South Burlington residents urge changes at Simanski Park over pickleball impacts

Several South Burlington residents used the public-comment period at the March 17 City Council meeting to urge the council to address complaints tied to the city’s new pickleball courts at Simanski Park.

Resident Burton Wilke told the council that a small group who had been using the tennis courts that were striped for pickleball felt displaced when four new dedicated courts were built. “We thought that pickleball courts should be in a public park, should be shared, and there should be some kind of system to allow us to play on the courts,” Wilke said, adding that visiting players sometimes “told us we would have to come back after several hours” and that some players have been “rude” to neighbors.

Another resident, identified in the meeting as Nalini, said the noise and traffic have affected her family’s daily life and safety. “I will not go on my deck because of noise. I have to think about walking to school with my child and home and him being safe,” Nalini said, and urged the council to “consider moving the courts out of the neighborhood to a place where it’s a physically adaptable spot for this sport.”

Wilke also described speeding and unsafe driving on Andrews Street near the park, saying one woman drove quickly back down Andrews after leaving the courts. He said neighbors have noticed repeated speeding and rude behavior by some court users. Nalini said the season runs “from April until November,” and that residents feel “psychologically locked out of your own life” during that span.

Both speakers said they continue to play pickleball but now travel to courts in neighboring Shelburne. Wilke raised broader questions for the council about court siting, parking and the need for usage guidelines so that local residents and visiting players can share the public facility.

The remarks came during the meeting’s public-comment period and no formal council action on the courts was taken at the March 17 meeting. Councilors and staff made no immediate commitments to relocate or reconfigure the courts during the meeting; the issue was presented for council awareness and potential future consideration at committee or council meetings.