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Council clears Alta Vista pickleball project after noise study, authorizes mitigation options
Summary
After a city-commissioned noise study found predicted increases below commonly noticeable thresholds, the council approved a CEQA exemption and authorized staff to move forward with converting a tennis court to pickleball courts and to pursue sound-mitigation and landscaping.
The Redondo Beach City Council unanimously approved staff recommendations to receive and file a noise impact study for pickleball courts at Alta Vista Park, determine the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and authorize staff to proceed with installation and related resurfacing and sound mitigation as needed.
Staff presented a noise study prepared by York Engineering that included a 24-hour ambient measurement and 20-minute continuous-play measurements on the courts. The study found predicted increases in equivalent sound level (Leq) between 0.7 and 1.8 decibels after applying a 5 dB impulsive-noise penalty — below the 3 dB threshold typically considered noticeable in outdoor settings. Tina Darjezzani, senior engineer with York Engineering, said, “Even with that added buffer, the predicted increase in ambient noise was just 1.8 dB, which is below the 3 dB threshold that most people can't even notice.”
The council discussed mitigation options. Staff presented three commercially available acoustic-screen options (PickleBlock, AlphaSorb and SoundBlock) with estimated sideline installation costs of roughly $8,500–$10,400. Council members emphasized aesthetics, durability and the need to repair and plant the hillside vegetation above the courts to provide sound attenuation and visual screening; staff said about $90,000 is already in the capital improvement project (CIP) to resurface and restripe all eight courts and roughly $21,000 is available for mitigation material. Council member Waller urged focusing mitigation on the west-facing side closest to homes and enhancing hillside irrigation and plantings, saying plantings “will help with sound attenuation as well.”
The council approved the CEQA exemption finding, authorized staff to proceed with the conversion of one tennis court into four pickleball courts as part of the resurfacing project, and allowed staff discretion to select an appropriate mitigation product (aesthetics, maintainability and decibel reduction to be considered). The vote was unanimous; staff will obtain firm cost proposals, prepare contracts for council consideration and begin construction after approvals.
