Answer Man: Annoying generator noise at Mission Hospital? Pickleball courts on the west side of town

Original article can be found here.

By JOHN BOYLE, Asheville Watchdog

Today’s round of questions, my smart-aleck replies and the real answers:

Question: I live in Kenilworth and have been kept awake at night for weeks due to Mission Hospital running a temporary (they say) generator which makes a penetrating noise. Many folks in Kenilworth are being disturbed by this, and our mental health is being impacted due to lack of sleep. I have heard [Mission} is planning to run the generator again for months after the current substation is built, which would be terrible for all of us around the hospital. Can you look into this?

My answer: You do have to admire the business model of creating your own future patients.

Real answer: Good news for the residents in this case.

“The work at Mission Hospital is now complete, normal power has been restored and the temporary generators have been shut down,” Mission Health spokesperson Nancy Lindell said via email. “We recognize the disruption this project has caused and appreciate the patience and understanding of our Kenilworth neighbors.”

Lindell said the work was part of a larger electrical infrastructure improvement project that replaced aging equipment that supplies power to the hospital.

“Temporary generators were necessary during the final phase to maintain critical heating and cooling systems throughout the hospital,” Lindell said. “This upgrade strengthens the reliability of our infrastructure and supports our continued ability to provide safe, high-quality patient care.”

Question: West Asheville and Candler seem to have a significant shortage of pickleball courts, and that’s an understatement. Is there any reasonable chance that places like Carrier Park in West Asheville or the Buncombe County Sports Park in Enka-Candler might designate funds to build courts at those locations? Of course, another option would be that the Costco that is going to be built in that part of our community might put in some courts. Build them and they will come.

My answer: I think it’s a great idea for the city to go back to Costco and insist they install pickleball courts. That’s if you want to ensure Costco skedaddles to Hendersonville and never looks back.

Real answer: Candler is in Buncombe, so I checked in, via the county’s public information team, with Parks and Recreation Director Allison Dains.

“We are in the process of completing our Master Plan which will assist in identifying needed amenities and gaps in service,” Dains said via email. “This would be something that would be explored as part of that plan, which is set to come out at the beginning of 2027. We will be providing updates on the plan in the coming months.”

So, no commitments there.

The City of Asheville has spent a lot of time discussing pickleball and in June it announced it had selected Roger Farmer Park in the Deaverview area of West Asheville for a new pickleball complex that will include eight to 10 courts.

The city’s webpage on developments with this project isn’t exactly scintillating:

“The project team is translating the community’s feedback into a design in conjunction with the City of Asheville Development Services. Additional feedback opportunities will be announced after the design is refined.

“The goal is to deliver as many courts as possible with the available space and budget, while incorporating environmental compliance and other regulations,” the webpage adds.

The website doesn’t provide a specific timetable, but the nonprofit Asheville Pickleball Association told Asheville Watchdog earlier this year that they’ve heard the Deaverview pickleball complex should be done in 2027.

The association, according to Board Member Yira Pia Sanchez, favored the Roger Farmer Park location in part because their members had concerns about the other spot in contention, downtown’s Aston Park. Concerns included adequate parking, public safety issues and impact on Aston Park’s green space.

The association says Buncombe and Henderson counties have at least 9,800 pickleball players.

Roger Farmer Park, located off the Patton Avenue corridor, is known for “its neighborhood-centric feel,” according to the city. It has two ballfields, a multi-use grass field, a picnic shelter with restrooms, and a multi-use court for basketball, futsal (a variation of soccer), and skating.

City spokesperson Kim Miller also noted that Malvern Hills Park on the city’s west side has four marked pickleball courts on shared tennis courts.

The city is engaged in a long-term restoration plan for Carrier Park on the French Broad River, and Azalea Park, which sits along the banks of the Swannanoa River in east Asheville. Both were badly damaged when Tropical Storm Helene hit the region in September 2024.

Sanchez told me this week that new pickleball courts at Carrier Park are “very much a possibility,” in part because the park has plenty of space. The potential courts in Azalea Park also have been discussed, she said.

Carrier Park, on Amboy Road, has been on the association’s radar as a pickleball possibility for years, Sanchez said.

“That was one of the most possible places where we talked about it, but it didn’t happen because of Helene and all that (damage),” Sanchez said.

The city’s webpage for Carrier Park restoration contains a slide that shows future pickleball courts at Carrier Park, noting the design phase for park restoration will run into 2027, with construction lasting from 2027 into 2030.

“Where possible, the city will look for opportunities to phase earlier construction allowing for the reopening of amenities for public use,” the webpage states.

A rendering on the city’s webpage for the Azalea Park restoration depicts “sports courts” as part of the project. That project is also in the design phase, with planned construction running from 2028 into 2031.

So, be patient, my Jedi pickleballer friend.

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Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Got a question? Send it to John Boyle at [email protected] or 828-337-0941. His Answer Man columns appear each Tuesday and Friday. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/

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