Pickleball debate: Martinez votes to shut down 1-year-old courts after noise complaints

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KGO) -- It's the sound dividing residents in the East Bay city of Martinez. Since opening last year, the Hidden Valley Sports Courts have caused controversy in the city. That controversy has gotten so bad that on Wednesday, the Martinez City Council voted to shut the pickleball courts down.

This is a decision that players like Brian Lim disagree with.

"I think it's a very accessible sport. As you know, pickleball gets more and more popular every year. It's very easy to play, it's very family-friendly," Lim said.

Lim says the sport provides more than just physical exercise. For him, it's also a way to build community.

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Others like Ann Ji think there could be alternative solutions to shutting the courts down, and believe doing so is a waste of taxpayer money.

"Not only did this cost $1.5 million to build, what are you going to do with it? Demolishing it is also going to take some money. What are you going to build into this?" Ji said.

The noise from the courts is exactly why nearby residents like Lucas Shedd came to voice their support for shutting them down at Wednesday's city council meeting.

"It's become almost like torture," he said.

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Shedd tells ABC7 Eyewitness News he often has to shut all his windows and play music in order to drown out the sound coming from the courts.

He says most people who live nearby want to see the pickleball stopped.

"I wanted to move, but my wife was like- we can't afford to move," Shedd said.

The city plans to have the closure take effect immediately, but will also look at other locations to build future pickleball courts.