As pickleball popularity picks up, the Town will look at providing more indoor opportunities for the sport.
At its June 12 meeting, Okotoks council decided to explore the possibility of allowing the sport to be played indoors at the Foothills Centennial Centre (FCC), and a report about the possibility is due on July 17.
Mayor Tanya Thorn said the report is expected to look at the costs associated with it, as well as if any upgrades would be required and what usage numbers could look like.
“We know that we need expanded pickleball capacity,” Thorn said.
The FCC is underutilized and the Town will look into the option of allowing pickleball there while still catering to other activities that are held in the building, she said.
Thorn said council isn’t looking to eliminate outdoor pickleball but to find a balance between the needs of pickleball players and residents who live around the Bob Anderson courts.
The Town measured noise at the outdoor courts and pickleball was found to increase area noise levels by about 20 decibels.
Thorn said the measurements provide a baseline for noise levels around the courts.
“I don't think we'll look at any more sound abatement,” Thorn said. “That site, you can't really do a lot around it.”
There is not enough space for trees or landscaping, and closing in the fence creates a safety issue by eliminating sight lines, she said.
"With the pickleball noise up at (Bob Anderson courts), that area is zoned for recreational use, and we want to try and find a bit of a balance to allowing outdoor recreation to occur," Thorn said.
Following an April meeting between the Town and pickleball stakeholders, the hours of play at the Bob Anderson Courts were reduced. The courts were available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., but are now open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., amounting to 21 fewer hours per week.
Two new outdoor pickleball courts have recently opened at École Beausoleil, at the corner of Milligan Drive and Ranchers Meadows. Those courts are available for drop-in play outside of school use.
