Hidden Valley Park Pickleball Noise: The city of Martinez, California, is facing complaints from residents living near Hidden Valley Park over noise from newly added pickleball courts. The issue, sparked by the game’s loud sounds, has led to community tensions, city intervention, and growing frustration from those directly affected.
Pickleball Popularity Meets Local Pushback
Pickleball’s fast rise has encouraged cities to convert tennis courts to meet demand. Martinez followed suit by adding eight pickleball courts to Hidden Valley Park in February. But for residents like Jason Garry, who lives just 30 feet away, the sharp popping sounds of the game have become unbearable.
“Pickleball has a really distinct popping sound. A sharp popping sound and it makes people nearby miserable,”. “It’s been really hard. We hear it in the morning and then we hear it when we go to bed. And that, that’s very horrible.”(Jason Garry)
Garry said he installed a fountain in his yard to block the noise. He also noted that the city added sound blankets—but only on one side of the courts, leaving his home exposed.
“The city has their reasoning for why we didn’t get them,”. “I think it was a little negligent that we didn’t get them, because it would have provided relief for the residents.”(Jason Garry)
City’s Response and Pilot Program
Eve Kearney, Martinez’s public information officer, confirmed the city knew sound could be a problem and noted no complaints had been made when the courts were used only for tennis. Kearney recently visited the site to install signs announcing new rules: play is allowed only from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and players are encouraged to respect neighbors.
“Engineering has looked at a couple of different options,”. “Right now, the sound blankets put on this side…that may be an option later down the road, but we’re trying all these different things before we go down that route, because that is a bigger cost.
And we would have to reconstruct, I believe, certain parts of the fence just to be able to hold that type of weight.”( Eve Kearney)
The city has launched a 90-day pilot program to test whether new time limits and signs can ease tensions.
Mixed Reactions from Nearby Residents
Not everyone near the courts is upset. Manny Myerson, who lives around 100 feet away, said the changes have helped.
“There was some concerns, maybe parking and noise. I think I’m far enough away to where the sound doesn’t even bother me,”. “Mostly, parking on the street, I didn’t know how busy it was going to be. When it first opened up, there was more crowds. But I think they put signage there and it seems to be better.”(Manny Myerson)
But those living closer still suffer from the ongoing noise. Garry, feeling ignored, said he is considering legal action.
“There’s no faith. There is no faith in that. I think human nature is to go against recommendations. And they’re pretty set in their ways,”. “It’s a lot of people who come, they drive 20 minutes. They park and they go play. And they love it and I understand why.
They don’t have to listen to the noise for 12 hours. And that is really impacting the residents.”(Jason Garry)
New rules also suggest using quieter equipment and not parking on residential streets. However, these guidelines are not strictly enforced, leaving many neighbors still feeling unheard.
News in Brief: Hidden Valley Park Pickleball Noise
Martinez residents near Hidden Valley Park are upset over loud pickleball noise after the city added eight new courts. Despite time limits and sound blankets, many nearby homeowners say the noise remains a problem. A 90-day pilot program is underway to see if the city’s changes can ease tensions.
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