lagunabeachindy . com FEBRUARY 9 , 2024 15
Pickleball
PAGE 1
by 30 percent starting March 1 . The Lang Park pickleball courts will be closed Mondays , open Tuesdays from 8 a . m . to noon , Wednesdays - 8 a . m . to dusk , Thursdays - 8 a . m . to noon , Fridays - 8 a . m . to dusk , Saturdays - 8 a . m . to dusk and Sunday - 9 a . m . to dusk .
“ Even though I ’ d like the park and the pickleball courts to remain open as they are now , I think this is a fair compromise ,” resident and pickleball player Monica Simpson said at council meeting .” I ’ m okay with the reduced hours , but I think a lot of people will be upset about it . It is heavily used , and the need has increased since 2017 .” The city will also purchase 50 “ OWL ” paddles , a new quiet paddle technology released last November that USA Pickleball says “ delivers a hertz level below 600 and a decibel level below 80 .”
“ For comparison , industry-standard pickleball paddles register 1,100 to 1,200 hertz and a near-harmful decibel range of 85 plus when striking a ball ,” according to a release from pickleball ’ s national governing body .
The quiet paddles and balls , which the city will sell at cost to pickleball players , will be mandatory in all city-sponsored pickleball classes , and the city will promote their use at Lang Park .
The City Council has also requested
Pamela Grimes prepares to return a serve from Diane Russell at the Lang Park pickleball court . The Vista Aliso senior housing community sits just behind the green Acoustifence . Clara Beard / LB Indy
staff to explore other locations for pickleball courts , including Moulton Meadows Park at the far northeast end of the park bordering the County property , Alta Laguna Park on the grass area behind the existing pickleball courts , resulting in four tennis courts and nine pickleball courts , converting a third existing tennis court at Alta Laguna Park to three new pickleball courts , resulting in three tennis courts and nine pickleball courts , and the inland side of Aliso Beach Park .
Council approved $ 80,000 from the
General Fund to be used for the environmental analysis of these potential locations .
Finally , city staff will work with Vista Aliso ’ s property manager to see if multi-pane windows can be installed to help muffle the sound of pickleball play .
Susana Cruciana said she and her neighbors at Vista Aliso are grateful to the city council for digging deeper into the pickleball noise issue ; however , despite the ongoing studies and mitigation efforts , the consistent and loud
“ pop , pop ” of a wooden paddle slapping a plastic wiffle ball is still plaguing some residents , many of whom are retired and live on a fixed income . “ For the past two years , I ’ ve been standing on my deck , on the sidewalk and the decks behind me , taking decibel readings . Pickleball has overwhelmed my life ,” said Cruciana , whose small second-floor terrace overlooks the Lang Park court .
Cruciana asked council to convert the court back to tennis and move pickleball play away from residential homes .
“ Even if the hours are shortened , our agony is only shortened by a few hours ,” she said . “ Pickleball doesn ’ t belong 25 feet from anyone ’ s residence .”
She added that the California Civil Code Section 3480 defines a public nuisance as “ affecting an entire community , or any considerable number of persons or individuals .”
“ I think the big issue for me is not just the pickleball and the noise , but the lack of respect ,” said Patrick Cannon , who also lives at Vista Aliso . “ It ’ s a profound lack of respect for the people who live here . You won ’ t find a pickleball court in the United States that is just 25 feet away from residents . You never will .”