District of Squamish plans to restrict the hours and days of play for pickleball players at Eaglewind Park pickleball courts. District says it is not an ideal solution, but will balance the interest of pickleball players with neighbours who say it affects their ability to work and live there.
The restrictions will balance the interests of the parties, district says, providing daylight hours for play between April and October, while providing one weekend day of noise relief and noise relief for most mornings to the Parkhouse residents.
“Staff do not present this as a perfect solution that is wholly supported by any of the parties but does represent a solution that tries to address everyone’s interests to a degree, and does not create clear winners and losers,” notes a report to council.
However, this is only a short-term solution, district says.
Staff has recommended that the district consider relocation of the courts to a more appropriate location, which would cost around $60,000 if other existing tennis courts were repurposed. A new pickleball court would cost approximately $260,000 for the construction of a new facility of similar size at another location.
Funds are not available in the 2022 budget for a new court, and staff plan to bring forward as a new capital project in the 2023 budget process.
Based on courts in other municipalities, staff will consider new locations for pickleball that are at least 100 metres from adjacent residential areas or consider noise attenuation when such a distance is not possible.
The location of the pickleball courts at the Eaglewind Park are about 25metre from the Parkhouse Strata residential apartment building, leading residents to oppose the sport.
“I work from home Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm where I have to carry out professional meetings with clients and coworkers across different time zones multiple times a day. I’m literally unable to carry a meeting without the participants hearing the noise of pickleball outside,” said one resident.
Penny Olheiser says
Uhm. Weren’t these facilities here when these people bought their houses? Did they just expect the city to change everything to cater to them after they choose the space? Kind of a backwards way of thinking.
Kind of like moving to bear country then expecting the bears to leave .
John H. says
No, the pickleball courts were installed in the summer of 2021. The building beside the courts was constructed in 2017, without plans of having a pickleball court beside the building.