Council moves ahead with Water Street racket-court expansion despite tree-removal concerns
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
By Galen Simmons
Despite concerns from the St. Marys Pickleball Association about public perception should there be a loss of trees and green space at the Water Street courts, St. Marys council voted Feb. 24 to proceed with plans to expand the existing facility rather than begin searching for alternative sites.
Council’s decision followed months of consultation, including the work of a racket-sports ad-hoc committee comprising representatives from the pickleball association and the St. Marys Tennis Club, and direction stemming from the town’s Recreation, Culture and Leisure Master Plan.
“We were thinking the next steps in the process would be that we would take it to Upper Thames (River Conservation Authority) to determine what approvals and permitting requirement would be needed if we were to move forward with a project such as an expansion at the Water Street location,” St. Marys community services director Stephanie Ische said. “However, following these consultations, the pickleball association has indicated that they do not wish move forward with further expansion at the existing Water Street location. Their concerns focus primarily around green space and the mature trees, and they have expressed a preference not to proceed with any further development at this time at that location.
“They didn’t want the tree removal or compromise of the existing site to trigger public pushback, and they didn’t want it to reflect poorly on them as an organization. … However, they do remain fully committed to the goal of establishing courts for both groups at some point. … In contrast, the representatives from the tennis community have stated that they wish to continue with the expansion at the Water Street location.”
Both groups indicated they would be open to fundraising in support of new courts.
Ische presented three possible paths forward for council’s consideration at the Feb. 24 meeting: abandon the expansion at Water Street and focus on longer-term master-plan recommendations including the development of a multi-sport, outdoor recreation centre; begin looking for other town-owned land to develop new courts; or continue pursuing expansion at the existing site.
The expansion option endorsed by council will see the town continue pre-consultations with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) regarding potential design options for adding additional courts at the current site. Any expansion would need to account for the proximity of the Thames River floodplain and other site constraints like its proximity to the Riverview Walkway.
Alternative options, including acquiring or developing new parkland for dedicated racket-sport courts, were acknowledged as longer-term initiatives that would require time, potential subdivision approvals and significant capital investment. The master plan also references previously considered town-owned land on Given Road for a future recreation complex, but that concept carries a long-term timeline and multi-million-dollar budget implications.
“With the history of trees in St. Marys, if they’re very mature trees, they’re probably rotten anyways inside – and I’m a tree hugger,” Coun. Marg Luna said in support of the Water Street court expansion. “So, losing three trees is not a huge concern to me.”
“I think what you guys have created here is good,” Coun. Dave Lucas added. “I love the layout of (the expansion). It allows you to put in two courts now. If, another 10 years down the road, there’s a need for two more courts, you’ve got the room for it. … To me, this is a no-brainer.”
In prior discussions, council and staff have emphasized that, while long-term solutions remain on the table, the immediate challenge is addressing capacity pressures at the Water Street courts, which currently serve both the 72-member tennis club and the 140-member pickleball association.
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