Shadow Pines in Penfield set to begin construction of pickleball courts and recreation area

Work is slated to begin Monday on a new recreational area with pickleball courts in Penfield's Shadow Pines property, Penfield Town Supervisor Jeff Leenhouts announced Thursday.

As part of the town's master plan for the Shadow Pines property, the northeastern corner of the park, near Whalen and Atlantic roads, was earmarked to include a 20-acre recreational area. Penfield's Town Board on March 6 approved the project with plans to start work on Monday.

Throughout construction, some parts of the property will be impacted, and will include some trail closures. Anyone on the parcel while work is underway is asked to steer clear of the construction zone.

The project is expected to be finished by late fall, Leenhouts said.

The work, to be led by Dansville-based Genesee Construction, will include 10 pickleball courts (including two ADA-accessible courts), a playground, an open air pavilion, a picnic area and restrooms and is a bit south of the busy intersection. It will also include a 100-car parking lot with an entry/exit drive off Whalen Road.

Grass sports fields included in the earlier plan were removed to reduce the number of trees to be impacted by the project.

The development area is about 7 acres, roughly 3% of the 212-acre property, Penfield Town Engineer Mark Valentine said last year

What's the pricetag?

The full Shadow Pines project is set to cost $3.59 million for the entire project, said town spokesman Chris Tanea. Town board members last year voted to use federal funds (received through the American Rescue Plan Act) and grant money to cover some of the cost of the project, according to town officials.

Project cost estimates cited last year by town officials were far lower, but only included the first phase of three for the project - namely the pickleball courts and infrastructure for Shadow Pines' new recreational area, Tanea said. The updated pricetag covers all three phases of the project.

Shadow Pines

In 2018, the town purchased the 212-acre parcel, which included the golf course and the Clark House, for $3.65 million. The property has since been opened for public use, with the Clark House being in poor condition due to water damage, rotting foundation and exterior wood, and deteriorating roof and porches. The town wants to turn the deteriorating Clark House, which was built in 1832, into a town lodge.

Last year, town workers added a tarp to the roof of the deteriorating barn located south of Clark Road. A structural engineering company determined that it is unsafe and needs to be removed. The town has not yet decided on the fate of the barn.

Recreation at Shadow Pines

The Shadow Pines property is open for what town officials described as "passive recreation" - such as hiking, orienteering, cross-country skiing and bird watching. The property also has a disc golf course and regularly hosts cross country running meets.

The town is also considering adding a mountain bike trail to the southern part of the property.

Visitors may bring leashed dogs onto the property. Bikes and motorized vehicles are not permitted.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Shadow Pines in Penfield NY set to begin work on pickleball courts