Pickleball courts at Eisenhower Park in Denver are the latest to close amid noise violations

Denver Parks and Recreation will explore extending indoor pickleball hours at Eisenhower Rec Center after the city has decided to close down the outdoor courts amid noise violations. This is the latest development in a battle between people who love the sport and those who live nearby outdoor courts. 

According to Denver Parks and Recreation, they have continued to balance various challenges related to pickleball play and resulting noise impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. Over the last few months, the city has been working closely with the Pickleball Advisory Group to make sure they find other locations to play pickleball in Denver. 

However, to address the demand for courts, Denver Parks and Rec said they have taken the following actions:

• At the request of the PBAG, DPR established six "pop-up" pickleball courts in MLK Park for a total of 10 courts in that park. Due to their popularity, these courts will be made permanent in mid-2024. 
• DPR begins the design process for new pickleball courts at the Lowry Sports Complex and Rosamond Park in 2024. Based on available funding, DPR believes that construction of the Lowry Courts can begin in late 2024 or early 2025, with construction of the Rosamond Courts construction soon after. 

Denver Parks and Rec says closing the outdoor pickleball courts at Eisenhower Park has been a difficult decision. According to the  DPR for the past several years they have worked with neighbors to allow pickleball play to continue under limited hours, with the exception that the city would address noise ordinance violations.  

According to DPR, after research and investigation into sound mitigation options, it was determined that these solutions do not provide the necessary noise reduction required to be within acceptable limits.

People like David Selzer, a dedicated pickleball enthusiast, emphasize the importance of finding regular activities to stay in shape.

"I do a lot of things to try to stay in shape, but the older you get, the more difficult it becomes to find something that you can do on a regular basis," said Selzer.

He adds he was surprised to see the notice about the court closing.

"That seems a little dubious, people are playing a sport, right? They're not having a party, so that doesn't make any sense at all," said Selzer.

Adrian Zarzycki, who commutes 20 minutes to play pickleball, shares Selzer's sentiment expressing it is unfair to close the courts due to noise.

Denver Parks and Rec states in response to CBS News Colorado that they continue to grapple with challenges related to pickleball noise.

"As a result, DPR will close the Eisenhower Park Courts to pickleball play on Nov. 6, timed to coincide with lower play season. These courts will be converted back to tennis in 2024, pending funding and staffing availability," said Denver Parks and Rec in a statement.

Indoor pickleball hours will be increased by 1.5 hours, 4 days a week at the Eisenhower Recreation Center, adding 6 additional hours to the schedule. This will make for a total of 20 hours of weekly open play. This will be in addition to the Pickleball 101 class offered on Wednesdays. 

Neighbors like Mark Nussbaun say they don't mind the noise, but it is consistent and conspicuous.

"It's ping pong with a bigger ball and a heftier paddle, so it's got a bigger thunk to it, but it is one of those things you just get used to hearing that you almost don't hear it anymore," said Nussbaun.

The city adds they have looked into solutions like sound mitigation options but based on guidance from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, fence-mounted sound mitigation, such as baffling or heavy screening, is highly unlikely to be successful considering the close proximities between the homes and the courts.

Denver Parks and Rec shared the following information:

It is DPR's wish to continue to serve the pickleball community and expand our capacity over the coming year and beyond. 

For those interested in further information on sound mitigation considered at the Eisenhower Park location, here are some of the research and investigation findings: 

• Based on guidance from DDPHE and sound engineering studies, DPR recommends that pickleball court sites be at least 600 feet away from residential properties. The homes to the north of the Eisenhower pickleball courts are roughly 195 feet from the courts, while the homes to the south are 175 feet away. 
• Fence-mounted sound mitigation, such as baffling or heavy screening, is highly unlikely to be successful at these close proximities. 
• In this particular location, sound mitigation would be required on all sides of the courts, with only 1% of the surface open to be potentially effective. With the grade difference between the courts and the second story of surrounding homes, those fences would also need to be substantially changed, at a considerable cost. 
• The baffling and screening options are opaque or nearly opaque, creating an undesirable condition in the middle of the park, where court users can't see out, park visitors and DPR staff can't see in, and heat is trapped (the screening does not have perforations like windscreens do), creating an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe environment. 

For pickleball enthusiasts like Selzer, this is not going to prevent him from playing Pickleball.

"It is not going to stop me from playing the sport, that is silly. You can't regulate people out of playing the game, that seems like an overreach," said Selzer.

Scott Gilmore,  Deputy Executive Director for Denver Parks and Recreation will hold a Q&A to discuss pickleball issues in Denver on Friday, October 27th from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Eisenhower Pickleball Courts.