Tiburon Peninsula Club pickleball review: club installs barriers, sound study shows lower levels; commission to consider expanding hours

The Tiburon Planning Commission on Jan. 22 received a status report on pickleball play at the Tiburon Peninsula Club and heard residents and club members describe improvements, continuing concerns and a possible compromise on operating hours.

The club’s director of court sports, Colin Braun, told the commission the club has installed new acoustic materials and other controls and invested in mitigation measures. Braun said the club has four pickleball courts and that about 30% of club members use pickleball; he described the sport as “the fastest growing sport in the United States.”

An acoustical consultant hired by the club, John Laverty of Vena Claus and Associates, presented measurements taken at multiple receptor locations in September 2024 and compared them with earlier readings. Laverty said the newer, more absorptive wall material reduced reflected sound and produced reductions “across the board,” with several receptor locations showing drops of a few decibels and at least one location with reductions on the order of roughly 6 dB. He summarized that measured levels at the receptor locations remained below the Town of Tiburon exterior residential guideline and that the changes reduced sound energy reaching nearby homes.

Why it matters: neighbors had raised concerns about impulsive, staccato noise from pickleball play during prior hearings. The commission required a follow-up report and additional measurements after approving a conditional use permit amendment in 2024. The report and the consultant’s measurements were intended to show whether the mitigation steps taken by the club have reduced off-site…