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BROCKVILLE – One of the fastest growing sports in North America has created a division in Brockville that has led to noise problems, verbal abuse and even vandalism.
Pickleball, a sport of paddleball that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton, evokes horror from neighbors who say the sport is too hard.
Players say they have been shouted, their nets cut and a new door installed because they felt dangerous. Both players and residents agree that the fields should be relocated, but say the city is pulling its feet.
For homeowner Andy Mannseichner, whose house is behind the courts, noise is the main thing.
“It’s been overwhelming as a homeowner,” he said. “When they let the pickle ball come into this area, they really didn’t test the noise level at all, so it’s been a real problem.”
The courts were installed in 2018 on one of two unused tennis courts along Stowger Boulevard just before the pickle ball grew in popularity.
Neighbors say a buzzing ball and loud paddle make more noise than tennis.
“I know the whole neighborhood revolving around the courts has been particularly struggling with it. It has had a very negative impact on people,” added Mannseichner, who has used a decibel reader to measure noise.
“The noise seems to be driving up. I’m in the two-story section. I’ve gotten almost ninety decibels, 85-90, several times,” Mannseichner said, “The ground level seems to buffer it a bit, but you know our bedroom is in front of them, so when they work 13, 14 hours a day, it drives you crazy. ”
The city has limited playing time on the fields until 6pm, but Mannseichner says it’s not enough.
“It has given us a little rest,” he said. But it still gives them plenty of playing time seven days a week. “
Pickleball player Brian Branchard agrees that sports are noisy, but so are others.
“It’s a social activity, isn’t it?” he said. “You can hear a laugh in the background, that’s exactly what the sport is supposed to be, whether it’s a designated hockey or basketball hall. You want to encourage that kind of interaction and activity. That’s what public parks are for.
“What actually happened, the interest and use of these courts has exploded, so it has been a great result,” he added. “What unfortunately happened as a result of success and use, there have been some noise complaints. We acknowledge that.”
According to the players, the fields should be moved
Branchard agrees to move the courts to a better location, away from a residential area where there could be better parking and possibly washrooms.
“There are several places in the city that can be used this way and that take very little to convert,” he said. We actually want to see another location that didn’t affect the neighborhood. We do not want to be confrontations.
Branchard said verbal attacks have taken place both inside and outside the courts, and a new doorway was added along the fence for security reasons.
“Unfortunately, it has become a very toxic environment that is very divisive,” he said. “Our networks have been cut, many of our members are worried that if someone goes as far as they have gone and actually attacked people and cut off our networks, we don’t know what might happen next.”
The Brockville Pickleball Association has about 340 members, about 170 of whom live in the city.
Branchard says some members have stopped playing on Stowger fields and instead played out of town, in nearby communities like Newboro or Lansdowne.
“We are concerned about our safety, and that is a major concern for many family members who have begun to come out, but also just for the general pickle ball community,” Branchard added.
“I’m disappointed with that,” said Leigh Bursey, a Brockville councilor living in the neighborhood. “I hate to see anyone feel uncomfortable being in the state they are in, regardless of differences of opinion.”
He said he heard the complaints and while he was happy the underused tennis courts got a new life, he admits that the fast-growing sport got the city caught up.
“I think only a few of us were waiting, if any of us at all, for this to flourish in such a heavily exploited space,” he said.
“Sometimes it can be very, very difficult to know where NIMBY ends and where serious things start,” he added. “Obviously, it has flourished into what I don’t think any of us meant, and the saltball players and residents think everyone would like to see a common solution that works for both parties.”
Proposed new locations
A few new location ideas have been proposed, including the YMCA or Memorial Center.
Branchard says the city should make a short-term plan to alleviate the noise and then find a new location for a designated pickleball facility that could welcome players from across the province.
“I’ve played in the US and we get tournaments for over 900 people,” he said. “You can’t tell me that local businesses wouldn’t benefit from hosting a three-day tournament with 900 people coming into the community.”
Mannseichner says that even limiting playing time would still reassure homeowners until another solution is found.
I would like to see half and a half of the situation where they are allowed to play three and a half days a week and we have three and a half days of quiet time, “he said.” On top of that, they have to move it. There is no doubt. I know pickleball players themselves would rather see it from this neighborhood. So I think we could have a common fight on our part. “
Both Branchard and Mannseichner say the city has not given enough notice of the court plan.
According to Bursey, the council is aware of the problem and is working on it, and that all parties have been copied from the mayor’s correspondence.
“I just hope everyone can get along,” Mannseichner said. ” We could be happy in the medium term, and I hope the city opens their eyes.
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