Andalucia Pickleball Court Noise Dispute: Residents of the Andalucia neighborhood in Apollo Beach, Florida, are upset after the Homeowners’ Association decided to replace their clay tennis courts with new pickleball courts. The change has raised concerns about noise, mental health, and property values. The timeline for the construction is still unknown.
Community Pushback Over Noise
Some neighbors are strongly against the decision. They worry about how loud pickleball is compared to tennis. Robert Davi, a Hollywood actor who lives in the community, said, “The continued bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong that you’ll get maybe 4500 times an hour … I’m being very calm, very respectful, but I am more than pissed off about it. It’s an injustice. It’s an injustice. It’s not fair. It’s not right.”
Another resident, Michael Wasielewski, a Vietnam War veteran with PTSD, lives next to the courts. He also fears how the noise will affect his health. “This, tennis court pickleball initiative is doing, basically turning your neighbors, into your enemies. My concern is the acoustics associated with the game. My concern about it is the hours that they will be allowed to play that sport. It’s early morning into the night,” he said.
The HOA’s Reason for the Switch
The President of the Andalucia Homeowners’ Association shared a statement in response. It said the Board made the decision after an 18-month process that included Town Halls, surveys, and meetings. The Board believes most of the community supports the change.
According to the statement, “The Andalucia Master Association Board respects all residents’ opinions. In fact, in relation to the current racquet court conversion, the board has facilitated a series of Townhalls, resident surveys, and Board meetings sessions over an eighteen month period to enable input from all perspectives. With the community’s input and overwhelming support, bar a few members, the Board made a decision that is in the community’s best interest from a fiduciary perspective to convert clay courts that are extremely costly to maintain and only utilized by roughly five percent of the community. The conversion of one of the existing tennis courts to two pickleball court allows both existing and prospective homeowners access to the fastest growing and most highly-sought after racquet sport. The other court will be dedicated solely to the few remaining tennis players in our community.”
What Happens Next
It is not clear when the project will start or when the courts will be ready. While many in the neighborhood support the change, others feel left out and frustrated. The issue may continue to stir debate as construction nears.
News in Brief: Andalucia Pickleball Court Noise Dispute
Residents in Apollo Beach’s Andalucia neighborhood are divided over a plan to replace tennis courts with pickleball courts. Some fear the noise will harm their peace and health. The HOA says most support the change after 18 months of talks. The start date for construction is still unknown.