Several speakers used the public-comment period at the July 22 Sussex County Council meeting to raise concerns about noise from pickleball courts, the number and scale of development applications in the pipeline, and planning commission staffing.

Jennifer August, a Rehoboth resident, asked council to consider a health-protection and land-use ordinance for existing communities that would address "pickleball noise pollution." August said she had a medical analysis she wanted to distribute and listed health effects attributed in that analysis, including "severe distress, depression, suicidal thoughts, chronic PTSD, severe anxiety, hearing phantom pops as hallucinations," nightmares, cardiovascular symptoms and concentration difficulties. She said the analysis recommends siting pickleball courts 600 to 1,000 feet from residences to avoid adverse health outcomes and urged bringing pre-existing communities under the same permitting and inspection standards as other Sussex County communities.

Lewes resident Lisonbee White said she compiled an inventory of land-use applications and reported there were 18 applications in progress. White said the 18 applications together affected about 1,904 acres and included "2,620 single-family homes and 2,900 homes in multifamily buildings" and said much of the acreage was forested; she urged council to consider steps such as pausing certain reviews or applying forthcoming ordinances to applications not yet before the plus board. White characterized the situation as "urgent" and asked council to consider measures to reduce the near-term pipeline.

A caller from the line who identified himself as supporting White's remarks suggested doubling Planning & Zoning commissioner pay from $250 per meeting to $500 per meeting to attract professionals such as transportation engineers or retired land-use professionals.

Speakers' remarks were presented during the public-comment period and did not result in immediate council action. Council staff did not announce any formal next steps on the requested ordinance or on pausing processing during the meeting.