Rec Commission ignores noise impact of pickleball courts at Rideout Park

Over the years, many attempts to add features such as permanent fencing for baseball fields, lights, and cell towers at Rideout Park that are not acceptable at Emerson Park have been attempted. Pickleball is not allowed at Emerson Park. According to the Recreation Department website, outside pickleball is only allowed at Rideout Park. Who gave permission for pickleball to be played at Rideout (and not Emerson)? Driving across Route 2 to Emerson Park is not acceptable to West Acton residents which include families with children and elderly who cannot drive and deliberately purchased their homes within walking distance of the tennis courts and park.

The noise from the pickleball paddle hitting the ball is particularly annoying because it’s an abrupt sound and its high frequency is near the range where human hearing is most sensitive. When the Recreation Commission was asked if they had investigated the harms of the sound effects, they clearly had not, and have no plans to do so before the pickleball courts are installed. In addition, no mitigation of the noise has been planned for, such as quieter paddles and balls, installing acoustic barriers, and limiting playing hours. In fact, the proposal includes lighting, which would only increase playing hours and noise.

With no town-sponsored sign-up for pickleball and tennis court use, no public data is available for the overall usage by Acton citizens. How many players are from Acton or from visiting communities that do not allow outdoor pickleball courts? Since this decision is impacting those taxpayers living directly around Rideout Park, there needs to be additional, open discussion to focus on the extreme impact that the existing pickleball courts have on the local homeowners and the proposed courts for their health and property values.

Carolyn Staudt

Laws Brook Road