA, which includes three platform tennis courts and a clubhouse. The team, led by Barry Nectow, President of the Club, engaged DiPrete to provide existing conditions surveying, site design, and permitting through the Town’s Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, and Board of Health. DiPrete also supported the project through construction services to ensure proper execution of the approved design.
An interesting component of the permitting process involved addressing noise concerns raised by nearby abutters, who were initially apprehensive about potential noise impacts similar to pickleball. In contrast to pickleball, platform tennis uses a depressurized tennis ball and is played on a smaller, heated, elevated court enclosed by screens, allowing players to play the ball off the walls. To help clarify these differences, a demonstration was organized in Wellesley using both pickleball and platform tennis equipment, allowing officials and abutters to experience the noise levels firsthand. The demonstration proved successful, and the project received approval to move forward.
Platform Tennis, while often compared to pickleball, is distinct in both play and setting – it is played outdoors during the winter on heated courts and continues to grow in popularity across New England. With plans for a potential new court, the Needham Platform Tennis Club is well-positioned to accommodate this increasing interest, and DiPrete Engineering is proud to have contributed its technical expertise to another successful recreational project.
