Project rendering published by the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and Mentana Group. For illustrative purposes.
Project rendering published by the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and Mentana Group. For illustrative purposes.
The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville and Mentana Group have released a new Community Update and Technical Mitigation Plan for the town-approved Ballantrae Multi-Sport Complex.
These documents provide an updated construction schedule and describe proposed measures to address noise, lighting and visual impacts.
The following summarizes the new information, identifies changes from earlier announcements and highlights questions that remain to be answered.
The Town and Mentana report that material procurement, tariffs and government processes have contributed to the extended schedule.
They also report that a traffic study is underway and that the project has attracted provincial and federal support. The Community Update does not identify the amounts, status or conditions of that support. Read the Community Update .
The project's architect, ZAS Architects, previously described the dome as 47 metres high. The September 2026 Technical Mitigation Plan specifies a maximum peak height of 45 metres. Earlier architectural announcement .
It remains unclear whether this difference reflects a design revision, a change in how the height was measured or another explanation.
What residents are asking:
Confirmation of the maximum height shown on the current building-permit drawings and an explanation of any changes from the previously published design.
Mentana's Technical Mitigation Plan describes an approximately 200-metre distance between the dome's peak and the nearest residential boundary to the west.
The proposed mitigation measures include an earth-toned finish on the lower six metres of the dome, a 2.5-metre landscaped berm and two rows of evergreen trees.
The document also includes an illustrated sightline angle of approximately 12.8 degrees. However, the illustration is identified as schematic and not to scale. Technical Mitigation Plan, pages 2–3 and 7 .
What residents are asking:
Residents are seeking clarification about the visual impact of the completed structure from neighbouring homes, Ballantrae Public School and surrounding public areas.
They are requesting confirmation of the proposed landscaping, its expected effectiveness throughout the year and how screening will be maintained over time.
Mentana's new Technical Mitigation Plan describes several proposed noise-control measures, including:
Interior acoustic lining intended to reduce noise from sports activities.
Placement of hard courts and pickleball areas away from neighbouring residential properties.
Sound-attenuating enclosures for the dome's inflation blowers.
Underground air ducts and equipment orientation intended to reduce noise reaching nearby homes.
Separation of major HVAC equipment from neighbouring residences.
The document estimates that HVAC noise will be below 30 dBA at a residential property line, based on a stated separation distance of 245 metres. Technical Mitigation Plan, pages 5–6 .
The proposed 30 dBA figure concerns estimated HVAC noise at a residential property line. It does not establish the combined noise level from all facility equipment and activities, nor does it demonstrate anticipated noise levels at Ballantrae Public School.
The published document does not include a comprehensive acoustic assessment demonstrating cumulative operational noise under representative operating conditions.
What residents are asking:
Residents are seeking an appropriate acoustic assessment addressing the combined effects of inflation blowers, HVAC equipment, sporting activities, events, parking and backup-power equipment.
The assessment should consider neighbouring residential properties and Ballantrae Public School, including classrooms, playgrounds and outdoor learning areas.
The Technical Mitigation Plan describes specific equipment, design features and anticipated noise levels. However, publication of these measures does not, by itself, establish whether they are legally binding requirements.
Potential enforcement mechanisms include:
Municipal Noise By-law
The Town's Noise By-law regulates noise nuisances. Residents can report suspected violations to municipal by-law enforcement.
Compliance with the by-law would not necessarily demonstrate that every noise prediction in the mitigation plan has been achieved. Town by-law information .
The Town's agreement with Mentana
Because the project is located on Town-owned land, the Town's agreement with Mentana may contain enforceable conditions governing the installation, maintenance and operation of noise-control equipment.
It has not yet been established whether all the measures described in the September 2026 Technical Mitigation Plan have been incorporated into binding contractual requirements.
Provincial environmental requirements
Ontario's NPC-300 environmental noise guideline establishes a framework for assessing noise from stationary sources, including applicable commercial and mechanical equipment.
An Environmental Compliance Approval, where required, may contain enforceable conditions. Whether this facility requires such an approval, and which requirements apply, should be confirmed. Ontario NPC-300 guideline .
If operating noise violates the Town's Noise By-law, residents can submit complaints to municipal by-law enforcement.
If noise-control measures are incorporated into a binding agreement, permit or provincial approval, failure to comply may provide grounds for enforcement under the applicable requirements.
However, it has not yet been established what corrective-action procedures, independent testing requirements or contractual remedies will apply to this facility.
Residents are seeking answers to the following:
Will the Town require an independent acoustic assessment before the facility opens?
Will Mentana's proposed noise-control measures and measurable performance standards be incorporated into an enforceable agreement or applicable approval?
Will actual noise levels be independently measured after the facility begins operating, including during representative high-use periods?
Will testing include neighbouring residential properties and Ballantrae Public School?
Will the results be made available to the public?
Who will be responsible for corrective action and associated costs if applicable noise limits or enforceable requirements are not met?
Mentana's Technical Mitigation Plan proposes an opaque dome membrane intended to prevent light from escaping through the fabric, downward-directed interior sports lighting and dimming facility lights by 50% by 11 p.m., subject to applicable bylaws.
These measures address light from inside the dome but do not, on their own, establish the combined lighting impact of the entire development.
What residents are asking:
Residents are seeking clarification about exterior lighting, parking-lot illumination, operating hours and the combined effects of lighting on neighbouring properties and the surrounding area.
They are also requesting confirmation of how the proposed lighting measures will be implemented, maintained and enforced.
The newly published documents provide additional information about the proposed design and mitigation measures. However, they do not include all the completed technical assessments previously requested by residents.
Questions remain regarding:
The completed traffic study, including school-hour traffic and pedestrian safety.
Municipal water demand, wastewater capacity, stormwater management and groundwater protection.
A comprehensive acoustic assessment covering nearby residences and Ballantrae Public School.
Site-specific visual and lighting assessments.
Confirmation of the current approved dome height and corresponding drawings.
The legal and operational arrangements for monitoring and enforcing the proposed mitigation measures.
The absence of these assessments from the published documents does not necessarily mean that the studies have not been undertaken.
Residents are requesting access to the relevant completed reports and clarification of the remaining approval process.
Town and Mentana — September 2026 Community Update
Updated construction timeline and project information.
Technical Mitigation Plan — September 2026
Proposed visual, lighting and acoustic mitigation measures.
Town's official project webpage
Project description, renderings and official updates.
Earlier ZAS Architects announcement
Earlier project description identifying a 47-metre dome height.
This page is a resident-prepared summary of publicly available project information. Where questions remain, they are identified as matters requiring clarification rather than established project deficiencies.
Resident-led. Non-partisan. Focused on responsible recreation and responsible development.