Huntsville’s designated pickleball courts will be bigger than expected. They will also be moved to a new location at the McCulley-Robertson Recreation Park and come at a higher price tag.
At its regular council meeting on Monday, November 22, Huntsville council was asked to approve about $150,000 more than the original $200,000 budgeted for the four pickleball courts.
According to a report provided to council by Huntsville manager of parks and cemeteries Colleen MacDonald, following input from other user groups and a consultant it was determined that a better location for the courts would be between the south soccer fields and the skateboard park.
She told council the Town received only one bid to its request for proposal (RFP) which closed at the beginning of October: $311,773.10 plus tax for the enhanced courts, submitted by Arenes Construction Ltd.
“The RFP asked for pricing on two different sizes of overall layout – a standard size and an enhanced size. The larger size layout (enhanced) adds more play out room at side court as well as at the rear of each court. The pre-tax pricing for each option is $297,917.00 and $311,773.10 [for the enhanced courts] respectively,” she noted in her report to council, adding, “As discussed with the local pickleball users the preferred size of court would be the enhanced sized.”
The new location recommended for the courts will require tree-clearing and stump removal which is partly to blame for the added cost. MacDonald also emphasized that the Town had only received one bid. “My suspicion is that many contractors are busy and they know their schedules for spring are already planned. It may just be a matter of availability of contractors scheduling-wise that they’re all busy so having only one bid, it is our only option if we choose to go ahead,” she told council.
Councillor Bob Stone said while he agrees with building the courts, “the cost has now ballooned over 50 per cent. There is no mention in the report about the money we have to put aside to replace this in the future in our asset management plan. I’m really concerned with the number right now and I don’t know if this is the year for us to do it.”
If approved, the funds would be pulled from the parkland (cash-in-lieu) reserve, which according to MacDonald had a balance of $487,437.
Councillor Jonathan Wiebe also brought up the 55+ Games legacy fund. “I know that was supposed to be dedicated towards senior programming activities and I know pickleball has kind of come on as a big one, especially with the Games…,” noted Wiebe.
Staff confirmed that funds could also be pulled from the 55+ legacy fund.
In the end, council unanimously approved the expenditure with funds also being pulled from the 2019 Ontario 55+ Winter Games legacy fund in the amount of $41,567.37 and the remainder from the parkland in lieu of cash reserve.
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I appreciate the support of different sectors who are very concerned with the improvement of the Pickleball court project. However, I think that they should also consider the money that they need to use to make this possible. I hope that they can find ways to reduce the cost, but will not compromise on the quality of the project. Pickleball brings me joy and I am investing in it because this game allows me to unwind and enjoy myself. I recently purchased paddles from Volley Llama Pickleball and I am happy about it.
The town’s an annual Accessibility Plan identifies barriers for people with disabilities and is required to provide plans to remove them as per provincial law. For up to 10+ years, it continues to say “pending funding”. It includes barriers within transit, at the Summit Centre, the Hunter’s Bay Trail, Lion’s Lookout, etc. When I see this kind of money being spent on pickle ball, I see red. Come on Town Council get you priorities in order!!!
The worst part is that so many of the folks who play pickleball in their gated Florida communities over the winter would never want to be seen in a “public facility” because of the gossip that would ensue after. Yet these are the same busybodies whose votes council is trying to buy. Ridiculous.
Pickle Ball,
Hum Bug. What is wrong with this council. Get a life people, this should be privatized and be user paid .
If people have to pay to swim and play hockey at the Summit Center why do pickle ball players get a free ride at tax payers expense.
Good old tree cutting and stump removal, this seems to be contrary since the Planning department who want to limit and control tree cutting.
want to limit and controll tree cutting.
Has anyone thought of a dual use of existing tennis courts. It’s an understatement that pickleball is very popular sport .It has grown leaps and bounds in the last ten years.
It’s easy to have pickleball court lines painted on existing tennis courts.
In fact two or more pickleball courts can easily fit on one tennis court.
Painting pickleball lines on tennis courts and portable pickleball nets can be installed at a fraction of the cost of a new facility
The 140 or so pickleball players there are in Huntsville have certainly got our council pulling out all the stops. I wouldn’t have thought this level of activity and attention was in their wheelhouse.
But what seems to be a bastardized version of tennis, squash, ping pong, and other paddle/racquet/ nerf ball games, seems to have got them rolling.
For about $400,000.00 the town intends to build some courts which will be mobbed by those 140 players (maybe more if they organize a league). For maybe 4 or 4 1/2 months of the year the courts will be used and then they will be abandon as the snowbirds leave for pickleball courts in the south. For the rest of the time they will left to the elements and for about 5 months, they will be large flat surfaces covered with snow.
And the council decision was again…..unanimous!! There was no one on council, not one person, who could imagine anything, nothing, other than pickleball courts, that could be fixed, built, enhanced or otherwise, within the town of Huntsville! Is this an example of the ‘herd’ mentality at work or simply apathy?
I would never have imagined that the town was in such great shape, but maybe there is no infrastructure in Huntsville that requires attention.
If we can visualize stripping $400,000.00 from here and there, council might imagine that at least 140 people can be made happy, and they, council, will have made it so. High 5’s all around.
But what piece of road can be repaired or parking lot built for that amount. Maybe council just feels there is better bang for the buck with the pickleball court.
Or am I just displaying a bit of a cynicism? I bet that’s it!
A pickle ball court? There’s nothing more important than an over priced pickle ball court?
It’s time to dump the entire town council.
This decision makes everyone in Huntsville look foolish.
Then again we did elect them.
What is it with this council? Between having home building out of control and now the extra funds for a pickle ball court. At a time of Covid , the reconstruction of Main St. , what the people and businesses have gone through this past 2 years and you are spending money on pickle ball courts. You should be further supporting the businesses and people of Huntsville. When you only get one bid – totally against purchasing practices- the only project bidder approved by council, council, because of the large increase to original project the project MUST be re-bid. DO WE REALLY NEED A NEW PICKLE BALL COURT THAT BAD, we cannot wait to follow proper procedure. This council?????
This makes my little donation to the Hospital seem pretty insignificant.
It also sort of puts the efforts of our local Lion’s club, who work hard all year long to raise and distribute in the ballpark of $20.000.00 to local charities, seem kind of insignificant as well.
I suppose the “God” of sport will be well pleased but I have to wonder if this money could have been better used.
This council is totally out of touch with reality.
While there is a need for additional recreational activities, especially for Seniors, this decision by council at this point in time is absurd. First the costs have substantially increased and would argue that council is irresponsible in ensuring costs are held tight to the original quote. Secondly why is the council not utilizing existing facilities like the Summit versus committing to expenditure that would be only used seasonally. In fact it is the winters that many would need an indoor faciality. Lastly is this our top priority. The roads are a disaster and must be addressed now.
The Town of Huntsville is such a joke.. boo
Pretty disappointed that there is no mention that this effectively removes the 1st hole (2 meandering fairways in those woods) of the Evergreen Fields Disc Golf Course with no mention of the additional costs the town will incur re-routing the course to accommodate the 1000+ rounds of disc golf played there each season. The club is already trying to re-route part of the course because the town has been directing all drainage into an area that previously housed 3 other holes. The town needs to find a new home for the Disc Golf Course if it’s going to continue to strip the current one of the space it’s had for the last 13 years.
I think this is a total waste of money with so many homeless people in Huntsville. It seems that this will cater to the elite, summer cottagers. They are not worried about being homeless like so many who live in this town.