Work on the enhanced rezoning process at 4500 Northlands is ongoing at municipal hall, as Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) staff continue to work with applicant Beedie Living ahead of presenting proposed designs to the community.
“This work includes internal technical review, infrastructure assessment, environmental impact considerations, [and] transportation assessments,” an RMOW spokesperson said in an email.
“These all form the basis of well-conceived site designs, which will be brought to the community for input.”
The municipality is also waiting on additional application materials from Beedie, and expects to be back in front of council in the new year before engaging with Whistlerites again.
“This time we will be presenting site concepts, which will be established through careful reflection of the initial community input on the guiding principles,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, at least one local group aims to shine a brighter light on potential recreation amenities as the process continues.
The Whistler Tennis Association (WTA) conducted a pair of surveys for residents and visitors in recent months, and hopes results will help make the case for continued focus on the sport in the upcoming design concepts.
The WTA surveys garnered 232 responses, representing about one third of its membership (67 per cent of them full and part-time residents and 33 per cent visitors).
Unsurprisingly, WTA members are enthusiastic about the sport in Whistler, with more than 63 per cent of resident respondents saying they play tennis several times a week (and more than 78 per cent playing all year round).
Forty-one per cent said they play exclusively at the Whistler Racket Club (WRC), while 50 per cent use both the WRC and public courts.
Survey respondents also expressed strong support for court expansion and facility improvements at the WRC.
“It’s pretty broad-based support both amongst the local community and potential visitors and resort-destination visitors,” said WTA president Ben Cherniavsky.
“There is support for both indoor and outdoor tennis, but obviously the indoor is something that people really value as a weather-proofing alternative in the community.”
While the WTA has been saying for a long time that there is demand for a new facility, “it’s one thing to say that, [and] another thing to prove it with data and market research,” he added.
“And that was really our intent with the survey, was to have some hard supporting evidence from the community, that says if a new facility is built we will use it.”
Another helpful finding from the survey was hearing that respondents did want a component of outdoor tennis to the facility, Cherniavsky said.
The lands currently hold three indoor courts and seven outdoor, “and we sort of think that in reverse would be [amenable] … we’d like to have 60 per cent indoor and 40 outdoor” he said.
“But that was helpful for us in this process, was understanding how people feel about that.”
While any potential amenities delivered with the rezoning have yet to be decided, there is always a possibility the current courts are relocated off-site—a factor the WTA has “had a lot of discussion” about as well, Cherniavsky said.
“We want to be reasonable, we want to be able to compromise on some things,” he said, adding that the current site just north of Whistler Village off Lorimer Road is a “perfect location,” but there are also competing interests at play on the courts, such as pickleball.
“Having other recreational activities is helpful for the community, we recognize all that, [but] when you sort of draw those conclusions, you also realize you just can’t do all of that on the current spot,” Cherniavsky said.
“So the question is, do we push hard to stay on-site, and be tennis only, and probably come across as being unreasonable and obstinate in our ask, and risk not getting anything? Or do we compromise location and say, ‘Look, we’re willing to move this if we can still preserve year-round tennis in Whistler at a scale that we think is appropriate?’”
Read the survey results and find more info at whistlertennisassociation.ca.
