Laguna Council Eyes 4 New Pickleball Sites After Noise Complaints

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—A South Laguna Beach retirement community is standing its ground with the city regarding the close proximity of pickleball courts. Residents say a mere 25 feet and a large green mesh fence separate the Lang Park pickleball courts from the Vista Aliso senior apartments. The fence does nothing to prevent the constant sound.

On Tuesday, Laguna Beach City Council will decide how to address the numerous noise complaints resulting from the courts, whether to spend $80,000 on environmental studies to relocate the court, further change hours or soundproof the nearby apartments.

In 2017, the city transformed an existing tennis court into pickleball. The popular sport quickly overtook the demand for tennis, and by 2020, the city had expanded its layout to the current three permanent lined courts.

Vista Aliso is an affordable rental housing community in Laguna Beach for seniors 62 and up. A total of 70 units edge Lang Park, and since the city transformed those courts into pickleball areas, the noise has been constant for retirees, both inside their homes and out on their balconies.

It's a constant "thock, thock, thock" of paddles striking balls, one resident told Patch.

Several affected Vista Aliso residents balked at the city's proposal to use funds to upgrade their homes with noise-reducing windows. "I'm not interested in being a prisoner inside my own house," one resident told Patch.

Vista Aliso resident Susana Cruciana told Patch in March that even with the new lower-decibel paddles purchased by the city, "the noise is constant."

In January, the council decided to reduce pickleball hours by 30 percent. On Tuesday, the council is contemplating further clarifying those hours from 9 a.m. to dusk on federal holidays falling on a Monday and a full closure on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Still, the council has an alternative plan: improving the soundproofing of the Vista Aliso apartments for residents affected by the noise of the popular game.

Residents have told Patch that the soundproofing idea has been struck from the council agenda. Michael Litschi, Director of Transit and Community Services, wrote in an agenda report that if that decision is made, $80,000 earmarked for environmental analysis for relocating the court would be transferred to replacing windows. The cost would be between $8,000 and $12,000 per unit, according to the financial analysis.

"If the City Council would like to move forward with offering dual-pane windows at Vista Aliso using the $80,000 in funding previously approved for environmental studies, staff recommends that the city work with the Vista Aliso property manager to coordinate installation for only the residents interested in the windows with the selected contractor," Litschi said.

Still, vocal residents concerned about the impacts of pickleball noise at Lang Park told staff that they are no longer interested in receiving dual-pane windows as they do not believe they will adequately address their concerns.

As the city decided in January, the pickleball courts are closed on Mondays and open 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 8 a.m. to dusk on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Lang Park initiated a "quiet paddle and ball" mandate for city-sponsored pickleball classes in May, which, according to the Parks and Recreation Department, was met with much enthusiasm for some and frustration for others.

According to Tuesday's council agenda, those paddles and balls are available for residents to use at Lang Park at cost.

The answer to the noise issues at Lang Park may be as simple as alternate locations following environmental study. Potential sites could include:

• Moulton Meadows Park, at the far northeast end of the park, that borders county property.
• Alta Laguna Park, on the grass area behind the existing pickleball courts, resulted 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,
• New pickleball courts will be added to the inland side of Aliso Beach Park.

If the council decides to proceed with environmental analysis, the work could take 15 weeks of study with DeNovo Planning Group, prepared to set to work "immediately," according to Litschi. "The environmental analysis proposed would be more detailed than higher-level planning work contemplated for city buildings and recreational facilities as part of the city's facilities master plan."