Hellertown residents are getting a new basketball court at Dimmick Park, whether they want one or not, borough council decided at its Oct. 16 meeting.

Borough councilors discussed the proposal, which has considerable opposition from multiple borough residents. At previous meetings, some Hellertonians accused council of agreeing to the plans, drafted in 2021, under a cloud of secrecy.

Nearby residents’ concerns about the court location mostly referred to the potential for the installation at the park to draw troublemaking teenagers and other security and nuisance issues.

Several nearby property owners claimed at a previous meeting that they weren’t directly notified about the plans until a few days before they first appeared on a meeting agenda in the summer.

Borough Engineer Bryan Smith displayed a blueprint that showed four possible locations in the park for the court – the original proposed site and three alternate locations. After much discussion and apologies from councilor Liz Thompson, who promised to provide better communication in the future, the council approved the court’s construction in its original location.