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Article Courtesy of WINK
NEWS
By Brea Hollingsworth
Published December 22, 2018
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Every day, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., neighbors go to a Punta Gorda pickleball
court for some friendly competition.
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But the pings and pongs have neighbors
who live along the Gilchrist Park upset.
They said the noise mixed with the traffic on the street is
too loud.
“The sport itself is good,” Tony Gabarda said, “but the
location is what is the problem.”
And now, the Punta Gorda Historic Homeowners Association is
asking for a solution. Wednesday at 9 a.m., the City Council
will discuss adding shrubs, an acoustic wall or even moving
the court.
But many pickleball players said the courts are essential to
the community and moving it would defeat the purpose of the
park.
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“Why would they want to move the courts just because
somebody complains?” Willie Blocker said, a pickleball player. “Who knew
they were living across the tennis courts to start with.”
Gabarda said his friend lives right across the street
from the court and had health issues due to stress from the noise.
“My friend had a stroke because of the noise pollution,”
Dr. Gabarda said. “It increases your blood pressure, increases your stress
level it triggers stress.”
Overall, both sides hope to find a compromise.
“I wish most people would come out and meet the people that play pickleball,”
Riccardo Deller said. “It’s not just the game in itself or the noise. Even
the kids’ playground you can hear them playing and laughing — take time to
admire why their laughing or the fun their having.”
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