Dear Pickleball Club Members,
When the Pickleball Club sought to build the courts in their present location, it was necessary to get a permit from the City of San Jose. To address the noise concerns of near neighbors and to comply with City standards, multiple sound studies were conducted at enormous expense to the Club.
In order to comply with the maximum level of decibels (55 dBA at property lines) allowed by San Jose City code, modifications were made necessary like soundbarrier fences and the restrictions placed on the kinds of paddles and balls we could use. Furthermore, in respect to noise the permit includes the following clause:
“The project proposes four pickleball courts which would be used during daylight hours. …with tournaments four times per year. On tournament days, there could be up to 8 hours of activities per day and a maximum spectator attendance of 25 people. There would be no amplified announcements or music. The sound level will not exceed 55 decibels…”
This year Community Activities notified the Club that we could get approval for our activities only if attendance was limited to 41 people in the court area (which includes the golf cart parking lot). They are interpreting “spectator attendance of 25 people” as 16 players on the courts plus 25 spectators for a total of 41 people in the court area at all tournament and non-tournament events.
Returning to the City to challenge this restriction would be too financially costly and could well jeopardize our existing permit to operate. The Club Tournament Directors are investigating alternative locations for larger gatherings. In the meantime, we are sadly locked into the terms as stated in the permit. We hope this helps you understand the bind we are in and we appreciate your support of the agreements made with the City.
Lucy Pousho, President
Pickleball Board