CAROLINA BEACH — Up to 40 volleyball enthusiasts in Carolina Beach attended Tuesday’s town council meeting to request recreational space and assert the importance of the sport in the community.
“So, Jay, don’t throw a volleyball into the crowd because I’m afraid a game will break out,” Mayor Lynn Barbee joked to council member Jay Healy. “This is awesome.”
CB volleyball committee representative Sarah Finn gave a presentation before council. She said Pleasure Island Volleyball club has been active on the island for 10 years, providing year-round eight-week leagues two to three nights a week at volleyball-court-equipped bar and restaurant Lazy Pirate.
However, Finn said Lazy Pirate removed one of their courts in 2022 and their second court is in process of removal, leaving volleyball enthusiasts without courts in CB.
“I think we’ve got a lot of folks here tonight so you can see it’s definitely a need that we have in this community that would be supported so we just need a home,” Finn said.
PCD reached out to the business to find out why the courts were removed but did not receive an answer by press. Town clerk Kim Ward could not confirm either, but noted expanded outdoor seating was a possibility.
Finn proposed the town investigate building local courts. They would be approximately 50-foot-by-80-foot, though Finn recommended a 100-foot-by-100-foot space for spectators and teams waiting for their games.
Two courts would cost around $35,000, including sand, net systems, and lighting. Finn said funds are available through Pleasure Island Volleyball Club and about 30 private donors have expressed interest in providing further donations to cover the costs. The club would manage upkeep of the town-owned courts.
Finn offered three potential locations.
The first would be within 3 acres of town-owned property at Lake Park Boulevard. Finn called it ideal because it is adjacent to the town’s recreational center and provides ample room for spectators.
Her second proposal is near the Carolina Beach Community Building at Cape Fear Boulevard. It has historically been used as a park facility and has a shuffleboard court. Finn noted leagues end by 10 p.m. to ensure minimal disruption to nearby neighborhoods.
The last proposal was a “hybrid option” to use sand the Pleasure Island Volleyball Club purchased from Lazy Pirate to build an immediate court on Cape Fear Boulevard. The goal is to eventually build two courts at Lake Park Boulevard, the club’s preferred location. She noted this option would offer more time for site-planning and budgeting, but she expressed concern a long wait would cause players to lose interest or seek locations outside of Carolina Beach.
Town manager Bruce Oakley said the town would be able to consider parking and restroom requirements at an upcoming technical review committee meeting. A detailed site plan would be necessary for any long-term development.
“I’m for option C,” council member Mike Hoffer said. “I truly believe it should ultimately live over there. I think it can fit.”
He described the second proposal at Cape Fear Boulevard as “temporary at best.”
“We haven’t even found out how salty the neighbors will be when they find out some lights will go in — trust me it will happen,” Hoffer said. “It is definitely not big enough for two.”
Healy said a single court on Cape Fear Boulevard would be an easier short-term solution as well, although expressed interest in a two-court development on Lake Park Boulevard.
“This is wonderful when council violently agrees on something,” Barbee said, as council expressed unanimous support to explore the proposals.
The mayor asked Oakley if he needed a motion to move forward on considering different options for the technical review committee. It was determined sufficient direction was supplied and a formal motion was not needed.
Council also unanimously agreed to match funding provided by the volleyball club at a cap of $40,000
To support her proposal, Finn noted women’s volleyball is currently booming in the United States and argued it can be a great way of building confidence for young girls. She cited a City Parks Alliance study, which found only 8% of girls and only 4% teen girls play team sports versus 33% for boys and 38% for teen boys.
“Volleyball is an opportunity to really reach out to them and give them a place to blossom and learn a new sport,” she said.
She described other benefits such as requiring little equipment, receiving good exercise, having the ability to play year-round, and the sport’s openness and accessibility to all demographics.
Finn — who works as a biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and is also on the Carolina Beach Parks and Recreation Committee and the Carolina Beach Beautification Committee — believes volleyball is a great means of building a sense of community.
“You just need some friends and a ball and you can get a game going,” she said.
Tips or comments? Email journalist Peter Castagno at peter@localdailymedia.com.
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