Conversion of pickleball courts put on hold
Fairfax County Park Authority Executive Director Jai Cole agreed to put the pickleball conversion at Kendale Woods Park in Annandale on hold, pending a community meeting on the project.
Earlier this month, the Park Authority announced plans to revert the courts to tennis-only, citing complaints about noise.
The pickleball players fought back, arguing that an out-of-state group called Pickleball Noise Relief is behind efforts across the nation to shut down pickleball courts. More than 480 local residents signed a petition urging the Park Authority to keep pickleball at Kendale Woods.
Members of the public rarely come to meetings of the Park Authority Board, but about 25 neighbors showed up at the May 22 meeting. Three people spoke about the importance of the pickleball courts to the Broyhill Crest community.
Related story: Pickleball players fight pending court closure
After the community residents spoke, Park Board members didn’t ask questions or discuss the issue, says Anthony Katchusky. At the end of the meeting he approached Cole, who said work on the courts, which had been scheduled to start on June 3, would be paused. She also promised to arrange a meeting with the community.
Nearly all of the people who live near Kendale Woods Park had previously told pickleball player Sarah Wysocki that they didn’t have a problem with pickleball noise. However, one neighbor has apparently complained to the Park Authority.
According to Wysocki, Cole indicated that a complaint from one neighborhood in 2022 is enough to outweigh the hundreds of people who support keeping the pickleball courts.
During an interview about the pickleball conflict on USA9 News on May 16, Cole said, “It’s unethical for me to even force one resident to endure the sounds that we ourselves have identified as being a nuisance.”
The Park Authority has promised to establish two new pickleball courts at Mason District Park.
“Jai Cole wants us to be open to moving pickleball to another location but what we are fighting for is keeping our neighborhood courts, not moving to another location,” Wysocki said. “We are fighting so hard to keep these courts because it’s a neighborhood issue and we want a place where our kids can be close by and feel safe while we play.”
The pickleball players have proposed remedies for addressing noise, such as having a community box of quieter paddles and balls that produce a lower pitch, adding sound-absorbing panels, and limiting pickleball to certain hours.
Wysocki noted that the decision to close the courts violates the Park Authority’s own guidelines, which state that if there are complaints about noise, sound mitigation measures should be considered. That hasn’t been done.
The players also request a noise study be conducted before a decision is made on the future of the courts. There are just two courts at Kendale Woods Park, so pickleball at that location doesn’t generate the kind of noise as large pickleball facilities that draw dozens of players.
The Park Authority’s planning process requires notification of the community and a meeting with residents before altering a park, Katchusky added.
“This is not solely about a group of players not wanting to lose their court,” he said. “It’s about following the established procedures the FCPA has published and to allow the actual neighbors that live and breathe here, that use the park, to be present and discuss issues and have a voice.”
Katchusky read from a statement by a resident, a non-pickleball player, who lives close to Kendale Woods Park: “The noise from pickleball is no more disruptive than the noise from the pool that is across the walking path, or people mowing their lawns, or people’s dogs barking, or schoolchildren playing at recess at the school. … Humans getting out and enjoying their community make noise and it is welcome and inspiring.”
112 responses to “Conversion of pickleball courts put on hold”
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This is the way it used to be and may still be. If someone in a residential neighborhood wants a zoning variance for new outside construction, the county anonymously asks surrounding neighbors if they object. One objection kills the project. That has worked for many years and is working here with the tennis courts.
An aside. Some years ago, one of my neighbors wanted to enclose their two-car carport and needed a variance. One person objected, so the project was put on hold. Eventually it was enclosed, but only after modifications were made so that no one objected. I learned this from the contractor whom I had recommended. I found out some years later that the owner was sure I was the one that objected. But since my property did not adjoin theirs, I was not asked for my opinion. So it wasn’t me!
It was you
Million dollar idea. Make a pickle ball racquet that is quiet. You’re welcome.
Yep! It’s called ‘Tennis’.
In our community this has never been a battle between tennis and pickleball, please don’t try to turn it into something it isn’t. We understand the pickleball hate group Pickleball Noise Relief wants to rid the world of pickleball and is in favor of tennis. Here we appreciate tennis and pickleball. This is about working as a community to keep a valuable asset to our neighborhood while compromising to ensure sound is minimized. Our community supports each other both tennis and pickleball players and those who play neither. It is about compromise and community but if you don’t live here you wouldn’t know that.
Your comment could not be more untrue. It is not about being against pickleball, it is being against being assaulted by impulsive noise in our homes and our properties. Get real. Play on appropriately located courts and you will not have any problems with anyone.
There is no reason quiet paddles can’t be the alternative vs a non solution and trying to remove the court
Parks are supposed to make noise. You live in a Commonwealth the purpose is to share the good and the bad. I live a stone’s throw from Mason District. Baseball/soccer go into the night. Festivals throughout the summer. It’s a park. Get over it
Parks certainly do make noise; however, that does not grant people in the parks the right to create a nuisance.
Having a thorough conversation about the risks and issues that pickleball noise presents to residents within 1000’ for pickleball courts means that multiple components of the complaint must be considered:
1. Noise: level, exposure and dose
2. Nuisance: The denied right to quiet enjoyment, the effective snatching of one’s home away from them because there is no escape from the noise and the invasion of players inside of a person’s home because there is no escape from the hooting and hollering. Stress hormones and their effects: cortisol, adrenaline, Noradenaline (norepinephrine), dopamine, vaspressin
3. Chronic Exposure to Noise/Nuisance and its harm to physical, mental and emotional well-being as well as the infliction of brain damage
Often, noise level is measured outside for short periods at various distances. These noise measurements miss the point of the nuisance and harm being done INSIDE of the home. Noise levels INSIDE of a home, without TV or appliances running are often 45db or less. Intrusions that go above 45db present invasions of privacy. Repeated, random invasions of impulsive sound entering a residential space are the equivalent of being attacked. The sound level is indicative of the magnitude of the attack. The sound’s exposure to the human ear is going to create a reaction. The dosage of that exposure i.e., the summed exposure over a period of time is going to play a role in the cumulative effects of the noise. For example, an intrusive impulsive sound that happens once an hour or happens frequently for an hour is absolutely not the same as a randomized intrusive and impulsive noise that takes place randomly every few seconds and continues for 12 to 14 hours per day, 7 days per week, week after week, month after month and year after year. The latter is a home invasion and an attack on the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the persons who are impacted, as well as an assault on the gastric and endocrine systems, along with the brain. In effect, the levels, exposure, dose, frequency and invasive nature of an impulsive sound presents a nuisance and danger to the residents that are impacted. The dosage and its incessant chronic daily nature present a toxic cocktail of persistent attack via sound waves. The impacted residents are deprived of sleep, quiet enjoyment, conversation, sufficient quiet to meditate, pray or read with concentration, interruptions to thoughts and inability to effectively work from home.
The daily, chronic and acute situation caused by thousands of “pops” per day results in the continual release of stress hormones that can and do cause short, medium and long-term damage to those who are impacted.
High cortisol levels lead to weight gain, anxiety, depression and other health problems. Adrenaline (epinephrine) is most associated with “fight or flight” response. Released in large quantities its effects include increasing heart rate and blood pressure. It increases energy production and blood flow. Helpful in short-term situations, it is harmful in long-term situations and can lead to anxiety, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.
Noradrenaline (norepinephrine) is similar to adrenaline but released in smaller amounts. It increases heart rate and blood pressure, alertness and vigilance. It also leads to anxiety, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that impacts mood, motivation and pleasure, but it is also part of the stress response. The long-term release effects on the body are under investigation.
Vasopressin is a hormone that regulates blood pressure and water metabolism. It is released as a response to physical or psychological stress. It binds to receptors on blood vessels and increases blood vessel constriction. This increases blood pressure.
Chronic exposure to these stress hormones damage the body, increase the risk of heart disease, can lead to damaged arteries and plaque buildup due to constant cortisol release and the potential of a stroke because the combination of increased heart rate, blood pressure, constricted vessels and plaque buildup are the ingredient for a stroke. This is the damage potential of noise that is a nuisance.
Along with the above, depression and anxiety resulting from the stress of the nuisance present comorbidity components that can impact how the brain processes seratonin, which helps regulate mood. This can also disrupt other systems in the body, including endocrine and immune. Chronic stress caused by noise nuisance may also lead to the destruction of brain cells, from the continual cortisol release. This can affect memories and the creation of memories. All of the above combine to present as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in some persons. The combination of all of this plus CFS can result in a weakened immune system, a decrease in the efficacy of the immune response, disruption in immune cell communications and compromise in gut microbiome, which can result in a host of other problems because a healthy gut biome is essential to head to toe health
. Along with all of this, chronic stress from nuisance noise and frequent cortisol release can lead to appetite loss in the short term but overeating and weight gan in the long run, which only exacerbates conditions previously mentioned. Stress and cortisol can also lead to hair and skin problems as well as sleep problems. It is clear that the issue is not just noise itself, but rather chronic nuisance resulting in chronic stress hormone release resulting in increased heart rate, increased, blood pressure, vessel constriction, stroke probability, gastric issues, depression, anxiety, heart disease, gastric issues and sleep deprivation. A municipality may have written itself permission in the ordinance to present a noise violation at will; however, that ordinance was never intended to address a chronic situation of multiple-hour, daily abuse inside of a person’s home. Fairfax County Park Authority is not exempt from creating and maintaining a chronic nuisance source that slowly and continuously not only destroys the safety, security and quiet enjoyment of a person’s own home but also slowly destroys a person’s body and potentially kills that person. Tabling this decision is a sensible, ethical, logical and empathetic thing to do and the stakeholders who have made that decision deserve appreciation for protecting the health and safety of all persons inside of their own homes.
Hi there. Since your not a resident of this community let me inform you from then other side. While your right about noise in general its noise in general. We are a suburban community. If all your noise points are hitting someone to feel that way, you really need to live a better life in a peaceful country setting. Here: we have non stop helicopters, daily sirens from first responders, wood chippers, school aged kids, loud swim meets, loudspeakers, fireworks from 11pm to 2am, festivals, non stop lawn care equipment, street racing,. I can go on.
However. This community is one that comes together and works together. We have a chance to come together here and discuss an issue, not make an issue worse than before.
Noise in general is here to stay. If you want to actually do something about it, work with the players. Its basically 2 small groups, and a few kids/parents sprinkled in enjoying the outdoors. Not players from miles away b/c this is a pickleball haven. Its far from it.
Communities work things out when an issue is brought forward. We have a community citizens association that advocates for the good of the community. Lets talk
With all due respect who’s sleeping between the hours of noon and 6:00pm when people are playing? We understand there is an online hate group called Pickleball Noise Relief. They are anti pickleball and are pushing it to be classified as a public health nuisance but the CDC and local health groups aren’t jumping on board. It’s sad to see this hate group celebrate the closures of parks not even in their state. Hopefully compromise, community, health, and the well being of the neighborhood will prevail over hate, intolerance, and biased facts. The pickleball community has said from the start we want to work with you. We want our neighbors to be as happy as they allow themselves to be. Hopefully Jimenez and FCPA will not partner with a hate group that is unwilling to compromise. A sound study at Kendale Woods Park is in order.
The group isn’t a hate group and we don’t, at least I don’t, hate pickleball. I lived directly across from the Walter Reed courts, less than 100′. The noise PB makes is so unlike all other sounds and most other noise is intermittent; PB at WR when I lived there was 15 hours a day 7 days a week. Thankfully that has changed since i moved. I’m not adverse to noise, I just retired from 33 years in the Army, I don’t hate people having fun or being happy. I did hate the shrill pop on 6 active courts. It actually gave me mental health problems that were so bad I did move away from the area. Fortunately I had the means and will to do that but many do not. We, in Arlington, argued for courts in other non residential areas. One location (which I still feel would have been perfect) was cited as being to noisy by the President of some PB group… irony at its worst lol.
But the FB group isn’t out to stop PB, and isn’t just a group of disgruntled neighbors. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, just play, you’ll love it… well, I have hobbies that I enjoy, hiking, my volunteer work with dog rescue organizations, my Jeep, swimming etc… I did (do) not want to pick up a hobby just because someone thinks it’ll make that awful sound less annoying the remaining time during the day that I’m not playing… hope that makes sense.
Yes, I’ve moved so I no longer advocate at WR. I think the true residents should decide what happens in their own backyards. But don’t make the FB group something it’s not and don’t vilify those of us that truely can’t handle that POP so close and so long throughout the day.
We aren’t talking about Walter Reed we are talking about two courts tucked into a neighborhood surrounded by woods. We will work with those bothered by the noise but it has to go both ways. We aren’t Walter Reed. We are a small community park with minimal usage
I understand the situations are different. My comment was to counter the assertion that the FB group concerned with PB noise was a malicious bunch of haters… just trying to show that we’re a group of individuals all over the nation trying to figure out how to save our sanity over the pop pop pop… we really aren’t just killjoys… it’s truly a nightmare for many of us who live close to courts. Those who don’t live that close just aren’t very empathetic because it’s easier just to make fun of the cranky people…
Melissa, we do live by these courts but this isn’t Walter Reed. You would never hear more than two balls bouncing at a time. There’s nobody peeing in bushes or defecating on the courts. It’s hateful to work against the wishes of a community because you personally don’t like pickleball. Pickleball Noise Relief is not a compromising group and they are advocating for things that go against the wishes of the community. While you personally might not be hateful the tone of PNR is hateful and uncompromising. The group is so small compared to those who can live in harmony with pickleball. In our community we’ve always lived peacefully with each other. Everyone within 250 ft of these courts signed a petition saying they should say with exception of one house. The people who dislike these courts the most don’t live near them and they are antipickleball period.
Walter Reed is 15 hours a day on 9 courts is a very different situation than Kendale Woods where just one tennis court is shared use, and probably as already noted, 2 hours a day normally. More in weekend with the pool, which also has a court. The community here is listening and willing to work it out with Oliver!
Thank you for your service, Melissa. My doctor suggested for me to move, or at least rent another place until the noise stops. My health has declined since living with that constant noise. I am retired and cannot enjoy my backyard as the noise is too loud.
I should be able to reap the fruits of my lifelong work and not have to live with the windows closed and noise canceling devices in my ears. Even players would not want to live so close to any PB courts. You are right about the Pickleball Noise Relief Facebook group. There are PB players on this group, and USA Pickleball ambassadors who want to help those like us who are afflicted with the noise. It is not about stopping people to play; it is about restoring our peace. I cannot move my house, but the players can go play somewhere else, especially since they all drive their car to the court even the ones who live at two street from the court.
This comment is not from a local resident. You can read similar comments on the author’s Facebook page Pickleball Noise Relief. The author also boosts closing hundreds of pickleball courts around the country on her LinkedIn page. This is a prime example of the tyranny of the vocal minority. These actions do not bring people together but pit neighbor against neighbor. Annandale isn’t that type of place but if you don’t live here you wouldn’t know that. We are here to compromise, listen, and work towards a resolution that best serves the neighborhood. Stop the hate- let’s work together with the actual people who breath, work, live, laugh and cry here in Annandale. We are community that supports one another and we are here to support Oliver on peaceful outcome in this situation. We are ready to work with those negatively impacted by the OCCASIONAL noise of pickleball.
I don’t know if you were responding to someone else, but I don’t have a LinkedIn account where I talk about “closing 100 pickleball courts”. In fact, I met with my city manager and parks and recreation director to help them construct more pickleball courts. My question to you is why have you waited until the last minute to want to work solutions with Oliver? Why haven’t you tried to implement quiet paddles, quiet balls, and a limit of three hours of play per day? Were you not aware that you were disturbing the peace?
Will you give it a rest. You don’t know the situation on these courts because you don’t live here. The courts aren’t 100 feet from Oliver’s house. Your teeny tiny group likes to make up facts and pass them as true but that’s not the way the world works. Your little hate group can come with all the charts and graphs they want spewing whatever nonsense they want it doesn’t make it true. Any of the pickleball players in the community would have happily worked with Oliver and his sister to come to a peaceful resolution had we known of their unhappiness but they didn’t voice their concerns with the community. However people who live next to the courts closer than Oliver have shared that the courts give them joy. I feel sorry that your life’s mission is to spread misery and made up information. You must be a joy to live by.
Dear Compromising Candy. The pickleball court in my community is constructed three feet from the closest property (less than 9 feet from the home. Nine homes there since 1976 are immediately impacted as they surround the court at 3 to 9 feet from the court and the players won’t consider ANY sound mitigation. What would you do in my case?
All cases are different. In the case of Kendale Woods. The community wants to discuss alternatives. I don’t know your area to be able to comment further.
This is not the situation at these courts. The complaining house is not 100ft away from pickleball courts they MIGHT be that close to the tennis courts. We have many other noise producers that are more problematic than pickleball. These are two courts used a few hours a week
You might want to use Google Maps and measure it for yourself. USA Pickleball says that if the decibel level is to be kept at 60, the courts should be at least 200 feet from homes.
Leave the people of Annandale alone. Pop pop along and go find someplace to be a miserable troll
Ruth says that Oliver and his sister did not voice their concern with the community, well, with the level of retaliation your community’s picklers display, I am not surprised that they would not come directly to you. We are not miserable trolls. We are afflicted by the noise of your game and just request to be able to live in peace in our own home. I understand that you may find it frustrating not to be able to play wherever you want, but the science states the facts: pickleball courts should not be constructed less than 250 feet from homes. Insulting me and our group will not change that scientific fact.
Science done by a biased group doesn’t count as real science. Why does your group’s science out weigh the science of the benefits of pickleball. There’s much more information on the benefits on pickleball vs. the ‘noise issues’ with pickleball. You may have heard of Duke University here’s a study showing the benefits of pickleball done by them https://recreation.duke.edu/story/health-benefits-pickleball/
Health.com: https://www.health.com/health-benefits-of-pickleball-8385024
Colombia University: https://columbiaassociation.org/racquet-sports/pickleball/the-top-benefits-of-playing-pickleball/
We know you’ve done your own biased research but it doesn’t hold a candle to the research of the benefits of pickleball.
The tyranny of the vocal minority needs to end and hopefully FCPA and Jai Cole do what’s right in this situation and don’t side with a disgruntle out of town group.
What do the experts say: You are bringing health experts research. Yes, exercising is wonderful for the body. Health experts also say walking, swimming, and playing tennis are wonderful for one’s health. Please do not use the health benefits as reasons to afflict others with the noise your game creates.
We are not denying that. Please do not offer disinformation about our group. We work with acoustic engineers, paddles and balls manufacturers and distributors, health organization agencies, etc.
The experts we are talking about are experts such as USA Pickleball, Bob Unetich of Pickleball Sound Mitigation (hired by USA Pickleball to do research), and Dr. Lance Willis, a Sound and Acoustic expert hired by cities around the US to conduct extensive Noise Impact Studies.
On which planet does the benefit of the health of some causing health issues to others is moral and ethical? Please, play pickleball responsibly, not in quiet residential neighborhoods. Thank you.
Ms. Pop pop you and your little piggy tails don’t know our quiet neighborhood. You’ve said your neighbors don’t like you maybe that’s why you love your tiny hate group so much it makes you feel connected. A good community where you can compromise with each other will do the same. No hate group needed.
Ummmm point 1 in your notes are not considered in this instance. Points 2/3 seem to be based in step 1? If not. Noise is going to continue here for many factors outside of pickleball. Clearly, there are a few here pointing out the community is happy to discuss. Do it!
Do you think any one is going to read your long rant? No, they won’t
Sadly, I think you are right. Many people, like you, don’t want to get educated anymore.
SoNoToNusiance let the kind folks of Annandale handle this issue. We are blessed to live in area with highly educated residents who work together to resolve conflicts. We aren’t about insults or cherry picked facts. It’s clear you are not a resident of Annandale and know nothing about these courts. Courts that are used a few times a week for a few hours. Courts surrounded by woods and by many other noise producers. We know Pickleball Noise Relief isn’t about compromise your holy leader has said so herself. Our community is in favor of compromising with each other and coming up with intelligent solutions not removing pickleball lines which ultimately is a non-solution solution.
So, what are you saying? Everyone in Annandale is highly educated other than Oliver? I am not sure your comment makes sense…
The pickleball noise doesn’t hold a candle to the other neighborhood sounds at this location – A children’s play park, a basketball court, a community pool, neighborhood landscaping and leaf blower activity, and being in the flight path of the Inova helicopters.
I’m wondering why so few are impacted by pickleball noise if it’s such a health issue? In our community we literally have 1 person out of hundreds bothered by the noise, I wonder what in the brain of the 1 is different than the others. Their home isn’t any closer to the courts, in fact others are closer. Thousands of people live near courts and aren’t bothered by the sound but it is true that some unlucky individuals are bothered by it. Is the structure of the ear? It seems that to be bothered by pickleball noise is the exception versus the rule. Obviously the Pickleball Noise Relief folks are very bothered by it (in addition to pickleball taking tennis court space). This isn’t to be dismissive of the few that are bothered by the noise but it is a fair question to ask why the vast majority of folks are not. I wonder what percentage of people who hate this noise are tennis players or former tennis players? Who is doing this research? Is all this information on the harm of pickleball being funded by the Pickleball Noise Relief, which is group that is not open to pickleball or compromising (their own leader said they are not willing to compromise) when it comes to pickleball being played pretty much anywhere. They celebrate the closing of courts in parks, in nonresidential areas, they celebrate facilities not being built in commercial areas where residents are not nearby. Anyone can say anything or come up with falsified information and it doesn’t make it true.
Your comment contains a lot of disinformation. USA Pickleball agrees that their game is loud. The way you passive-aggressively and gaslight people afflicted by the noise makes it clear why people living near your park won’t openly complain. Who wants to be retaliated against with such force? Being a silent sufferer does not mean that no one is suffering.
Disinformation? According to whom, you? We have already established that you aren’t from Annandale, so you don’t know our community. There’s no retaliation to be had—there might be retaliation for the pickleball noise relief, but from the highly educated Annandale residents, no retaliation is in order. We are educated, pro-community people who want to live in peace and enjoy pickleball. Since you aren’t here and are not seen as a positive force in your own community, we know this is hard for you to comprehend.
No need to gaslight anyone. As educated people, it will be easy for you to understand the noise studies done by USA Pickleball and their noise and acoustics experts.
You are a joke. Your group of less than 800 people is a joke. It’s nice to know that gaslight is one of the multi syllabic words you know but here in Annandale we don’t care about you. And I seriously doubt Jai Cole will like to be celebrated by your little hate group. Like others have said leave Annandale alone. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Gray hair demon go away- you’ve made it clear you don’t know Kendale Woods. I’m sure Oliver and his sister appreciate you but nobody else does. Pop away little troll. Don’t worry Annandale won’t miss you.
My house backs to the tennis courts where pickle ball is being played. My property is the one that is most impacted by the noice. I am dismayed how my concerns are being dismissed or minimized by the people that want reverse the decision to convert the court to tennis only. The country conducted a study. The study clearly concluded that the noice is an issue that has to be addressed when establishing s pickle ball area. This is not a case of a wacky neighbor that likes to complain about noice. The country conducted a noice level test and determined that there should be at least 250 feet of distance from the pickle court to make the noice level acceptable. Well my house itself is less that 100 feet away. I can hear the playing in the master bedroom with windows closed. My dog doesn’t want to stay in the backyard when there is playing. The high pitch noice travels through your brain. I feel insulted every time people try to dismiss the problem. I cannot move the property. I even feel more insulted then the pickle community gets together and is trying to force the county to reverse it self and force me to put up with the noice. It is not fair. You come play in my back for an hour and then you go home to your quite homes and left me putting with noice that can be excruciating day in day out. There are other pickle courts available in the community. You can walk about 4 or 5 short blocks from the courts in my back yard and access other pickle ball courts. The court are in Annandale Road. Most of the people that come to play in my back yard drive and park in the pool parking. You can still park there and walk 4 or 5 blocks and Access the Annandale Road. I contacted the county about the noice before the country redid the tennis courts and install pickle ball lines and net. The county never contacted me before they change the tennis courts to include pickle balls. Where are my rights as a home owner?
Hi Oliver. Would you be willing to discuss this me? I am representing some of those who want to keep the courts there and we are willing to talk to any neighbor, such as yourself, to discuss a compromise. There are many alternatives one can do here as a community.
I know the pickleball community would work with you on resolution to use these courts. Not all paddles make the same pitch and sound. This is not a high use area where people play for hours every day, people play for a few hours a week. Again the pickleball community will work with you on limiting hours. Sadly, a sound study hasn’t been done at Kendale woods, a blanket study has been done, but not here. I hope the pool and school noise aren’t bothersome. We know that many things in the neighborhood bother you and for that we feel bad and for many of the things that zap your joy we can’t offer help. Kids laughter and riding bikes in the street are joyous sounds to nearly all the neighborhood but for those who dislike those sounds there’s not much we can do, certainly we won’t ask our children to sacrifice their health and happiness so one couple can wallow in their misery. But in regards to pickleball we can work with you. One person suggested offering yard work services or baking a pie as a thanks offering for listening to occasional pickleball noise. These courts are important to our neighborhood, many of the people whom you’ve lived by for years. Your neighbors who contribute to society in a million different ways to make Annandale a great place to live. A place where neighbors look out and compromise with neighbors, neighbors who would love if you both were happy and would work to ensure you have the chance at happiness. Unfortunately happiness is largely an inside job but the pickleball community will work with you so we can continue to laugh, exercise, and add joy and community to Kendale Woods Park. Maybe you can join us for a game, you’re always welcome and we would have a low noise paddle waiting for you.
Peaceful Pickle- your dissertation, is condescending, simply ignorant with no intellectual discussion of the problem.
Perhaps your group could buy this home well above the current value to get the owner to move, use it as a club house , you could Airbnb it to PB friends & observe the quality of life being 100 feet from the steady, pop, pop, pop of play.
This suggestion just like your pie offering doesn’t seem to logical.
There is no continuous pop pop here. At most courts are used 2-3 hours on a good day, usually weekends. Probably 90 mins a day on average. If that. Let the community figure it out for themself. No harm there for the community to work it out with any homeowner within x distance.
Insults are an easy go to. If you’ve been following this story you would know that someone suggested baking a pie as a peace offering to those who are offended by the occasional noise produced by pickleball.
We are willing to compromise and work on a peaceful resolution but openness to working with the community and neighbors is crucial. Many of the neighbors volunteer in the community to make Annandale a good place to live. This particular house neighbors teachers, coaches, community garden volunteers, people who work towards improving literacy in our community. So many wonderful neighbors that would love to see a peaceful resolution- if that resolution means baking pies as a peace offering so be it. Not many ignorant people who back the court but many of who work to make our neighborhood a great place to live.
Oliver Gregurevic says that his house is less than 100 feet away. A study from USA Pickleball shows that:“Our research shows that pickleball courts less than 100 feet from a home will require extreme sound mitigation measures to be compatible with a residential environment” (Barry Wyerman and Robert Unetich, Pickleball Sound 103, Section 8, Conclusions).
USA Pickleball goes as far as saying that if the dBA needs to be kept at 60, the court needs to be at 250 feet from residences. Colorado already has mandated their noise ordinances, and in some instance, no PB courts can be built less than 350 feet. Instead of baking pies (good tasting, but not so good for one’s health), why not work with USA Pickleball? Pickleball is their games. They know about the noise their games create. 100 feet is too close to residences. Being a good neighbor is a choice. I hope you make the choice to be a good neighbor.
Why you care so much about something that has no impact on you personally is baffling. Fight the good fight in Cali. Here in Annandale we are good neighbors which is why we have come together in a unified voice asking Oliver to talk to us so we can support him and find a compromise. Your hate group should focus on local matters not attacking small town courts. You aren’t about compromise, community, peace. You’re antipicklball and pro tennis (btw we think tennis is great too). Oliver listen to your neighbors we care about you and want to find a compromise.
Pickleball noise is a national problem. No one needs to be a genius to know that pickleball courts constructed too close to homes hurt the residents. We are no longer in 2019. Get real. Play on appropriately located courts and leave the quiet community parks alone.
Saying something doesn’t make it true. You know what is a problem gray haired trolls from California so move along dear one. Take your bags of crap with you we don’t need any of that here.
I have an Idea. If you live within the area surrounding Kendale Woods. Pro pickleball or not, lets all come together and have a community discussion. Everyone here from other towns, states, countries. Worry about the courts that you feel are impacting your life. Every location and scenario is not one in the same. There is a huge difference between walter reed, glynedale, and kendale woods.
Lily and who else live within 250 feet of this court? You are misjudging this community and its connectedness. In fact, we know all the residents living within 250 feet of the courts, and Pop Pop does not live near the courts. Your comments are a grasp at a straw that is quickly fading. In Annandale and Fairfax County, you are dealing with some of the most educated, well-informed people in the nation. If you think you can pose as one of us and that the FCPA will fall for it, you are mistaken. Jai Cole wasn’t born yesterday; she knows what’s up.
I am Lily, and I don’t know you. Don’t group me with your hatred towards pickleball. Gross, I would never associate with you. Keep moving and keep trying. Leave Lily out of it.
I will let me baby know that in exchange for not being able to nap because of the incessant noise you are offering yard work and pies. I’m sure he’ll understand.
How old is the baby and what kind of pie? We do have neighbors with babies who back the court and we have proactively reached out to let them know if the noise is bothersome for them to let us know and we’ll work around nap time. Their response was it’s not a bother, the leaf blowers, helicopters, school, pool, race cars and dozens of other noises are way more of a concern. The original pie comment was from someone suggesting to offer a service or a kindness for putting up with occasional pickleball noise to the person who doesn’t like it. As someone who’s taken care of a lot of babies they generally handle noise better than us grownups but if that wasn’t the case the pickleball community would work around nap time. We want everyone in our neighborhood to be happy, babies included.
Beth, has your baby signed your change.org petition to bring back your local Pennsylvania basketball courts and get rid of the pickleball courts currently in place ? Don’t worry about the kids and babies close to our neighborhood courts we look out for each other- we pro community not anti-anything. Peace and love and a slice of pie.
Do you mean that all the players in Annandale are pro-community, that it is just Oliver who is a problem? So, USA Pickleball is wrong in saying that pickleball courts built less than 200 feet from residences are too close to keep below 60dBA?
Hey you’re catching on! Yes the pickleball players are pro community both the pickleball community and the larger Annandale community. As for Oliver nobody but you has insinuated anything negative about him. We want to work with him and have him be happy. Communites compromise and work together to live in harmony.
Oliver. In fairness, we so not know what your concerns are. Is it a specific time of day? Is it one of the few times a large crowd gathers? Anthony above suggests to speak with him and discuss. Would you be willing to do so?
Mark, even USA Pickleball states that there is little mitigation that can be done at 100 feet from residences. Please, join the Pickleball Noise Relief on Facebook. If you are willing to do the right thing, you will want to read the studies and see for yourself why this court, unless it has a building around it and a roof on it should be removed. This is a residential park and not appropriate because the location is too close to homes. A community park would maybe be more appropriate. Hope you join the group. There are quite a few USA Pickleball ambassadors who are also helping educating people about the negative effects of PB noise too close to homes. Once you will be informed, I am sure you will not want to play at this location anymore.
I can’t post photos here. If I could you can see that the courts and home in question is not within 100 feet. Again! This is a community situation. The distance is not the point. The people here want to respect others. All these commenters that clearly dont live here adding fuel to a fire that is not needed. This is A court that gets little use. I am here to discuss alternatives and avoid a worse situation. Oliver – if you see this message, please know I am here to help and want to talk about a remedy. Please post here is your willing to meet with me. Thanks
Go to Google Maps and take the measurements from there. You will see that the court is constructed less than 100 feet from homes.
Dear Ms know it all, the tennis courts are what you might be measuring not the pickleball courts. Stick with things in your own backyard. Maybe there’s a nice bridge near by you can sit under. Just make sure a pickleball court isn’t within 250 feet
The other day, I was walking by a tennis court and heard the most dreadful noises. There was a sudden POP, followed by balls dribbling and bouncing on the court. I didn’t know where the POP came from and was worried about when the next POP was going to come. Then someone picked up one of the balls and started whacking it with a racquet while making grunts that were unsuitable for public ears. I had to cover my child’s ears and whisk them away quickly. I hope they weren’t exposed to the grunts for too long because if they start making that noise at school, I am certain I’ll get a phone call from the school administration prying into my very wholesome and quiet home life. I’ve heard tennis is a sophisticated sport, but those grunts and that POP just about did me in!
Why not consider an engineered solution to reduce the noise?
https://www.google.com/search?q=pickleball+noise+attenuation&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS856US856&oq=pickleball+noise+attenuation&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMggIAxAAGBYYHjINCAQQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAUQABiGAxiABBiKBTIHCAYQIRigATIHCAcQIRigATIHCAgQIRigATIHCAkQIRigAdIBCTMyNzQ2ajBqN6gCGrACAeIDBBgBIF8&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:0bb9a894,vid:IbIw_BnN-yM,st:0
Michael, the resident is 100 feet from the court. Blankets don’t work at that distance as you know. At 100 feet, a building with a roof is about the only solution other than removing the court.
Michael, Pop, Pop, Pop doesn’t live in Annandale. They just hate pickleball and are on a mission to rid the world of it. That’s why compromise is not mentioned in any of their posts. They are the head of a hate group called Pickleball Noise Relief and live in California but for some reason she is very invested in closing our small court in the middle of woods, right next to the pool and school. Courts that are overwhelming supported by those living close to them. Maybe it’s so she can update her LinkedIn stats on how many pickleball courts she’s helped close, courts nowhere near where she lives. Those living in Annandale hope Oliver will hear his neighbors saying that want him to be at peace and want to work with him on a compromise that serves him and the community.
I am the administrator for pickleball noise relief group on Facebook. We are not a hate group! That’s pretty disgusting thing to say, or to label us. We are approximately 700 members who are experiencing noise nuisance, uninvited and uncompensated, destroying our ability to have peace quiet in our own homes. You can play your sport all you want. We couldn’t care less. As long as it’s not in our living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and backyards. Your pickleball noise does not belong in close proximity to those living nearby. This shouldn’t be hard to understand. If your mayor had three dogs barking for 10 hours in his driveway, you can bet see they would be removed. This noise is not like children playing, or tennis, or basketball, or freeway traffic. This noise is more like pistol shots or firecrackers. It is called impulsive noise and it is harmful to humans, animals and ecosystems. If it was your family or your parents whose lives have been turned upside down by this constant noise, you would have more compassion. Pickleball players who are not compassionate on this issue are, in my view, the real haters. The Anyway, I invite you to check out our group so that you can have a little more understanding of the disturbance being caused by pickleball too close to homes. Pickleball Noise Relief can be found on Facebook and on YouTube.
You can say pickleball noise sounds like whatever you want. You can say the noise is unwanted. But you dont live here in this community. A community asking to resolve the issue. Advocates from other towns and states need not be involved. Every location is different and maybe unique. Our community wants to have a conversation and work with each other. If you truly are an advocate for noise relief, your group should understand a peaceful resolution is always the best way forward.
Your group is a pickleball hate group. It doesn’t take long scrolling your page to find insults regarding the character of anyone who plays pickleball. Your group isn’t about bringing local communities together and supporting them to live in harmony and find compromise. You yourself live in California yet were celebrating the conversion of our little courts in the woods in Virginia. While Oliver has said his house is closest to the courts the reality of the situation is his house isn’t the closest and those who live in even closer proximity to the courts value them. His house isn’t 100ft from the courts according to multiple measurements. The tennis courts are closer than the pickleball courts to his home. We want to work with Oliver so he can live in peace.
It’s sad that people living out of state with no actual knowledge of local situations are fighting so hard to close pickleball courts that have no impact on them or their life. Hopefully more local authorities will start looking at where complaints are coming from so people from out of state can’t sway local neighborhoods.
To Not in my backyard: I think that you may have visited the wrong Facebook group. The Pickleball Noise Relief Facebook group advocates responsible pickleball play and we are always delighted when we see that courts are constructed in a location where no one will be hurt. I met with my city officials to help them construct more pickleball courts in appropriate locations. Why don’t you do the same? That the data comes from Annandale or another city does not matter. Experts’ scientific research on pickleball noise states that pickleball play is not compatible with the noise-sensitive land use of residences. Residence land use is always considered a noise-sensitive land use, did you not know that? USA Pickleball states this. Cities in Colorado have banned pickleball courts less than 350 feet from residences after having had Noise Impact Studies done, so why should the city of Annandale not follow the steps of cities that have spent tens of thousands of dollars in expert engineers acoustics and sound studies to make sure no one would be hurt?
Well ole wise one because you need to see who funded said research. If it’s an anti-pickleball group the findings maybe a wee bit biased. A blanket study can’t be done for every location because not everywhere is the same in regards to how noise travels and what other noise pollution is already in the area and a million other factors. We know you want to label any residential pickleball area as bad but to do so is short sighted and ill informed. Spare us the facts your teeny tiny group has collected we’ve seen them already and know the source.
USA Pickleball funds its research. If you know that USA Pickleball hires pickleball haters to conduct their studies, please name them here. Thank you.
Provide sources: you can’t just say that USA Pickleball has a position on something and provide no evidence. Well, I guess you can that’s basically the premise of your hate group- just keep repeating the same thing louder and louder until you get the attention of someone. If you have research from USA Pickleball saying that it is 100% against all wooded residential areas please post here. Not ‘research’ from your hate group but actually peer reviewed research from a credible source.
Being a denier does not make playing pickleball in appropriate locations okay. Do your research; Google “Pickleball Noise”, or visit the group and you will have all the necessary links to references.
So in short your answer is no. Pickleball Noise Relief is a great support group for miserable intolerant people. Life is too short for that tiny group especially when there’s PICKLEBALL to play.
If you are adverse to playing the popular, relatively quiet sport of tennis, how about badminton? Back in the day, my father set up the net in our backyard and we kids had a great time playing. And nobody was bothered by or complained about the noise.
Just saying there are choices.
Also, the majority people I know who have played pickleball have had injuries that either made them stop, or take time off to recover.
While badminton is a great game as is tennis this isn’t about finding another hobby. It’s about finding a way to be reasonable, follow established protocols created by the FCPA. Their own protocols state that noise mitigation should be a first step, removing or relocating courts a last step. FCPA has these protocols for a reason and hopefully their established guidelines will give the residents of Annandale some protection from the out of state group that is so heavily invested in these courts.
Why is this even an issue? If “a sound study conducted by an independent entity in 2023 revealed that pickleball courts should ideally be situated at least 250 feet away from residential properties”, it means that no pickleball court should be allowed less than 250 feet away from residential properties. There are people (and animals, it seems like) who are negatively being affected by the noise – there are MEDICAL and LEGAL ramifications to that. I agree with one of the posts that recommended badminton – or maybe TENNIS. Not being able to play pickleball is NOT the end of the world, people. Instead of thinking about baking pies, have you considered finding/learning other activities that would be less intrusive to the nearby residents? You should be more creative as a community to find activities that will bring joy and togetherness without sacrificing the health of others, however smaller minority they may represent.
Pickleball Noise Relief please go elsewhere and let the residents of Annandale handle this. FCPA has established guidelines on how to handle courts that are within 250ft of a home if they receive a complaint about pickleball noise. If you were from Annandale you would know that the immediate go to is not to remove the courts. It’s to work on a compromise with those who actually live here within 250 feet of these courts. We don’t expect you to know all the guidelines of local park authorities but those of us who live in Annandale are aware of FCPA’s policy on pickleball courts in residential areas and we are working with Ms. Cole and FCPA on a peaceful compromise. We know your hate group is not big on compromise but the residents of Annandale are and Ms. Cole has heard us loud and clear we want peace and compromise.
Why do you assume that I am not a resident of Annandale? I lived in Annandale for almost 20 years – smh. I have zero interest in pickleball and am speaking as someone who is not invested on either side. Having said that, I can tell a lot about how your group is handling this issue. I feel sorry for the residents who have to bend to this coercion that borderlines on bullying, since they *do not have a choice to move away from the noise*. If you attack the other group as the “hate group”, then you are representing a group who calls for “compromise” by being persistently selfish and entitled. How delusional. GL, nonetheless.
Passerby do you live near the courts? If so let’s meet. The community wants to work on a compromise. Many of us live within 250ft of these courts so perhaps we know each other already. We know many of our neighbors because that’s the type of community we have. We would love to meet you and brainstorm peaceful solutions. No insults, no bashing anyone’s hobbies but meeting to discuss facts, the nuisances of this court and how we can live in harmony (like we have done for many years). Most people who play here walk to the courts and are active community members so perhaps we’ve crossed paths already.
Words such as ‘haters’, ‘complainers’, etc., are pejorative words to disqualify other human beings. There are almost 800 people on the Pickleball Noise Relief Group on Facebook. Do you think that people enjoy spending their precious time trying to protect themselves from people who think that comprise can be when it causes pain to others? By disqualifying these 800 people you are showing your level of empathy for those who suffer. How can you put your game before the peaceful comfort of others? Why can you not be sympathetic to those your noise harms?
We know your group is small it shows that being bothered by pickleball noise is an exception not the rule. While your group has 800 people many pickleball groups have over 500,000. That’s some lopsided math. Not to say that your teeny tiny group’s feelings don’t matter they do. But repeating biased findings doesn’t make it fact. Like we’ve said in OUR neighborhood we have a lot of noise and much of it is far more bothersome than pickleball that’s played a few times a week. Why can’t you understand that the people who live in Annandale know the community better than you. Why can’t you be sympathetic to that. Why oh why little troll 🧌.
Your comments about our group are untrue. If you can find any hateful comments on our group, please copy and paste them here. Yes, there are more players than people afflicted by the noise. Most players come to play and then drive to their homes away from the courts. A small percentage of people live near courts at hearing distance from the courts. Does this mean these unlucky residents should stuff it and live with it? Please be considerate of people living near community parks. Pickelabll courts need their own space as they are not compatible with sensitive land use such as residential land use.
Where do you want me to start- maybe with your post claiming VICTORY that a court across country is being closed. Or another post calling pickleball players a cult or the multiple posts admitting to trolling on this very article. It’s not hard to prove that you are an out of town pickleball hate group. AGAIN we realize you aren’t from here and you don’t realize that their might be two balls at most bouncing at one time. IT’S ALSO NOT TRUE THAT MOST PLAYERS DRIVE TO THE COURTS HERE!!! You aren’t from here so you don’t know that. We’ve already gone over the fact that the community HERE LIVING CLOSE TO THE COURTS values them. Please be considerate of our community and find someplace else to troll.
Dear Passerby – because each location is different. A Sound Study was not performed at Kendale Woods. The past weekend, a holiday weekend. I observed noise levels on a decibel meter measuring over 80 dbls continuously. This is above the noise ordinance of the county. However, this was when there was ZERO Pickleball played. When pickleball was played. I stood 100 feet, 150 feet and 200 feet away from the pickleball court (not courts). Static noise level was 50-55 DBL’s. Pickleball noise made that jump 5-10 DBL’s. 20+ DBL when people decided to celebrate something. Not sure what was celebrating or if that celebrating came from the court, I couldn’t see them past the trees. Based on these actual readings, proposing another sport would not be a resolution. This has been said many times by a few actual residents here on these comments. How about you let the community come to an understanding. The county has a protocol published that simply states, if there is a noise complaint, mitigation should be considered. So let us work on it and consider it. No one here has the right to tell someone to play tennis or badminton instead. This would be the same logic as me telling our one neighbor to put in earplugs instead. But we are not saying that, we are saying let’s talk and understand as a community.
So you are saying that sound and acoustic engineers are wrong about the impulsive nature of pickleball and that you know better than them? I am not sure what you are trying to disqualify here.
If those acoustic engineers are members of the pickleball noise relief, yes they very well could be wrong and certainly biased and Jackson’s points are valid regardless. It seems to that you have trouble understanding many valid points that don’t fit into your anti-pickleball handbook.
So if I complain to FCPA regarding the tennis courts, they will remove them even if the rest of the neighborhood wants the courts
Well, we need to get a dedicated group of anti-tennis players together to study the health impacts of tennis grunts so they can label the noise as a public health nuisance. I mean you never know when a grunt is coming and to live with those sounds infiltrating your bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom, it’s enough to drive anyone mad. While some grunts might be welcome in those areas, tennis grunts are not. It’s a great way to tear down communities and turn neighbors against each other.
Pat, your comment is gaslighting. No one says that tennis is a problem. Tennis has been played for over 100 years in the United States without any complaints. Pickleball came in and complaints are multiplying all over the US, Canada, and more. USA Pickleball admits that their game is loud. Pickleball is more like racquetball than tennis. Anyway, comments like yours are what is creating problems in communities.
Pop Pop you must stop stop. Talk about gaslighting you pickleball haters are the most ridiculous group I’ve encountered in recent memory. Your mean spirited comments are such a contrast to the comments from the local folks. Our community members are not creating issues but you are. Take your little gray braids back to Cali and do your hate your work out there. It’s not shocking that people in your own community are calling your little pickleball noise relief group what it is which is a hate group. You can almost feel the hate coming off your every comment. Leave my neighbors alone and go fight battles in your own home. You are causing community problems not the residents of Annandale. Pop pop on along and take your negativity and vengeance else where.
Why such hateful comments? No one is calling you names. Why make it personal? Let’s keep it to pickleball noise, will you? The fact that you cannot defend the noise with enough scientific evidence to show that this is appropriately located doesn’t make it right for you to attack people personally.
Are you kidding me? We have said loud and clear that we want compromise. You have said compromise can’t be made because your biased facts claim pickleball is harmful to a tiny group of ears. You are the one who’s defenseless. Like others have said earlier, it’s time for you to move on and find a new victim because in Annandale, we aren’t buying your nonsense. We have acoustic engineers and lawyers of our own who don’t need GoFundMes to raise a measly $1,000. The age of fake news is over, and it’s time for you to get over yourself and your biased facts.
Pop Pop, go back and read your comments. They are full of hate, vengeance, and insults. I’m sorry I mentioned your gray hair—it’s often a badge of wisdom, but not always. Some people get disgruntled and hate the sound of joy as they get older. I feel sorry for them. Pop Pop, are you out of VA yet? If not, keep on popping—we don’t want you here.
No worries. I am not that old and I don’t have gray hair. 🙂
You want to go scientific let’s go:
NIH (have you heard of them they’re local): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9988900/
More NIH: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8391496/
Have you heard of peer reviewed: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15588661231156139
Here’s more: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368436669_Physical_Activity_Associated_with_Older_Adult_Pickleball_Participation_A_Pilot_Study
And more: https://www.onfocus.news/health-benefits-of-pickleball-research-shows-improved-fitness-lowers-risk-of-depression/
And more: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/japa/28/2/article-p180.xml
We can go on all day long with the benefits of pickleball by PEER REVIEWED sources. Can you?
No
No
No
No, you can’t because Pickleball Noise Relief is not a credible source.
A few points here. 1 – There seems to be much talk about how impulsive sounds of pickleball, etc etc etc. If Tennis were as popular, you would have noise problems too. Sorry, not sorry. It’s true. Fact is the noise at one converted tennis court does not even topple the impulse sound decibels which according to the county are ok and reasonable. 2. This location in question, has nothing but impulse noises constantly and pickleball is not it’s main source. Sound here consistently measures 70 decibels constantly. Pickleball might be played here at best 2 hours a day. If a sound study was performed here, it would be very different than a sound study from Walter Reed or Lewnsvill Park. (BTW, Lewinsvill park is less than 250 feet from a home, and 6-8 courts. So why not have the hate group attack them since they play all day). 3. Sorry, you are a hate group. You do noting positive here. The community here is literally sitting at a table to have a discussion, follow established park protocols, saying we can mitigate now that we know there is an problem to solve, and all you do is state pickleball noise is terrible, tennis is great. You actually celebrate on your facebook page a location where pickleball is present, has been present for quite some time, has many courts, also has tennis courts. But the pickleball courts are too close to tennis courts and you celebrate that one tennis court was saved from being allowed share usage. You promote Tennis courts over pickleball courts, Not sound mitigation. Pick a lane. 4. Lastly, I am sorry to point this out. But yes, If I call and complain that the noise of the constant basketball being played in the park is a nuisance to me. The sound of the ball hitting the backboard is causing me anxiety, the dribbling sounds are worse, I expect that complaint to be considered as much as this complaint with pickleball. Oh, sorry, I’m supposed to make this about tennis vs pickleball. The sounds of multiple games of tennis balls being slammed is like someone shooting paint balls non stop in my backyard. As a decorated vietnam war vet, that sound is causing me Ptsd. Yeah, your not going to agree with my rant here and I don’t expect you to. The best solution for Kendale Woods is to let the community be a community. FCPA has published guidlines to follow. Follow them, next step is to mitigate, not remove. Remove should be the last resort for a location that has had pickleball played at for many years before there were ever county provided portable nets. We used the tennis nets before. Not for nothing, this location should be grandfathered in as the “study” that established guidelines were established well after these courts were established. Anyone that moves to this location will have full knowledge of whats here. Anyone already living here wanting something done – There is a representative right here on this form a few time over stating to agree to meet and work it out. Seems that is the right thing to do. What’s the worst that can happen there? Try something and decide it’s not enough so have to form a new strategy?
I performed a sound test here this morning when a group of player were playing. FCPA if your reading this, I am happy to share my recordings. This certainly supports the need for a sound test here to validate any nuisance sounds we want to self identify. I took readings from 200 feet, 100 feet, and sitting right next to the court. Avg reading was 55-60 dbl. The highest reading I recorded was 71dbls. 80 is the impulse sound according FFX noise ordnance. My point here is not to invalidate one home who does not want to hear the sound. It simply to show this is not a Walter read or Glendale park situation. Each situation should be its own and not covered by a blanket study performed at a highly used location. Again, one converted tennis court, surrounded by woods. A Court used at most 2 hours daily avg. Weekends, might get 3 hours of usage in conjunction with the pool noise. For the record, Players were using an onyx ball and Franklin 40. Some had older starter paddles, some had gen 1 higher end paddles.
Firstly, thank you for your service to our country. Secondly, you are right, I do not agree with everything you say. To tag us as a hate group is untrue and not fair. In their research, USA Pickleball found that the sound of pickleball is four times louder than tennis. Most people won’t complain or even voice their discomfort because they are afraid to be retaliated against. We aim to make sure that no one is left suffering while they are being silenced by much bigger groups of players. I hope you understand that our mission is not to stop pickleball play. I met with my city to ask them for more courts constructed at appropriate locations. I would appreciate you not making us sound like the villains you talk about in your comment. Again, thank you for your service.
You aren’t from here. Here in Annandale, we’ve watched each other’s children grow since they were babies. We know which kids need a hug and which ones need space when they are upset. We are here to support each other and bring out the best in each other. It’s clear you don’t have that where you are from, and I am sorry for that. Maybe you should come to Annandale so you can meet the residents and get to know the kind, educated, pickleball-loving folks that live here. We don’t think pickleball is more important than the peace in our community, which is why we have said loud and clear: come and talk to us. We are about peace, happiness, and COMPROMISE. We know, Pop Pop, that’s not your game, but you don’t live here. Your fake news needs to be stopped. Top health organizations know that pickleball is a healthy activity, and they know a lot more than a couple of pickleball haters.https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-04-20/pickleball-the-health-benefits-of-a-sport-thats-boomed-in-the-pandemic
I am not denying the health benefits for the players, I am stating the health risks for the ones afflicted by the noise. Even pickleball players had to stop playing because they developed Tinnitus from the high dBA the game creates inches away from their ears. If you see a bogus study on Pickleball Noise Relief, please share it here. I know we don’t have any, but if you find anything please share it here. Thank you.
I haven’t seen a legitimate study on your wee teeny tiny little page. Everything there is self indulgent bs from a tiny group of haters. There’s no real scientific information on that page. I can whip up some data and graphs real quick it doesn’t make it true. There’s so actual peer reviewed scientific data backing your claims. Since you’re not from Annandale or VA please go away.
Your comments are untrue and unfounded. We work with acoustics and sound experts, experts in paddle games, health organizations, etc. Visit Pickleball Noise Relief on YouTube to see the videos made by these experts. Denying that your game is too loud for residential neighborhoods does not make creating that type of noise okay.
Making up facts doesn’t make them true. Go take your made up news someplace else. FCPA doesn’t have a habit of siding with hate groups
Thank you for your service? You aren’t familiar with Annandale, but people here do real service for our country. We are right outside of DC, where the Pentagon is and where Arlington National Cemetery is. Are you comparing trying to compare pickleball with the service provided by our military—our military who are our neighbors, our friends? I hope not. We do thank our military for their service; we don’t give pickleball advocates or foes the same regard. Please do not disrespect the MANY military families in Annandale with that comment. We DO thank our military for their service today and every day—pickleball has nothing to do with that.
Please re-read my post; I thank every military man and woman I meet even though I do not live near DC or the Pentagon. Where I live, we thank our service people whenever we have the chance. It is the right thing to do.
You are acting like fighting pickleball and serving our country are the same thing. Go back to Cali- we don’t want you here.
I am sorry but I simply do not understand what you are referring to. Playing pickleball and serving one’s country has nothing to do with the other. One is an act of heart and sacrifice while the other is a game.
You are the villain – as long as your commenting on our local issue and you do not live here. Go the f*&^ away and let us figure it out