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Residents ask Cutler Bay council for fixes after pickleball court conversion at Sacagawea Park
Summary
Neighbors said conversion of Sacagawea tennis courts into six pickleball courts has produced noise, parking overflow and late‑night disturbance and asked the council for specific mitigations including reduced hours, fewer courts and parking changes.
Residents living near Sacagawea Park told the Town of Cutler Bay council on March 19 that converting tennis courts to six pickleball courts has caused sustained noise, parking overflow and disruption to daily life.
“As residents directly impacted by the conversion of the tennis courts into 6 pickleball courts, we have experienced a significant increase in noise, traffic and disruption to our daily lives,” said Maribel (last name undisclosed in the record), who identified her address and testified during public comment. She said the neighborhood has been communicating concerns since September 2024 and described heavy evening use that she estimated brought “up to 48 players” plus spectators at times, leading to spillover parking on residential streets after 4 p.m. and late‑night disturbances for residents living “just 50 feet from the courts.”
The residents’ group proposed a set of mitigation measures: implement an online reservation system from 4 to 9 p.m.; restrict court hours to sunrise‑to‑sundown or adopt a reservation system if later hours are kept; expand the park parking lot; reduce the number of courts from six to four; install no‑parking signs on Southwest 79 Court to prevent blocked driveways; enforce noise mitigation measures including quieter paddles and balls; and install acoustic barriers, hedges or trees. The group said they oppose converting Southwest 80th Court into a parking lot, citing fears that would worsen traffic and noise.
“We expect accountability, a firm deadline for response, and transparency regarding the decisions that affect us,” Maribel said, adding the group preferred collaboration over litigation though the speakers noted legal avenues were available if studies had not been conducted.
Council members did not take immediate action on the requests during the public comment period; the presentation was made during general public comments and will require follow up from staff for study, enforcement or regulatory proposals. Parks staff noted earlier in the meeting that the town had undertaken several court conversions, but no staff response to the specific Sacagawea proposals was recorded in the transcript.
