Popular Victoria pickleball court closing due to noise complaints
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Pickleball players will soon be down a space to play as the City of Victoria closes a mixed-use court at Todd Park.
Starting April 1, pickleball players will no longer be able to use the tennis court at Todd Park, which had pickleball lines painted on it back in 2018.
The city says it's shutting down the court to pickleball players due to a growing number of noise complaints from nearby residents, and as the court sees an exponential increase in usage.
According to city spokesperson Bill Eisenhauer, it's currently industry standard to have pickleball courts be at least 50 metres away from the nearest home due to the amount of sound the rackets and balls make.
However, those standards were not in place when the pickleball lines were added to the court in Todd Park in 2018, just 17 metres from the nearest homes.
The city also says it's heard from both tennis players and pickleball players that they prefer dedicated courts for just one sport or the other.
The Victoria Regional Pickleball Association, however, says the city did not provide users with enough of a notice that the court was closing, and provided no opportunity for pickleball players to have their say.
"We're concerned that we're losing a space when demand is high," said Connie McCann, president of the Victoria Regional Pickleball Association (VRPA).
With a growing number of pickleball players emerging in the city, particularly since the pandemic began, it's hard to find court time for pickleball players.
