The City of Delta has issued a request for proposals for a contractor to undertake noise mitigation measures for the pickleball courts at Cromie Park in Ladner.
The work is to include, among other things, asphalt court construction and noise mitigation fencing.
Earlier this year, a parks and recreation department staff report recommended that the number of pickleball courts at Cromie Park be reduced from 10 to six, and an acoustic barrier be installed to address noise concerns related to pickleball play.
The courts were installed in 2020, but soon afterwards generated numerous complaints from neighbourhood residents.
The $200,000 cost for the acoustic upgrades to those sport courts, the source of most of the pickleball noise complaints, was available in the city’s budget, while the gradual modification of other existing pickleball courts would be planned based on community impact.
In response to the growing concern, the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA) undertook a process to determine appropriate guidelines for pickleball facility planning and construction in the province, coming up with the Noise Planning Guideline for Outdoor Pickleball Courts, which the City of Delta would follow.
The Delta staff report also recommended that, following the completion of the work at Cromie Park, a review of the Memorial Park courts would be undertaken, noting operational changes in conjunction with minor capital interventions may be sufficient to address concerns about those courts.
During council’s discussion, Mayor George Harvie expressed dismay at the recommendations, saying he does not want to see the number of pickleball courts in Delta reduced, but instead grow with appropriate mitigation.
He suggested all Cromie courts have sound attenuation as well as a deferral of the recommendations to analyze the impact of different paddles.
Council agreed that pickleball players wanting to use Delta playing courts will be required to use quieter paddles.
Two years ago, the city backed off a plan to build pickleball courts at Pebble Hill Park in Tsawwassen as part of park upgrades due to concerns by area residents about the noise generated.
Pickleball was also to be included as part of sport court upgrades at Endersby Park in North Delta but that addition was also scrapped.
The city, though, hasn’t gone the route of North Saanich which this year shut down pickleball courts.
