Pickleball Noise Restrictions Defeated Following Warnings of Sport Ban
Key Points
- A citizen petition to regulate pickleball noise was rejected by Town Meeting.
- Opponents argued the restrictions were so strict they would effectively ban the sport in Hingham.
- Proponents cited significant noise impacts on residential neighborhoods near courts.
A citizen-led petition to restrict pickleball noise in Hingham failed to pass after a debate over whether the proposed standards were too restrictive. Article 33 sought to amend the town's noise bylaw to include specific mitigation requirements for pickleball courts, with proponent Hillary Tatco warning that neighbors are currently blasted
by over 80,000 pops a day
from local play.
The Advisory Committee recommended against the article, arguing that the proposed noise standards were subjective and difficult to achieve. Jerry Sealan stated that the amendment would likely make it impossible to build any outdoor pickleball courts in town, saying the probability of future courts passing the new standard would be zilch.
Following a voice vote, the meeting opted for "No Action," leaving the existing noise bylaws unchanged.
Motion: To amend the noise bylaw to include pickleball restrictions.
Vote: Failed