The Wellesley Recreation Commission on Monday, May 15 met to discuss the latest on the town’s pickleball dilemma, figuring out how to satisfy both people who want to play the paddle sport and neighbors who want relief from the noise.

The Commission had planned to discuss a proposal for a sound study from a firm called HMMH introduced at its previous meeting, but that outfit decided not to make a bid after receiving the town’s request, which was for a multifaceted study across courts, weather conditions, time of day, and use of different types of pickleball equipment, including sound-muffling gear.

That left most of the meeting for commissioners to deliberate over a recommendation to the School Committee, which oversees the courts at Sprague Field, Wellesley’s pickleball hotbed.

The meeting started with citizen speak, including from neighbors who pleaded with the Commission to find other places in town for pickleball to be played. One caller, Rob Mastroianni from Falmouth, described a lawsuit that neighbors have brought against the town of Falmouth over pickleball noise and a temporary injunction that has shut down courts for pickleball. “We’re going to court feeling pretty good and positive,” he said, noting that the Sprague court situation isn’t all that different than the one in Falmouth. “There’s not a lot of reason why the abutters and neighbors [in Wellesley] shouldn’t take the same path,” he said. Though added: “I think it should be avoided, it’s very divisive…”

After a quick look at pickleball reservation data in town over the past year (1,000-plus reservations), Rec Commission Chair Paul Cramer laid out a possible scenario that would entail initial compromise followed by a long-term solution of locating pickleball courts away from homes.

The near-term solution could involve moving the current Sprague courts a bit further away within the same court facility, tightening hours of play, and requiring use of quieter equipment, plus painting lines for four pickleball courts at the Hunnewell tennis courts on Washington Street to help the town keep up with demand for play. Putting up screens to shield neighbors from pickleball isn’t seen as a viable option given the way sound travels and the elevation of some properties above the courts.

“In the interim until we get to a solution where we’ve got courts at Morses Pond or somewhere else, we try to accommodate the people who are trying to get some exercise, and we try to make life less miserable for the neighbors,” Cramer said.

The longer-term solution could involve courts at a location away from homes, such as the Morses Pond parking lot.

Rec’s next move will be to reach out to the School Committee, which oversees the Sprague Field courts, and the Natural Resources Commission, which oversees the Hunnewell courts. Things are intertwined, as the school system has previously asked not to have pickleball at the Hunnewell courts, where the high school tennis teams practice and play.

Pickleball at Wellesley Country Club on Aug. 7

If you want to get fancy, the Charles River Regional Chamber invites members and non-members to take part in a round-robin pickleball tournament at Wellesley Country Club’s revamped racquet center. After play, you’re invited to a BBQ with those taking part in the chamber’s pickleball and golf events on Monday, Aug. 7.

More: At Wellesley hearing on pickleball noise, the sound of compromise breaks through

Sounding off on Wellesley pickleball noise

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The Wellesley Recreation Commission continues to explore options for satisfying both pickleball players and neighbors, some of whom have complained about the noisiness of the popular paddle sport. No changes to the current locations or playing times have taken place, but the Commission did have a couple of updates to share with the public.

The discussion starts about 63 minutes into the meeting (Wellesley Media recording).

Recreation Department Director Matt Chin said Rec met recently with School Committee and Natural Resources Commission reps, as those latter two organizations oversee the properties where pickleball is played outside in town (Sprague Fields, Schofield, Perrin Park).

“One of the big things that came out of it was just getting basic data about who thinks what about these courts being used,” Chin said, adding there are plans to survey abutters. (There have been instances of confrontations between players and neighbors that Rec’s hoping to put a stop to.)

There’s also a move afoot to get an outfit to measure the sound—decibel levels and ambient sound readings—at the locations. This will probably cost Rec about $7K and plans are to get the measurements going over the next few weeks. Having data should enable the Recreation Commission to make recommendations to the town land overseers.

Rec reps also recently made a field trip to Burlington to get a better feel for how the sound-reducing fencing they’re using works, and while that town seems satisfied with the mitigation method, Wellesley’s not so sure it will be effective here, especially for residents who live above court levels.

The town may wind up making short-term changes (say moving the Sprague pickleball lines to courts on that property further from the residences and reducing hours) with an eye toward making long-term changes, such as possibly putting courts at the Morses Pond parking lot area. Pickleball has not been located at the Hunnewell tennis courts on Rte. 16 mainly because the Wellesley Public Schools athletic program has asked Rec not to allow it due to conflicts with school sports. There was some talk about the possibility of encouraging players to use equipment designed to be quieter, but monitoring that would be a nightmare.

The meeting included a handful of citizen speakers, all of whom encouraged the Commission to appreciate the community that has arisen around pickleball in town, introducing people to new sets of friends across age groups on the court and that have carried over off the court. While strongly urging Rec to allow for pickleball outdoors, they also said they hope to find solutions that neighbors will be OK with. As several said, the sport is only becoming more popular, meaning that demand for more courts is coming.

Related: Natick pickleball meeting draws a crowd—and lots of ideas

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Wellesley residents worn out from the pop-pop-pop of pickleballs at nearby courts compare the sound to everything from constantly dripping water to metronomes to the beep-beep-beep of a garbage truck backing up…all…day…long. They rose early to speak at an 8am Recreation Commission hearing on the subject on Friday (watch Wellesley Media recording), as commissioners weigh public input on how to best manage a growing controversy that pits pickleball players vs. those who live near the courts. Deliberation on the matter by the town body will take place at its next meeting at a date to be determined.

The Swellesley Report has been reporting on the rise of pickleball in town since 2018, including the push by enthusiasts for more places to play, the issue of tennis vs. pickleball, and the increase in noise complaints (including to the police). Dozens have weighed in on the pickleball noise issue as well on our Facebook page this week when we posted the notice about the hearing. The sweet sound of controversy in Wellesley has predictably lured the Boston Globe and local TV news stations to amplify coverage, though as the Los Angeles Times wrote this week, “Pickleball noise is fueling neighborhood drama from coast to coast.”

The town has responded to increased demand by players over the past few years by offering more indoor options at the Rec Center as well as by painting pickleball lines on existing tennis and basketball courts in town on land overseen by the Natural Resources Commission and School Committee. Now the town might rethink some of its court placements and hours in light of public feedback both from pickleball players and neighbors.

The first of about a dozen people to speak at the hearing was Kerry Sullivan, who said she and her husband bought their house that abuts Perrin Park back in the 1970s. Uses of the park have changed over the years from having a school to hosting youth sports and gatherings of dog owners, and Sullivan said she and her husband have adapted their schedules to deal with the noise, “knowing weekends will be a ‘no’ for outdoor use of our yard.” While the sound of youth activities isn’t a nuisance, Sullivan said pickleball is, as “a high impact noise approaching 90 decibels.” They’ve added expensive windows and blown in insulation in an effort to lessen the noise while indoors, and avoid the noisiest times outside, though that interferes with their main hobby of gardening.

Others, including those living near the courts at Sprague Field, shared similar frustration with the noise, which they said affects their health, including stress levels and concentration. John Smitka, who lives near the Sprague courts, asked the commission to consider the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. I would say that there is no one who would want 4 pickleball courts in their neighbor’s yard…”

Though some pickleball proponents cited a notion that we’ve heard regarding other controversies in town that pit neighbors vs. new uses of public land—you “chose” to live near a park, what did you expect? Even though, of course, plenty of people “chose” where they live based on what they can afford or for other reasons, and anyone but the newest of residents would not have anticipated the emergence of pickleball noise. Neighbors say the difference between the sound of tennis and pickleball is huge, in part because pickleball is played in a smaller area and the ball is hit more often, and in part because tennis balls are much softer. Some proponents say the happy sounds of players laughing and chatting evens things out.

One resident suggested the complaints about pickleball could be seen as exclusionary for older people who have gravitated to pickleball, though 1 player noted that pickleball is attracting players of all ages—she cited a Babson College student dropping in for a game at the Rec Center recently.

Kenna Juliani said she and her husband have embraced the pickleball community that has emerged in town, and lauded the Sprague courts for how they are maintained and for the ample parking. “We cannot live in a noise-free town,” she said, as a train zipped by her house. She also made suggestions for alternatives, including moving pickleball the the Sprague courts further from the townhouses and adding pickleball courts at Hunnewell field (the Rec Commission has said in the past that there could be issues with this based on the high school tennis teams’ use of these courts).

Others coming from a place of compromise also urged the town to consider other possible court locations that will have less impact on neighbors. One speaker repeated a suggestion she made at an earlier meeting that the commission check out Westborough’s outdoor courts, which are built away from homes. Several mentioned the possibility of locating courts at the Morses Pond parking lot.

In other communities, such as Natick, their main outdoor pickleball court has posted hours for tennis vs. pickleball to maintain some balance. The commission has also explored the concept of using special fencing to block sound, though noted this could cost tens of thousands of dollars, and does have some limitations on effectiveness.

Recreation Commission Chair Paul Cramer said at the end of the meeting “all options are on the table,” and invited the public back when the commission deliberates on the matter. We wouldn’t put it past the commission to come up with a good solution to sound mitigation. After all, the group showed creativity in muting speakers once they hit the 3-minute mark.

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The Wellesley Recreation Commission has scheduled a meeting on Friday, March 3 at 8am during which it is slated to hear from the public on the pickleball and tennis courts at Sprague Field. The agenda item is listed as “Public input: Sprague sport courts: tennis & pickleball.”

If you wish to take part in citizen speak or comment on any other agenda item, email recreation@wellesleyma.gov.

Wellesley is of course not alone in seeing a rise in pickleball popularity. That popularity in Wellesley has prompted various town bodies (Recreation, Natural Resources Commission, School Committee) to respond by making more court time available indoors and by carving out places to play on existing outdoor sports courts, such as at Sprague Fields and Perrin Park.

The rise of pickleball has presented some territorial challenges, as the pickleball players share space previously used only for tennis or basketball, and the town has attempted to manage this situation by using an online reservation system. But this hearing was prompted more by complaints from the Sprague court neighbors, who say the game—in which players smack plastic balls with their paddles—is too loud and should be located on fields further away from homes.

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The increased popularity of pickleball in Wellesley has prompted various town bodies (Recreation, Natural Resources Commission, School Committee) to respond by making more court time available indoors and by carving out places to play on existing outdoor sports courts, such as at Sprague Fields and Perrin Park.

The rise of pickleball has presented territorial challenges, as the pickleball players share space previously used only for tennis or basketball, and the town has attempted to manage this situation by using an online reservation system.

The latest pickleball issue to get the Recreation Commission’s attention is the noise generated by the hard plastic balls smacking against the paddles, in addition to the players’ voices.

Neighbors of the pickleball courts at the Sprague Fields brought their concerns to the Wellesley Recreation Commission at its Oct. 13 meeting (about 4 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording). Neighbor John Maccini described the pickleball noise as being “very loud, it’s annoying, it’s intrusive, I can hear it in every room in my house. I’m sitting out on my new porch trying to read something and I really can’t concentrate.” He surveyed neighbors, including those the nearby townhouses, and found that the noise is also bothering them. “I don’t think anybody on those boards [Recreation, School Committee] had any idea how noisy pickleball is,” he said, adding his wish that the pickleball courts be moved to the Hunnewell tennis courts along Washington Street.

Recreation Commission Chair Paul Cramer said during the meeting the Wellesley High Athletic Department is against converting any Hunnewell courts for pickleball use, though notes this could be revisited.

Maccini also questioned why the pickleball courts were marked off on the southerly end of the courts area, closest to the homes, again suggesting that town bodies hadn’t really considered the potential for noise.

While this is yet another case where observers have said “You live near X, you should expect noise, traffic, or whatever,” it’s also true that pickleball has only emerged in recent years, long after some residents moved in. Some Sprague Fields neighbors feel under siege of late, with plans for a lacrosse rebound wall also generating opposition (though proponents claim the noise from this will be surprisingly unobtrusive).

The Recreation Commission picked up the pickleball noise issue at its Nov. 29 meeting (just before the 26-minute mark of the Wellesley Media recording) and said part of its response could involve restricting playing times, including using its online reservation system to make Sprague courts available only after others are filled.

But it also discussed possible use of a noise mitigation panels that could be hung from the fencing around a section of the courts. This has been used in Burlington, Mass., where the Recreation & Parks department told Cramer the noise abatement effort has worked pretty well. According to the vendor, the noise protection would work better for those on the same level as the courts as opposed to those uphill from them. The panels could cost tens of thousands of dollars.

“It does seem that pickleball in some way is here to stay,” said Cramer, suggesting longer-term plans should be developed. This could involve finding a spot for dedicated courts away from homes and maybe even exploring covered courts.

Recreation Director Matt Chin suggested another public hearing on this issue is likely to get input from neighbors and pickleball players.

Separately, Department of Public Works Director Dave Cohen mentioned during the Board of Public Works meeting on Dec. 13 that it is deferring by a year work to resurface the Hunnewell tennis courts as part of budget planning (in in light of rising costs to do the job). Related to that, Cohen said there has been discussion to repurpose the practice wall at the Hunnewell tennis courts as a separate pickleball court, but that no final decision had been made on this.

Here, by the way, is what Weston has planned on the pickleball court front.

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