Apple Valley approves Pickle Hall site plan, zoning changes for 18‑court indoor facility

On Sept. 11, 2025, the Apple Valley City Council approved a package of land‑use actions to allow construction of Pickle Hall, a proposed 66,000‑square‑foot indoor recreational building that would house 18 pickleball courts and a class‑1 restaurant at the Village of Founders Circle (new Lot 1, Block 1).

The approvals included a resolution vacating drainage and utility easements, an ordinance amendment to allow indoor commercial recreational facilities in the applicable plan development (PD 739) with waiver of the second reading, a final plat and development agreement for Village of Founders Circle, third edition, a stormwater maintenance agreement, and site plan and building permit authorization.

The project site is a recombination of two existing parcels totaling 3.77 acres at the Old Central Village West / New Central Village area just south of Apple Valley Ford and east of the U.S. Post Office. City staff said the applicant replaced an open stormwater pond with an underground storm chamber and revised parking to meet a revised parking demand estimate.

Tim (staff member) explained the changes to council: “There is an underground system on that north end … so the pond was removed. An underground storm chamber was provided for. There's now 38 additional parking space. We can now have 143 parking spaces, which we feel will be suitable for that site on‑site.” He added staff counted nearby shared parking — 128 spaces in the Central Village parking lot and 38 on‑street spaces — and said that total yields roughly 198 spaces, meeting the approximately 196 spaces the applicant was told to provide.

Owner Randy Motulal, one of the project applicants, thanked the council and said the facility will bring customers to nearby businesses: “We're bringing one of the biggest growing sports in the world into an indoor complex. So this would bring down some noise for some of the community as well.”

Council members raised parking and access as the primary operational concern. One council member noted the risk to the business if on‑site and proximate parking were insufficient and said staff and the owners appeared comfortable with the revised parking plan.

Formal motions to adopt the easement vacation, amend the PD ordinance (waive second reading), approve the final plat and development agreement, approve the stormwater maintenance agreement for Lot 1, Block 1, and approve the site plan and building permit authorization were each made and approved by voice vote.

The council did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript; each item was carried after the customary “all those in favor indicate by saying aye.” When asked about timing, the owner replied in jest, “I'll start tomorrow if you let me,” but no construction schedule or building‑permit timeline was stated in the record.

Council and staff will monitor implementation of the stormwater maintenance agreement and any needed shared‑parking leases (the applicant indicated interest in leasing 50 spaces currently leased by Apple Ford).