Richmond Hill Council spent much of its June 17 meeting on the growing demand for pickleball courts before turning to another major item: a proposed three-year, 50 per cent reduction in residential development charges.
By Staff Writer
Richmond Hill Council found itself in a pickle on Wednesday, June 17, as much of the meeting was spent debating how the city should respond to growing demand for pickleball courts.
The discussion began with a staff presentation outlining the City’s strategy for expanding access to the sport. The options included building new dedicated courts, similar to those at Richmond Green Park, repurposing underused facilities such as tennis courts, and looking at indoor hockey arenas during the off-season.
One of the options was the possible use of GO Transit parking lots for outdoor pickleball courts. Staff said Gormley GO parking areas are barely used and are not being used efficiently, making them potential candidates for recreational space.
The strategy also looked at scattering courts across different parts of Richmond Hill instead of concentrating them in one large location. But that comes with a challenge: noise. Staff said outdoor courts would need to meet setback requirements from nearby homes to reduce impacts on residents. Mayor David West also raised concerns about pickleball noise near residential areas.
Staff said the City has been looking at a target of one pickleball court per 5,000 residents, a benchmark used by some other municipalities. Richmond Hill is currently behind that level, with roughly one court for more than 8,000 residents.
After the presentation, three advocates from the Richmond Hill Pickleball Club addressed Council. They spoke about the sport’s rising popularity, its social and health benefits, and the need for more reliable access to courts. One delegate objected to the idea of turning GO Transit parking lots into pickleball courts.
Council then went through several rounds of discussion, including an amendment from Mayor West. Regional Councillor Joe DiPaola said some warehouse-style business owners have noticed the growing demand and are considering converting their spaces into private, for-fee pickleball courts.
The debate also spilled into the tone of public advocacy. Councillor Karen Cilevitz criticized some Facebook posts by pickleball advocates, saying she believed comments had been AI-generated. She also said a photo of her used in the posts appeared to be AI-generated and “didn’t even look like her mother.”
In the afternoon portion of the meeting, Council turned to another major item: development charges. Staff presented a Development Charge Reduction Program recommending a 50 per cent reduction in residential development charges for three years.
Development charges are fees collected from new development to help pay for infrastructure and services needed as a city grows. Reducing them could lower upfront costs for residential construction, but it also raises questions about how the City will make up the difference and continue funding growth-related infrastructure.
Together, the two discussions showed Council dealing with different sides of the same pressure: residents want more services and amenities, while the City is also considering reducing one of the tools it uses to pay for growth. On June 17, pickleball may have dominated the conversation, but the development charge proposal could have the longer-term financial impact.