If you’re one of the thousands of people who call Glen Cove, New York home, there are plenty of things to do both at home and in the community — but if you’re looking to take up pickleball without leaving your house’s yard, you might encounter a bump in the road. As the Long Island Press‘s Casey Fahrer reports, the city’s government recently implemented a three-month ban on new pickleball facilities on private property.
The new law includes a prohibition on “the conversion of any surface on residential property for the purpose of playing pickleball.” At issue, the city’s mayor Pam Panzenbeck told the Press, are concerns over the distinctive sound of pickleball games. The temporary ban is now awaiting state approval; it will also require a review of “the possible impacts on the quality of life for city residents if pickleball courts are permitted.”
Concerns over the sound of pickleball can go beyond simple NIMBYism. Last year, the Acoustical Study of America released a study that pointed to health issues that could arise as a result to long-term exposure to the sounds of pickleball. These included “disrupted sleep, cardiac and neurologic issues,” with some study participants also describing hearing “phantom pops” even when pickleball was not being played.
Golf’s Answer to Pickleball Is Spreading Across the US
Park golf is picking up steamOverall, a fast-growing way for people to engage in regular physical activity is a good thing, and hopefully the people of Glen Cove can find a workable balance between a popular sport and reducing the sounds it makes. Loud noises are not the only drawback to pickleball that has come into focus recently. This week, NBC News reported on a pickleball-inspired brawl in Florida that led to multiple arrests and involved approximately 20 people. Sports can be a great way to blow off steam, but not like this.
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