BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
The Palo Alto Parks and Recreation Commission wants pickleball players to quiet the high-pitched popping sounds of their sport, which is stressing out disabled kids using a nearby playground at Mitchell Park.
“We need to find a solution for the sound no matter what,” Commissioner Shani Kleinhaus said on Tuesday night.
Commissioner Bing Wei said the pickleball club should explore fences, panels, netting, curtains or trees to stop sounds from carrying. She also suggested using quieter paddles or reorienting the courts.
“Particularly because of proximity to the Magical Bridge Playground — a very unique, important, inclusive space serving children of all abilities, including neurodiverse children and families seeking a calmer, more accessible environment,” Wei said. Neurodiverse is a term that includes a broad group of neurological conditions including ADHD and autism.
The nonprofit AbilityPath is opening 50 apartments for adults with developmental disabilities nearby at 525 E. Charleston Road.
“I don’t know whether they’ll be able to use their outdoor space there because of the sound,” Kleinhaus said.
No new courts
Commissioners voted 7-0 on Tuesday (May 26) against replacing two tennis courts with eight tennis courts at Mitchell Park. They encouraged pickleball and tennis players to work together to find space somewhere else, where noise and parking are less of an issue.
“If we could create the dream pickleball location, where would it be?” Commissioner Amanda Brown asked.
Tuesday’s meeting had about 40 people weigh in.
Pickleball players said the sport has helped them stay active and connected with a community, but long wait times between games make it difficult to play regu-larly.
Families not coming to park
Tennis players said they’ve already lost enough court space. Representatives of the Magical Bridge Foundation said families have stopped coming to their playground because of the pickleball noise.
Resident Leny Tan said she can hear the sharp, repetitive popping of pickleball from her home a half-mile away at 93 Roosevelt Circle. She said eight courts would add 60,000 pops per day.
“It is not background noise you can tune out,” Tan said. “Research from acoustic professionals describes it as similar to a dripping faucet — the kind of sound that keeps pulling your attention back no matter what you are doing.”
Here is the simplest answer to the noise crisis at these court, USAP Approved Quiet paddles. 3 models to chose from ranged in price from $29.95, $99 and $199
Made in USA
I like pickleball a lot since tennis is just too hard and difficult for me to achieve