Centennial leaders zero in on pickleball noise amid moratorium

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Amid a moratorium on pickleball, o cials in Centennial are narrowing down ways to lessen the impacts of the sport’s noise before giving the green light to game play near homes. One factor in their decision could be what a sound expert dubs “impulsive sounds” -- sudden noises that are distracting enough to make it difcult for people to relax and may even result in long-term psychological issues.

“ e reason that we’re taking a look at pickleball noise is the long-term impacts of it,” said Neil Marciniak, the city’s director of community and economic development.

In March, the city council passed a six-month moratorium on new applications or approvals for outdoor pickleball courts within 500 feet of residential uses.

is month, noise consultant Lance Willis, the principal acoustical engineer of Spendiarian & Willis Acoustics and Noise Control, turned in a study on the issue to the city: “Pickleball Noise Impact Assessment and Abatement Planning.” e study found the main concern for residents who live close to pickleball courts is the “popping” sound the hard plastic ball makes when it is struck by paddles. ose random, persistent sounds, described as “impulsive,” can create annoyance because they are “similar to sounds that contain important information about our environment such as footsteps, a door opening, a tap at the window, or speech,” the study said.

“Continuous false alarms such as the popping sound draws the attention, creating distraction,” the study said. e study noted that lower-amplitude sound can have “adverse long term physiological e ects.” e most important factor to consider when selecting a site for pickleball courts is the distance to adjacent residential areas, according to the study.

Typically, pickleball courts located within 350 feet of residential properties require noise abatement and those that a are closer, within 150 feet, require “extensive” noise dampening, the study said. ose within 100 feet are not recommended and have “proven to be problematic,” leading to lawsuits, strict limitations on usage and court closures.

Pickleball courts within 500 feet to 600 feet of “noise sensitive areas” should be straightforward approach to … pickleball noise abatement by using an appropriate setback distance, limiting hours of operation and monitoring lighting,” Jessica Lacambra, a Centennial city planner, said.

Lacambra said if newly proposed outdoor, permanent courts could not meet these standards, then the setbacks might be reduced with additional measures and a required noise study from a quali ed acoustical engineer.

Physical noise barriers, hours of operation, lighting rules, the directional orientation of the courts, and the number of courts all are considerations, she added. Another way to reduce pickleball noise is requiring di erent equipment, such as a foam ball rather than the typical plastic one. However, dard to enforce would be speech, whether that be volume or content,” she said.

Neil Marciniak with the city said there’s lots of details still to consider before the city has a plan.

“What … sta is gonna have to settle on and council will have to agree to is: What is that sound level that gives us the most comfort, gives our residents the most protection, and ultimately, hopefully arrives at the fewest noise complaints?” Marciniak said.

Councilmember Candace Moon said the city needs to be “very careful and equitable in how we craft this ordinance.”

“ ere’s a lot of choices that can be made as far as how we choose to have an ordinance,” she added.

City sta is expected to seek additional input from ers, such as neighborhood ation districts, and homeowners associations. e city previously collected public input through its website, asking for feedback on what level of government regulation of outdoor pickleball courts residents would like to see. Residents can see the comments people shared by visiting: bit.ly/cenpickleball. custom installation charges, equipment upgrades/add-ons, and certain other add’l fees & chrgs. See directv.com/directv-fees/ for additional information. $10/MO. AUTOPAY AND PAPERLESS BILL DISCOUNT: Must enroll in autopay & paperless bill within 30 days of TV activation to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles (pay $10 more/mo. until discount begins). Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue credits. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. All o ers, packages, programming, promotions, features, terms, restrictions and conditions and all prices and fees not included in price guarantee are subject to change without notice. Package, Advanced Receiver Service Fee, Regional Sports Fee (varies by zip code) and equipment fees for TV connections are included in two-year price guarantee. Taxes, surcharges, add-on programming (including premium channels), protection plan, transactional fees, and Federal Cost Recovery Fee are not included in two-year price guarantee. Some o ers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Di erent o ers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit. Visit directv.com/legal/ or call for details. Access HBO Max through HBO Max app or hbomax.com with your DIRECTV log-in credentials. Visit directv.com to verify/create your account. Use of HBO Max is subject to its own terms and conditions, see hbomax.com/terms-of-use for details. Programming and content subj. to change. Requires account to stay in good standing. Upon cancellation of your video service you may lose access to HBO Max. If you cancel your

City sta will also assess likely pickleball court locations to evaluate potential noise risks and applicability of the potential regulations.

According to the city’s website, the public hearings and consideration of regulations is expected to occur around August/September.

If residents have questions or concerns, the city said it is available via email at centennialplanning@centennialco.gov. ose interested in learning more can visit bit. ly/cenpick.