Carmel council agrees to study split-court plan, sound fixes and alternate sites after months of pickleball disputes

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. — The Carmel-by-the-Sea City Council on Wednesday heard more than three hours of public testimony and staff briefing on a contentious debate over pickleball play at Forest Hill Park and instructed staff to return with two ordinance options, cost estimates for sound attenuation and locking gates, and continued work to identify alternate courts.

The council convened a special meeting to review a Forest and Beach Commission policy that would reserve the east side of the Forest Hill tennis courts for two permanent pickleball courts, leave the west side for tennis and add a dividing fence and electronic locks to separate the uses. Tom Ford, presenting for city staff, told the council the commission adopted the policy and that “before we had spent money on that ... we wanted to bring this before council” because some elements (permanent nets, locks and modifications) would cost money. Ford said part of the package already implemented limits on days and hours: pickleball 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; tennis 10 a.m.–4 p.m. daily.

Why it matters: neighbors and players described competing harms. Neighbors described repeated, high‑pitched paddle 'pops' that they say carry to nearby houses and disrupt daily life, while players and some business owners said the courts provide important recreation, social connection and tourism value. The council sought options that would reduce impacts on adjacent residents while preserving organized recreation.

What staff and the commission recommended and why

Ford and Forest and Beach Commission chair Tamara Mickey summarized a multi‑year process that included public outreach, comparison with nearby cities (Monterey, Pacific Grove, Yountville), six commission hearings, and basic acoustic field measurements that staff described as “rudimentary.” Ford said staff and the commission considered quiet balls and…