Tucker council pauses Recreation Center bid after consultants say proposed pickleball plans could require massive noise barriers

The City of Tucker on Sept. 22 paused plans to seek construction bids for sound mitigation tied to a proposed multi-sport expansion at the Tucker Recreation Center after hearing a technical study that warned the site could require very large barriers to limit pickleball noise for nearby homes.

Consultants from Pickleball Sound Mitigation (PSM) presented acoustic modeling for three proposed court zones at the recreation center and two alternate park sites, concluding that the 10-foot partial barriers in the May 2025 design would not meet the study's residential target. Braxton, a PSM consultant and professor, said the firm uses LAFmax (instantaneous peak levels) rather than long-term averages because pickleball creates short impulsive strikes that stand out against quiet backgrounds: "we're looking at the loudest pickleball hit of the loudest player" and recommended a conservative limit of ambient plus 3 dB (about 52 dBA) at residences to reduce…