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Novi residents urge council to limit pickleball courts near homes, cite noise and property-value risks
Summary
Two Bristol Corners residents told the Novi City Council that a recent conversion of a tennis court to three pickleball courts has produced disruptive high-pitched noise and urged an ordinance to prohibit courts within 200 feet of homes; council asked staff to share background with an upcoming review committee.
Residents urged the Novi City Council on July 28 to adopt zoning limits on pickleball courts after neighbors said a recent conversion has generated disruptive noise and harmed quality of life.
Darby O'Reilly, a 13-year Novi resident, told the council the association converted one tennis court into three pickleball courts and described the results as ‘‘very disruptive,’’ saying the courts are ‘‘in very close proximity to homes.’’ O'Reilly said the noise has affected daily life at nearby houses.
Neighbor Karen Schmitz detailed the distance from the new courts to her property line and house, saying her property line is ‘‘just 79 feet and my home is 149 feet’’ from the courts and urging council to adopt a rule that ‘‘pickleball courts are not allowed within 200 feet of any home in Novi’’ and to consider making it retroactive. Schmitz described the sound as a ‘‘sharp high pitched pop’’ from the hard plastic ball and rigid paddle and said that pattern of noise and associated shouting harms residents’ quality of life.
Both speakers tied the request to broader concerns, including claimed declines in nearby home values; Schmitz cited figures of 10–20 percent declines for homes within about 200 feet, a claim that was presented as part of public comment and was not substantiated or resolved during the meeting.
Council did not take immediate legislative action during public comment. The mayor asked staff to provide background information to an upcoming review committee, and the mayor indicated that staff would share materials ahead of that committee’s meeting.
The comments were made during the public-comment period; no formal ordinance was introduced at the July 28 meeting, and any zoning change would require subsequent council consideration and formal amendment to the city code.
