By John Pacenti
It seemed like a simple request for a new home under construction in Manalapan: to allow the building of a sports court for pickleball and basketball.
Yet, at their Nov. 22 meeting, Manalapan commissioners heard that pickleball can be a noise nuisance. They also wrestled over whether the town’s code even allows pickleball courts, as written.
Jennifer Adams, general manager of La Coquille Villas, said residents have had to put up with the torturous sound of the game since the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa converted tennis courts next door.
“So you can imagine sitting down for dinner on an outside patio only for the parties to be spoiled by the pop, pop, pop sound and then yelling that accompanies the game,” Adams said.
She urged the town to adopt an ordinance, as other municipalities have done, that prohibits courts from being installed in residential neighborhoods and limits the game to certain hours.
In Gulf Stream, Adams said, a compromise was reached where the Little Club’s pickleball court was placed away on an adjacent golf course.
The noise of pickleball is a growing concern nationwide as the popularity of the sport has skyrocketed, especially among seniors. The New York Times in June 2023 published the story, “Shattered nerves, sleepless nights: pickleball noise is driving everyone nuts.”
What the Manalapan commission heard on Nov. 22 was a request for a text amendment for the property at 1140 S. Ocean Blvd. to allow a sports court.
Commissioner Dwight Kulwin said recordings have shown pickleball sounds can be heard up to a half-mile away and that manufacturers of the paddles are trying to address the noise concern.
Town Attorney Keith Davis said the request is for just the zoning area south of 700 S. Ocean Blvd. and that the commission may want to make a uniform decision for the whole town on the issue.
Commissioner Cindy McMackin noted that currently, a home could install what is called a sports court and just not call it pickleball. “Or if they say this is going to be a parking area on our lot, and then they convert it later,” she said.
Now there is a noise ordinance, Davis noted, that could be taken into consideration. Police Chief Carmen Mattox said that when the Police Department gets noise complaints on pickleball, by the time officers arrive the game has often concluded.
Mayor John Deese weighed in, saying pickleball is not prohibited but is also not permitted.
“The way our zoning code is written, lighted tennis courts are allowed as a special exception. None of this other stuff is in the code,” Davis said. “And the language in the code, if it’s not called out as being allowed, then it’s not allowed.”
The commission decided the pickleball issue would need to be decided at a later date when an official with the Building and Zoning Department can be part of the discussion.
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