Plans for four new pickleball courts in Jeff Davis County are moving forward, with work expected to begin in the coming weeks. The courts are planned for an area behind Fields 5 and 6 at the recreation complex, where the Jeff Davis County Road Department has already completed preliminary dirt work and prepared the site.
An important part of the project is that the major grading and paving work will not come at a significant expense to the county. Oakley Perry, JDA Director explained that the project grew out of the Jeff Davis County Development Authority’s efforts to bring Georgia Asphalt Producers to Hazlehurst.
As part of that development project, property owned by the Development Authority was sold to Georgia Asphalt Producers. During negotiations surrounding the land sale, the Development Authority secured an agreement for Georgia Asphalt Producers and its then-parent company, J. Hiers and Company, to provide the final grading and paving for four pickleball courts.
Under that agreement, the company will provide the labor and materials for that portion of the project at no charge to the county. Perry said the agreement does not include items such as fencing, lighting or nets, but noted that the final grading and asphalt work represent a substantial portion of the cost involved in constructing pickleball courts.
The county’s Road Department has contributed to the project by preparing the site before the paving contractor arrives. That preparation included excavating the area and replacing soil containing organic material before completing the initial grading. Perry said the additional preparation was done after officials learned of problems encountered with a similar project in Appling County, where organic material beneath the pavement contributed to issues after a rubberized court coating was applied. The preparation in Jeff Davis County is intended to help avoid a similar problem and leave the site ready for the company to complete the final grading and paving.
The project experienced some uncertainty following the sale of J. Hiers and Company to C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. However, Perry confirmed that Georgia Asphalt Producers continues to exist as a subsidiary of C.W. Matthews and that the original agreement remains in effect.
According to the most recent update from Ben Hiers, a crew is expected to be on site within approximately three weeks to complete the final grading and put down the base. Paving is expected to follow in approximately three to four weeks, with the paving work itself estimated to take about four days once it begins.
While the county will still be responsible for portions of the overall project not included in the agreement, the final grading, paving, labor and asphalt materials — a major part of constructing the courts — are being provided through the agreement negotiated as part of the Development Authority land sale.
Once completed, the four new courts will provide another recreational opportunity for residents of Jeff Davis County.
