Hello! Thank you for your interest in Linda Beach Stop the Pop! 

• Pickleball play at the Linda Beach Courts has negatively impacted several neighbors and park users. 

• We are a group of neighborhood residents who have significant concerns about the Recreation Commission's July 2023 recommendation to the City Council to convert the Linda Beach courts to exclusive pickleball-only and the secondary effects of this unique "impulse" noise pollution.  

• We appreciate your interest in this issue! 

We believe the plan for a permanent pickleball-only facility at Linda Beach: 

• Is inconsistent with the Linda Beach Master Plan approved by the City Council in January 2019 (on hold due to inadequate funding). The Linda Beach Master Plan was developed in 2018 with extensive engagement and input from the Linda Beach neighborhood. The Piedmont Recreation Department removed pickleball from the plan in May 2018 because of neighborhood concerns about noise and the final plan did not include pickleball;

• Is a violation of City Code section 12.8 “Noise Declared Nuisance”;"

• Has and will continue to negatively impact the physical and mental health of immediate neighbors; 

• Has and will continue to impede the ability of neighbors to enjoy the peace and quality of their homes; 

•  Has and will continue to negatively impact enjoyment of the other park facilities, such as the tot lot and Linda Beach Sports Field; 

• Disproportionately reflects input from pickleball players to the detriment of the quality of life in the Linda Beach neighborhood; 

• Is an inappropriate use of this space in a residential area, adjacent to areas used by school age children, a tot lot used by very young children, and a playfield used by all ages for a variety of recreational activities; 

• Could deter potential home buyers and negatively impact home values.

We believe the Piedmont Recreation Commission's July 2023 recommendation and the Staff Report Recommendations to the City Council were rushed. As a result, Commissioners did not have adequate time to critically evaluate the methodology and subsequent analysis related to: 

• Traffic and safety impacts related to Beach Elementary School 

• Noise impacts at Linda Beach Schoolmates, Beach Elementary school, the adjacent tot lot and the Linda Beach neighborhood

• Impulsive quality of noise and evidence of pickleball sound as a noise nuisance throughout the country

• Established medical views connecting noise to adverse effects on health