A pickleball court in Saratoga is racking up neighbor complaints. Robert Handa reports.
A pickleball court in Saratoga is racking up neighbor complaints.
Residents near El Quito Park say the sound from the popular sport is driving them crazy.
"It sounds like a popping sound, and it’s not a pleasant sound," Rich Valenzuela said. "It’s not something that you get used to. I thought I would get used to it after awhile, but I haven’t. It’s very penetrating."
The courts are mainly used by members of a pickleball association through reservations, but there are also times for the general public.
Right now there are signs posted and big locks meant to enforce the posted hours, which indicate the courts are closed after 6 or 7 p.m.
But neighbors said the posted hours don't seem to matter to players.
"Every morning we hear it around 6:30," Zack Petersen said. "They sometimes jump over the fence to play at night. They’ll bring their own lights until midnight to play. They don’t regulate the courts very well."
City officials said they recently authorized $100,000 to put up sound padding and to install magnetic locks at the courts.
Some pickleball fans were skeptical. One man, who asked to remain anonymous, said there should be no problem if the court hours are restricted and enforced, adding it’s not loud anyway.
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"I think the noise of pickleball should be compared to the noise of the landscapers and the other people that are running their mowers and their blowers," he said. "They’re just as loud as pickleball.”
Mayor Yan Zhao said the city will install the sound padding and magnetic locks by November. She also said people jumping the fence and playing at all hours are breaking the law and encouraged neighbors to call police.
