Indoor pickleball courts are coming to a Glenview warehouse, moving the village to look at opening up areas traditionally zoned for industrial uses only.
The Glenview village board at its Jan. 9 meeting voted unanimously to give preliminary approval to an ordinance granting “a conditional use” for Pickleball courts in a warehouse at 2105 Johns Court. Plans outlined in a memo call for the conversion of 20,366 square feet of warehouse space into seven indoor courts.
“I think it’s an excellent use there,” said Trustee Tim Doron. “Wonderful place for a pickleball facility because it’s not a noise issue and it’s all contained.”
The courts are being built by a company called “Pickleball4All” and a representative from the company told the board the facility will have pros and certified coaches, will be open to the public and also offer “club options.”
In December, the Glenview Development Commission voted to approve the “conditional use” for the courts, required because they will be an “I2 zoning district,” which usually applies to industrial/warehouse districts, village staff said. The courts will be open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.
According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States and is estimated to have over 4.8 million players across the country. The website describes pickleball as a popular social sport, a “racket or paddle sport” invented in 1965 in which two (singles) or four (doubles) players on a court hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits an infraction. The game can be played indoors and outdoors.
The sport is booming in popularity across the north suburbs and last year Glenview approved construction of outdoor pickleball courts at the Valley Lo Club. Neighbors requested modifications to the plan relating to noise, light and the environment, and the club agreed to various changes including the addition of a sound barrier, additional fencing and landscaping and modifications to hours of operation.
The seven new courts in the 2100 block of Johns Court will be and open regardless of weather year round.
“I noticed over the years that more and more businesses are moving in and they’re all ‘conditional uses’ in the I2 districts,” Doron said. “I’m guessing this is where we want to go with those uses … our goal is to take some of those uses or a use like this over there?”
Jeff Brady, director of community development in Glenview, told the board there’s been a trend of athletic and automotive facilities moving into industrial areas zoned I2, that all of those are “conditional uses” but the village is looking at changing that.
“Staff is taking a look to see if there’s modifications to our zoning code to apply the standards that get applied as part of the ‘conditional use process’ to allow those uses as of right in these zoning districts,” he explained. “So that is something we are taking a look at.”
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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